I get this question on occasion from the curious, who want to know what’s just so good about being a minimalist (sometimes, equated as an euphemism for being cheap or poor, neither of which I think most of us are).
The best answer I have come up with that is short & sweet is:
You have nothing to lose.
In that one sentence, this is everything it means to me:
- You don’t worry about your things getting stolen or being lost because they are just things
- You can pack up in a few hours and move to anywhere at any time for a job, change in life, etc
- You can take risks that otherwise would be considered foolhardy, because you aren’t tied down to things
- You need less to live, and therefore need less money saved to feel secure in your future
- You don’t have an unsustainable image to upkeep so you can say “bye bye” to a stressful job that pays $$
- …. and you don’t buy items just for the sake of what is accredited to your image/status/job/family/life
- You know you can live with the barest of bare (not that we’re really doing it now, but it’s now possible)
- You know what are the most important items for you to have/buy for your lifestyle (rice cooker!!)
- You tend to really think about buying quality rather than quantity, so you don’t waste your money
- You have the ability to prioritize & say “No”, which frees up time for you, your family & friends
- You do what you want to do, not what others say you should or have to do