Minimalism Guide #1 | 30 Days Of No Shopping

In my last blog I said I would upload Sundays, Wednesday, and Fridays. Today is Thursday. Oops. In all seriousness, I thought today was Wednesday. Oh well!

I haven't wrote about minimalism in a while. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not the type of minimalist where I can fit all of my belongings in a backpack. But that does not mean that I'm not a minimalist.

I do, however, have a lot less stuff than what I use to have. I sell and donate things I don't use on a regular basis and I spend a lot less time shopping.

Speaking of shopping, I'm going to tell you what really helped me have less stuff in my home.

I was organizing and getting rid of some stuff in my closet about a year ago. I remember getting really overwhelmed by the amount of things I had that I didn't use. Several garbage bags full to be exact. After I was done, I had some new clothing items to put away. It's not possible to reduce the amount of things you have if you're going to buy more. I told myself that I wasn't going to shop for the next month.

Well, a month flew by and my 30 days of no shopping was a success. And 30 days turned into 60 and then 90. Now, I rarely shop and it has really made a difference in the amount of things in my home. It's awesome.

So let's do the 30 days of no shopping together. This is great for people who are interested in becoming minimalists but don't want to part with their things. This is also useful for people who don't particularly care about minimalism but want to shop less for whatever the reason.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

1. It's OK to buy things you need such as groceries, toiletries, etc. It's also OK to buy something that breaks that you use such as your washer, phone, etc.

2. I do not recommend you go shopping with the expectation of not buying anything. It's really hard to resist temptations when you're around all this new stuff with discounted prices everywhere. If your friend asks you to go shopping, you can politely decline, tell them about your no shopping experiment, and suggest you do something else.

That's all!

What will you gain by doing this challenge? More space, more money, and more time to do whatever you want.

I know the 20th of July is a weird time to start this challenge but I don't believe you need the 1st of a month to make a fresh start.

I will check back with you August 20th with another minimalism guide.

Good luck!

Ang

I wrote a blog on tips to help you shop less. It may help you on this challenge:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/05/tips-that-i-use-to-shop-less.html

Here is another article about Minimalism if you're interested in learning more:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/04/minimalism-unplugged.html

And check out my previous blog here:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/07/does-your-job-give-you-anxiety-dont.html

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Tips That I Use To Shop Less (A Minimalist's Guide)

A couple of days ago, a wrote an article on how I keep my home minimal. One of those tips was to shop less. I wanted to talk more about this so I decided to give it an article of its own.

Today's society has such a strong emphasis on materialism. Not only are we exposed to advertisements every single day, society has taught us that we should reward ourselves with "stuff". You work hard, life is short, buy this item.

I don't believe minimalism is attainable if you find yourself in a shop more than once a week. What's the point of cleaning out your home if you're going to replace it with more stuff? That's a waste of time, money, and resources. If you are dabbling around in a minimalism lifestyle, less buying is crucial.

I know first hand how difficult it can be to not shop. I never thought of myself as materialistic but looking back on it, I probably had a bit of problem with shopping. But I have to say that I have made some changes this past year and reducing the amount of time I spend shopping has changed my life in so many ways. It has given me more time to engage in productive activities (like writing a blog). It has given me more money to invest in other things such as travelling, which is fantastic! But above all that, it has given me a new freedom. I no longer feel tied to this idea of consumerism. I have been able to live minimally which has been a liberating experience.

But it hasn't come without any struggles. I have had a few slip ups. I don't think of them as failures, though. I learned a lot about myself and my need to shop through these failures. I am going to share what has worked for me with you.

1. Think Of How Much Time You Spend Shopping

You probably live a busy life. Maybe you're a parent or a full-time student or worker. Or maybe you do all of those things and more! What do you do in your time off? I would often spend my days off shopping. When I got home, I would be disappointed that I never spent my day off doing something more productive. Now the best part of the day is over and I had to work in the next morning. Boo.

Do you have books you want to read? Documentaries you want to catch up on? A painting you haven't finished yet? These things are attainable depending on how you manage your time. Next time you're getting ready to go shop, ask yourself what's more important. Self-improvement and quality fun time or spending 3 or 4 hours (if not more) shopping.

Making this connection has seriously reduced the amount of time I spend in the stores. I find myself blogging and drawing much more than what I use to.

2. Find Your Passion

The previous tip will be difficult for those you haven't discovered a passion yet. If you haven't found one yet, keep trying! Think back to a time in your life when you had no responsibilities. Was there something you would do? Something you could do for hours that seemed to make time disappear? Do more research, join different groups you think you might like. Try something new. The worse that can happen is you won't like it and you will move on something else.

Finding a passion will give your life so much meaning and fulfillment. You will no longer feel the need to look for external stimulation (shopping) when you have downtime.

3. Beware Of The Media

I have a guilty pleasure. I love Korean Pop (Kpop) music. I could easily spend hours watching Kpop music videos. I never thought for a second that this could affect how much time I spend shopping. But it did. You see, when we are exposed to media, we are exposed to beautiful men and women who are prompting the latest fashion trends. They are style icons after all. When I saw Kpop idols wearing certain clothes or using certain beauty product, I would plan to go and buy these items on my next day off.

Now, I don't think it's fair to say that media "caused" my shopping problem. I don't believe I was brainwashed and I do have self-control. But media was a trigger for me and it definitely increased my desire you want to shop and buy more things. Go a week with minimal exposure to the media whether that's TV, YouTube, Instagram, etc. and see if that lessens your desire to shop. You might be surprised.

4. Shop At Stores That Offer Full Refunds

I have made mistakes along the way and found myself buying more stuff than what I needed. The good news is that when I came home, I felt guilty for buying and I ended up returning a lot of what I had bought. You may have given into a temptation at the mall but it is much easier to rationalize at home. Ensure that you can return what you buy.

I'm not saying that shopping is evil. I still enjoy it on occasion. Although I'm not perfect (nor will I ever be), I have become a much more mindful shopper. I feel happier and freer and I wouldn't change that for anything.

Sincerely,
Ang

How I Maintain A Minimalist Life

I wrote an article recently about the true meaning of minimalism. I have been interested in minimalism and I have been trying to obtain this lifestyle of quiet sometime. If something in my home doesn't add value or purpose to life, I will get rid of it.

Reducing the amount of stuff you have in your home is not hard but it can be an ongoing task depending on how much you accumulated. I have been working on reducing what I own for quite some time now (maybe a year or so?) and I'm still working on it. I know getting rid of your possessions is intimidating, but fear not! I have developed a method for maintaining a minimalist life that I would like to share with anyone who may be interested.

1. Clean Out Your Home On A Regular Basis

Most people seem to clean out there house twice a year: during the spring and winter. I go through my closet and other areas of my home almost on a monthly basis. I will go through my stuff and get rid of things I know I don't use or don't want. Knowing that in a few more weeks I can do this again makes getting rid of what I have a lot less intimating. I would rather take months to get rid of stuff that I know I don't want as opposed to rushing the process and getting rid of items I may regret tossing.

2. Put Your Items In Storage

If you come across some items that you are unsure you want to get rid of, put them in a box or a bag and put them away in storage somewhere. A place where you can't see it. If a few months pass and you have completely forgotten about that item, there is a very good chance it's something you can do without. Then you can toss it on your next cleaning day.

3. Stop Shopping

There is seriously no point in taking any of my recommendations if you keep shopping. Even if you shop with the intention of being mindful, there is a good chance you are going to bring in useless garbage at some point of another. The quick fix to this is to reduce how often you shop!

4. Be Mindful Of What You Get Rid Of

I have a two flashlights in my home. I hardly use them, but I won't toss them. They came in handy when our power went suddenly for 24 hours!  Are you getting rid of that lamp because you have no use for it? Or because it isn't aesthetically pleasing? You don't want to get rid of things only to go buy something similar to it again. That's a waste of money and resources.

On a side not, when I say to "get rid of stuff", I don't necessarily mean throwing it in the garbage. I would recommend you donate, re-gift, or upcycle your stuff. That way they have a better chance of getting the home they deserve and staying out of our landfills!

I hope you find my suggestions helpful. If you have any of your own, I would love for you to share!

Happy cleaning!

Angie

Minimalism (unplugged)

Minimalism is taking the internet by storm and naturally, I'm interested. I have been trying to live a minimalist life for a while now and it takes time! I have 26 years of stuff that I have accumulated. It's hard to get ride of these things. But with time, you will notice your living space is a little less cluttered. And what a feeling that is. Space in one's body, mind, and physical space has always been something I live by.

If you do a YouTube search on minimalism, you will probably see things like "my minimalist room tour" or "minimalist room decor" or "how to dress like a minimalist". Isn't it ironic? Contradictory? Since I started watching these videos, I noticed I have been collecting more stuff. I need a table that looks like this or a article of clothes that looks like that to be a minimalist. I realize now that's total crap.

I watched a documentary the other day called "Minimalism". It was two men promoting their minimalist lifestyle in it's true and natural form. Now, they can literally fit all their belongings in one bag. That's intimidating to a lot of people including myself. But the documentary reminded me exactly what minimalism truly is. It's not about a fashion statement or showing off the lack of things one has. It's simply letting go of things that serve you no purpose or that has no value. That's it. It also teaches people to be mindful consumers. It's important to look at your purchases objectively. Will this item bring meaning to your life? It is helping you learn and grow? Will you love it 10 years from now? 

But minimalism will mean different things to different people. If you love art, it's totally OK to have paints, pens, markers, brushes and canvases. You love to paint and that brings value in your life. This can apply to anything. Are you a maximalist and can't imagine getting rid of your possessions? That's cool too!

I'm not blaming social media for my shopping. But it's easy to get a little too caught up in trends and forget the meaning behind them. 

I'm going to leave it at that. I think it's time to clean out my closet again. 

Ang