A Minimalist’s Train of Thought: Why Minimalism, What it means to me and What its Benefits are

November 15th, 2010 by everydayminimalist

People always ask why I became a minimalist, and my answer is always:

The less you have and do, the more you will feel free.

That  simple sentence took me 3 years in the making to understand, so I’ve come up with the following to help you understand my the logic behind what that sentence means to me:

A Minimalist’s Train of Thought

Less money spent means more money saved

More money saved means the longer you can live in financial peace and security

Financial peace and security comes from owning less

Less stuff owned means less to carry around, move or have to travel with

Less responsibility for your stuff also means less maintenance and more time

The more time you have, the more relaxed you will feel

The more relaxed you are, the less you will care about stuff

If you care less about stuff, it means you’ll care less about image

If you care less about image, you will care more about experiences and memories

If you care more about experiences and memories, you will be happier with less

If you are happier with less, you’ll never want or need for more

The less you want or need for more, the more you will feel free

- The Everyday Minimalist

This is by no means a post to make you give away everything and live with only a cup and a mat on the floor, but that is what minimalism in its essence means to me.

I am not an extreme minimalist, I’d consider myself moderate, but minimalism (as is with most things in life) is relative to those around you.

To you, I might be extreme. To others, I’m moderate, even a light minimalist.

Posted in Minimalism | 50 comments

Previous post:
Next post:

  • http://twitter.com/internationalmf Melissa Fong

    http://melissafong.wordpress.com/play/minimalism/ #minimalist my stab at living with less

  • April

    There’s a Russian saying which translates as “we are not so rich that we can afford to buy cheap things”.

  • Sup3rBr1an

    As far as maintaining records, do you recommend scanning and keeping digitals or do you retain originals?

  • Paulette

    love it!!! very well said .. can i share it in my facebook acct? Thanks

  • Seppo Marx

    As the great philosopher Tyler Durden once said, “Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy $h!t we don’t need.”

  • Bob Tale

    Its
    funny how I came accross this site, I was searching for information on what wage a guy like me (English 26 Male) should be earning. My initial mentality is that i DONT want to be a minimalist I want to earn decent money and have lots of nice things like a fancy car and a big house and not have to worry about money. The reality however is that i have been struggling absolutley struggling to try and acheive this for 10 years now and im not getting anywhere, I have become obsessed and clinically depressed because i cannot seem to earn more than the minimum wage. I feel like a loser and a failure. I found the site however and have been reading the posts etc. And what a wonderful idea it seems to stop caring, Could i honestly drive around in an old banger and live in a small aparment my whole life, wear second hand clothes and use ‘hand me downs’ Could I actually live happily on the minimum wage? Im not questioning this idea im simply asking if you all think i could do it? I actually want to but i think it would take alot of motivation to do so. Any thoughts?

  • Chachokeva

    The current President of Uruguay is. . .A Minimalist!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20243493

  • Orlis

    Minimalism came to me forcefully by way of divorce. Went from living in a very comfortable house in an outlying upper middle class Los Angeles suburb, to no more than a rented bedroom at a friend’s house. This has been ongoing for almost 6 years now. However, learning to cope with nothing more than bare essentials has been a pleasant surprise. A simple no frills car to get around, a bedroom to sleep in at night, a minúte number of furnishings. This all equates to Mobility! I have learned to live with less and feel very relieved for it.

  • FUCK YOU DAD

    call me a born-again minimalist :D

  • http://www.ProtectFreedomtoDrive.com/ Savory Sarcasm

    going to share, love this! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/the.sin.of.lust Thomas Krempetz

    As an artist, I surround myself with things that inspire me, but what those things are come and go very quickly. My environment may not be minimalist, but it’s constantly changing, growing and evolving. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/the.sin.of.lust Thomas Krempetz

    Balance is always important, 

  • Lissasioux

    i never understood why my house was always stressing me out; there were constant to-do lists and piles of unwanted, unused self-imposed chaos everywhere. empty UPS boxes, possible returns, etc etc. i just wanted to live like i used to from 2006-2008; with just what i used on a daily basis. i like the idea of using the same shoes, perfume, nail polish etc over and over again , yet i constantly buy makeup and things for the ‘future’ . when it’s gone, gifted away or resold, i feel a weight off my shoulders! i’d love to wake up tomorrow with it all gone, so i can be ready to vagabond! 

  • kate

    What a wonderful website!!  I am working on becoming more of a minimalist.  Possessions feel like a “ball and chain”  Having everything that everyone else has has become so burdensome that I’ve begun to hate it.  I look around far and wide and see children eating out of garbage cans.  People with nothing and here I feel I have everything.  No – this is no way to live.  Freedom is everything to me.  To be used by God and share His good news!!   

  • Anonymous

    With your permission I would like to use the above quote/paragraph on my Tumblr account ( davergallant.tumblr.com ) with a link to the source (you) . 

    I’ve embraced a minimalistic lifestyle, and I find this really captures how I feel about it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Janaka-Wannaku/1102713389 Janaka Wannaku

    Great stuff here.. I am learning and practicing..minimalism.

  • Kirwanmary

    i am relatively new to all of this it was sort of a “have to ” and “want to” situation for me and my family your quote above really speaks to me a lot. Thank you for sharing it.

  • di

    It’s importannt to take good care of what you have to prevent from buying it again.

  • Pingback: Pro Multifunction for a Peace of Mind

  • Ali_Son

    I never realized I was a minimalist until I started reading your blog! It’s funny, I also lived out of a suitcase in 2007, living in Seoul teaching English and basically trying to get as much experience as I could. Life is definitely about the journey. Now, I do more with less, and I modify all my goals so that I know they are realistically obtainable. Your other blog is so inspiring to me and I will be reading (and taking notes!).
    Thanks so much for sharing! Truly inspiring.

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com The Everyday Minimalist

      Well you don’t have to call yourself a minimalist :) You can decide not to, but it was nice for me to put a name to what I did!

      Your life sounds interesting.

  • Pingback: A High-Maintenance Bachelorette-Turned-Minimalist? « thebachelorettepad

  • laura

    I agree with Jay, and those that are content,  desire less so have more time for hobbies, fun things etc.  I’m a retiree and several years ago sold a curio cabinet and glass/pottery items to antique dealers.  I got tired of cleaning, maintaining stuff.   Having clutter causes  wasted time cleaning, finding things.  Paper/books/cd,dvd clutter incl.  Several times a year after  summer and winter is  ideal time to unload clothes (disaster relief, charities) of items not worn at end of that season as they won’t be worn the next.  Same with kitchen items;  got rid of plastic containers and pared down  the kitchen.  Stuff gradually piles up if you let it.  I encourage others to get on mail suppression lists for junk mail.

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com The Everyday Minimalist

      I am a stickler for people to stop calling with faux credit card offers to the home and all this junk mail!

  • eman

    great article! thank you for posting this!
    i think many people living in the third world country like me has no difficulty following your advice/way of life.
    we used to live with minimal things and most of the people that we are helping live in recycled small houses made from waste materials like plastic, sack, etc.
    just want to ask – how minimalist people like you can able to bring hope and changes to the slums areas or poor communities?

  • http://www.jaysanderscpa.com Jay Sanders

    There’s a Talmudic dialog that goes “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.”

    • Anonymous

      A lot of philosophers are in agreement. :) I think it’s a running refrain
      among them!

  • Jdibono57

    I just moved into a small apartment with 2 of my children, my daughter has talked about living with less, i love the idea, we don’t have beds, we have A TV some pots and pans for the kitchen, a few bath towels, and some assorted nessary items, its nice because when we moved i gave everything away because it was to much, i owned a huge home 2 years lost it and am so happy for that, i dont feel the need to go out a clutter my empty apartment..i love the freedom i have without having things that i really dont need

    • Anonymous

      That is really wonderful! Now you can move and go where you want
      without extra stuff you do not need.

  • http://nirav1985.blogspot.com Nirav

    Beautifully said…have been trying to.live like this just been very difficult to let go off the the stuff…hopefully I shall get there someday thank you so.much for.sharing this with us all…

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      You\’re welcome and good luck on your journey!

  • OzarksCrescentMural

    Love your train of thought! There were some reminders in there that I needed. I will refer to it again to see if I've made progress.

    – Victoria

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      Thank you!

  • http://www.whappo.com Graham

    I like your tenets of minimalism. One that I live by as well is; buy quality once and save in the long run. There are a number of things out there, that if you try to cut corners by $40 or $50 bucks, you'll end up with an inferior product that you end up replacing years earlier than you would have had to if you had bought something of high quality in the first place.

    At any rate, I just began reading the blog, but am enjoying it. Looking forward to the next post!
    My recent post The ongoing fued between Sabre Holdings and American Airlines

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      I agree. Or you end up spending the money you should have spent in the first place, and you end up having wasted your money on something cheap.

      Thank you!

  • Pingback: I just found a cool blog on minimalism - Hippymom - An Evolution of Female Community

  • Pingback: Favorites « La Vie Toni

  • http://rousingrowena.blogspot.com/ Renee Quail

    My train of thought too – well said! I hope you don't mind if I post your link on my own minimalist blog among the links to other cool minimalist blogs that I have recently discovered.
    My recent post Achieving Creative Flow – Finding Your Own Witching Hour

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      Go ahead!

  • Jaime

    When I was younger I used to think that if I'd make it in the world if I was money rich. Now I have a different view of what rich means. Lately I've been reading these biographies of early Hollywood stars and royalty. It seems some of them lived quite unhappy lives. My idea these days of rich means freedom, to live how I wish to live. Good people in my life like my bf, friends, and yes I like money but its not everything to me. I believe its possible to not own so much and be happy. :)

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      I came to that conclusion too — money past a certain point of comfort, doesn\’t necessarily make you happy.

  • http://lekkerlevenmetminder.blogspot.com LLMM

    Thank you! I am working on doing more with less, and find more time, more space, and in general, more happiness. This post is really inspiring :-)
    My recent post Taboe op geld

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      You are so welcome!

  • suburbanminimalist

    Well said!
    My recent post Day 13- The Luxuries of Less

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      Thank you :)

  • jswesner

    These are fabulous words to live by. Thank you. Do you mind if I link here?
    My recent post For My Sisters

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      Please, go ahead :) Thank you!

  • http://www.thriftcore.com/ Van

    Ah, these are all inspiring words. To any minimalist I'm a glutenous material hog. To an average American I could possibly be a bit spartan. (Hey, I only own 7 pairs of shoes, that's a start…) But every day I shed more, I can't wait until I feel free without objects weighing my down. Keep up the inspiration!
    My recent post Thrift Share- The Vintage Autumn Haul

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com evrydaymnmalist

      I consider myself a minimalist but I\’ve got a lot of stuff (see post coming up on Fri), so I still think you can be a minimalist!

      • Mahatmadond

        To me it is mental as well as physical, I have lots of stuff.  Much of this stuff I could certainly do without, but it is my stuff.  My minimalism starts with an abhorence, maybe just a discomfort for society and social caste.  Can I be a minimalist with stuff yet simply reclusive?