Do you know (or are you) a "minimalist?

IMO, going minimalist is a good step in the right direction but too radical to go all the way.

My friend Bob Sacamano became a minimalist.

I believe moderation is better, not too far one way or the other. We all need balance and unless the financial situation warrants it I cannot understand going full minimalist and moving to a tiny house.
Of course if our government would decide to try that I would be all in favor of that.

I am moreso than my wife, but not to the extreme of some of the examples on here. My wife will pile stuff everywhere, and leave it. I fuss about. Things like old junk mail that had I gotten it out of the mailbox would have never made it in the house. Magazines, junk the kids bring home from school. She can't stand for me to start cleaning, cause when I do, things disappear. We'd held on to the kids car seats. My kids are 11 and 13. We knew we weren't going to sell them or otherwise let them be reused, so why keep them. I torched em about 4 months ago. I still don't think she knows they are gone. I want to get rid of things, so there's less clutter, and less chance for clutter. I like organization, and if parting ways with "things" is the way to get organized, I'm all for it.

As a general rule, I'm against trying to minimize because it's too much like trying to "reduce your carbon footprint".
Otoh, when you move from one house to another and you find yourself loading/unloading boxes marked "Miscellaneous Junk", you know it's time to take it a lot more seriously!

As a wise & beloved uncle of mine often said, "Everything in moderation...including moderation."


FWIW, I'm doing a lot better with physical crapola lying around. But my own biggest challenge these days is all the electronic stuff I've filed away under "I should read/do/watch that one of these days." Going all digital most assuredly does NOT mean you're clutter-free & organized.

I think the idea of throwing out unused crap around the house misses the point of going minimalist.

I have known two minimalist personally and have a few that are clients of mine.
The two I know personally one is for spiritual reasons and the other has mental health issues when it comes to spending money. Those two have been on the minimalist track for years. The clients of mine are usually in their 20's and want to retire at 40. It is a tough living, but if your why is big enough, it is worth it.

As I understand the definition of minimalist - it's a very extreme measure. Not sure I could ever subscribe myself...but can surely appreciate the philosophy.

I need to thin out what I have accumulated over the years...for me it's more about having more space and a less cluttered existence.

Thanks for the timely post, Buzz....maybe this will be the year....

I'm not sure that I could ever commit to being a true minimalist. However, I do think most Americans over consume. Some people think it is patriotic buying crap from China to supposedly help our own economy. It's crazy.

I spent my twenties buying things I really didn't need. There were many things that my wife and I bought that we never even used. They were nice things, but unnecessary. We also went out to eat all the time. It's not really good for your wallet or waistline. When our child was born, we spent a ton of money on baby "stuff": toys that were never played with more than once and clothes that were never worn. It was truly ridiculous.

Nowadays, I consume a lot less. I buy used things when I can. I make sure I really need something before I buy it. I Goodwilled over half of my possessions and I'm happier for it. I actually know what I own. It's nice.

I haven't see or spoken to him in 20 years or so, but I'm friends on FB with one of my first employers. He's a big-time minimalist. He and his wife are fairly wealthy and live in a 340 square foot home on a river in the northwest. This is his one and only home, not a vacation place. From his posts, he built it himself for about $15,000 and I gather it's something like this:



Probably bigger than that, but it has three rooms, not including the bathroom, which he says is has a toilet, sink and 3x3 foot shower. He says you can sit on the toilet and turn on the shower or sink.

Here's one of the many micro-home websites he posts about on his FB page: http://tinyhousefor.us/

He's stated that he has three pairs of pants/shorts, four shirts and three pairs of underwear. He has one suit just in case he has to go to a funeral or something. Uses the same bar of home-made soap to bathe, wash his hair and shave. They have no TV or cell phone, but do have a landline, internet access and one laptop.

He's an interesting guy. A libertarian who believes that the federal government's only (and, I do mean ONLY) role should be national defense. He's pro gay marriage, but is generally not a fan (to put it mildly) of any shade of brown people. He's a big fan of the military and regularly posts info about soldiers, sailors and airmen who have lost their lives in the line of duty. But, only if they're white. I've seen two or three people post links on his page about the deaths of non-white servicemen and women. Those have always been deleted quickly without comment.

He's also a huge proponent of organic, non-GMO food and believes that anybody who wastes time and space growing a lawn instead of using the space as a vegetable garden is certifiably insane. He's pro-hemp, wants to do away with criminalization of all drugs, anti-religion, pro-gun and pro-choice (none of the government's business). He also loves him some very high-dollar scotch. I'm talking thousands of dollars per bottle.

Bamaro said:

I think the idea of throwing out unused crap around the house misses the point of going minimalist.

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However, it's a good start in the direction of being/becoming a minimalist. It's a step in the right direction.

After getting rid of all the crap, then you prioritize what you really need. And focus on that word NEED not want.

For example we don't need a luxury car or a mansion on a hillside. We need a place with necessary food, shelter, a place to use the bathroom for the many S'es and a vehicle that will be dependable in getting us from point A to point B. Do we need a landline or a cell phone? Why both? Maybe neither! Or just settle for an Obama phone. No, I can't do that I rather be without a device where people can always bug me. To some that may be a need in the world of work.

If you are a minimalist and your wife isn't, then you are in BIG trouble.

Goodwill can be your friend. Not sure if I know any minimalist, but I know several folks who according to them, "have gone off the grid". It appears ther going off the grid has something to do with either their politics or religion.

exiledNms said:

As a wise & beloved uncle of mine often said, "Everything in moderation...including moderation."


FWIW, I'm doing a lot better with physical crapola lying around. But my own biggest challenge these days is all the electronic stuff I've filed away under "I should read/do/watch that one of these days." Going all digital most assuredly does NOT mean you're clutter-free & organized.

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Like those stacks of obsolete VHS tapes and DVD's that are doing nothing but collecting dust.

Bazza said:

As I understand the definition of minimalist - it's a very extreme measure. Not sure I could ever subscribe myself...but can surely appreciate the philosophy.

I need to thin out what I have accumulated over the years...for me it's more about having more space and a less cluttered existence.

Thanks for the timely post, Buzz....maybe this will be the year....

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Baz, I hope you didn't say anything to that girl you met in Winn Dixie about being a minimalist.