How to Embrace Minimalist Living

Embracing minimalist living is not for everyone. Minimalist living is about living a simple life. Are you ready to make the change?

While choosing to live a more eco-friendly life doesn’t have to be minimalist. There’s no surprise that living with less is better for the environment. Choosing to consume less, be useless, and produce less waste aligns perfectly with a sustainable lifestyle. Here are some tips for embracing minimalism without throwing out everything and starting over.

Choices and Accessibility for Minimalist Living

Understand that having access to something is just as good as owning something. Choices and accessibility go hand in hand. If you have a great local library that you can utilize instead of buying books, you still get the benefits of reading. You may feel that the books might be outdated, but you have the choice of asking the librarian to add newer books to their collections.

Being able to watch movies online or at the theater works just as well as owning them. Nowadays, with movie apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon TV, and Fandango, there are more ways to watch your favorite television shows and movies. There are also a few free apps where you can watch movies for free if you are on a budget.

Having access to public transportation is often a much better choice than owning a vehicle. A car is a necessity; we all agree on that. If you are living in a city where everything is accessible, there is no need to own a car. If you are living in the suburbs, for example, a car becomes a necessity. City life is better with public transportation.

 Avoid Shopping Sprees

Putting limits on yourself forces you to choose wisely. When you are only allowed three new clothing purchases per year, you’re more likely to wait until you need something and to choose items that will last longer. This applies to every aspect of your life. Limiting how much time you’ll spend online or how much you’ll spend on food will help you save energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

Shopping Sprees do not apply to only clothes. Many people tend to splurge on food sales when they have coupons. Buy it if you really need it and is a good bargain, but be conscious of what you are putting in your body.

Energy-saving is a huge aspect of our lives. Energy consumption no longer applies to physical but also to material and electronics. Having the ability to save more money should be your main goal. When you know your savings need to be increased, you will find ways to save.

Declutter your home and get rid of your bad habits

Instead of just cleaning out closets and reducing the amount of clutter in your home, it’s also important to look at the habits that created the clutter in the first place. If you tend to collect items because they were free, or because you can’t pass up a deal, it can be easy to justify that habit by thinking that you are recycling. In some cases, it may be smarter to ditch the DIY and do without.

Make a point of giving things away. Donating items or giving them to someone who has expressed a need is a great way to declutter and helps reduce waste. Instead of filling up a trash bag, the items will find a new home where they can be useful. Building this relationship with neighbors or family members also opens avenues for you to receive items that you could use in return, thereby continuing the no-waste cycle.

Just because an item is eco-friendly doesn’t mean you have to have it. When you purchase new items, make sure you stop and ask yourself what your intentions are for the item. Do you need it? Do you love it? Is it truly necessary? These are the basic tenants of eco-friendly, minimalist life.

References:

• http://observer.com/2015/10/11-tips-for-living-a-minimalist-lifestyle/
• http://midwaysimplicity.com/27-legends-reveal-tips-to-simplify-your-life/
• http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/seeking-simplicity-how-to-start-living-a-more-minimal-lifestyle-210936
• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/decorating-ideas/a32824185/minimalist-living/