The Marching Minimalist

angelpye

I can't get access to the MSE credit club as it can't verify me which may be due to a bank adding an address I didn't live at (my ex did and we had a joint bank account) so waiting for them to get back to me. Although may chase it as I emailed them about credit club two weeks ago now.

It is scary to look at but now I know I can change it

On the plus side it also showed I have paid more off my mortgage than I had guesstimated so thats awesome!

I am pleased with myself for my little extra payment...I can see why its addictive

jenberry

Hi Angelpye,

I loved reading your diary, you have such a lovely way with words! Minimalism is 'my thing' now. I realised last year that my wages were gone within about 3 days of payday, all on tat that I was accumulating in my tiny rented house, and never using or wearing. I made it my mission to be minimal: I gave about 8 bags of clothes and books to Oxfam, sold many others on eBay and a few heavier bits and pieces on Gumtree. All my possessions now are things I use or that I love enough to keep. My house and my mind are clearer, I somehow have a lot more time despite still maintaining a decent social life, and my bank balance is finally in the black. In fact, I am starting to save for a deposit. I love minimalism: it makes it so clear how manipulated we are into buying things to ease our emotional state or to make us feel better, and how reliant we are on external people and things to define us. I would definitely recommend the documentary 'Minimalism' on Netflix, if you haven't already watched it.

You're doing a fantastic job and I'll also be marching alongside you with pom poms. Just make sure you allow yourself some me-time as often as you can and treat yourself well. It's a long slog, but we're all here to support you.

Jen xxx

JoJoC

jenberry wrote: »

Hi Angelpye,

I loved reading your diary, you have such a lovely way with words! Minimalism is 'my thing' now. I realised last year that my wages were gone within about 3 days of payday, all on tat that I was accumulating in my tiny rented house, and never using or wearing. I made it my mission to be minimal: I gave about 8 bags of clothes and books to Oxfam, sold many others on eBay and a few heavier bits and pieces on Gumtree. All my possessions now are things I use or that I love enough to keep. My house and my mind are clearer, I somehow have a lot more time despite still maintaining a decent social life, and my bank balance is finally in the black. In fact, I am starting to save for a deposit. I love minimalism: it makes it so clear how manipulated we are into buying things to ease our emotional state or to make us feel better, and how reliant we are on external people and things to define us. I would definitely recommend the documentary 'Minimalism' on Netflix, if you haven't already watched it.

You're doing a fantastic job and I'll also be marching alongside you with pom poms. Just make sure you allow yourself some me-time as often as you can and treat yourself well. It's a long slog, but we're all here to support you.

Jen xxx

Sorry to jump in on this, but that's a really lovely (and thought provoking!) post! I'm by nature a person who likes 'stuff' but I hate being surrounded by stuff, which I realise is a contradiction.

I need a plan to sort my excessive stuff out and I'm going to start by watching the docu you suggested above. Added to my Netflix favourites to remind me! Thanks!

jenberry

Aw, thank you so much JoJo! I really hope you enjoy the documentary. It definitely put things into perspective for me, especially the Black Friday scenes, which are just insane! Looking forward to hearing what you think of it :j

angelpye

jenberry I haven't watched that one yet but if its the one I think you mean then I love those boys! I have watched Ted talks by them and read their website many many times. The minimalists and Kon Mari method are the things that keep me focused on my goal.

For a few years now my mindset has changed, mainly due to planet and exploitation of people, about how and how much I shop. I gradually started to realise that I didn't need all this stuff and it actually repulses me that I have spent so much time and energy collecting things without thought of how it effects others and whether I really benefit from it.

I think as a child I was quite neglected so I have this urge to care for myself and misread this as needing stuff. Minimalism for me is about an holistic approach to life that is taking care of all your needs without falling into the commercial traps of wanting everything/more. Seeing all of that for what it is: manipulation, really changed things for me. Spent by Geoffrey Miller is also thought provoking on this as is Consumed which I think is BBC documentary. Consumer behaviour theory is so interesting and definitely makes me look at myself.

Thanks for the support and its great to hear so many are on the same road...it's like having a LBM and clearing up our finances also puts what is really important to us into perspective and helps us understand why we did what we did.

JoJo, I find the less stuff I have the less clogged up my brain is. If you can get over the very American feel to their talks then definitely look up the minimalists on Ted talks, when I loose my way it really helps. We can do this!

Jenberry, well done for being in the black and saving for the future! Sucha big achievement

jenberry

Thank you Angel, you've inspired me to start my own diary!!
Yes, the minimalists are great! Sooo inspiring. I could hardly believe when you wrote the following, because it's exactly how I feel:

For a few years now my mindset has changed, mainly due to planet and exploitation of people, about how and how much I shop. I gradually started to realise that I didn't need all this stuff and it actually repulses me that I have spent so much time and energy collecting things without thought of how it effects others and whether I really benefit from it.


I look back and can barely believe how mindless I was in my spending: how I could just click a button and there was another £20 gone, on something I would likely never use. I watched a documentary about the fashion industry and exploitation of factory workers called The True Cost. It was scary to hear that factory workers in some countries make only £10 a month, and there was me spending doubt that on one forgettable purchase.

I too was neglected as a child, by quite an emotionally abusive father who left when I was 11. I guess you could say that accumulating so much stuff was like building some sort of protective wall around me. Actually, it was having the opposite effect: just another trap to fall into. My shift has been from relying on the external for happiness, to focusing on inner resources, which is something quite alien to me. Definitely going to watch Consumed, per your suggestion. I love these documentaries and how clear they make everything!

Have a lovely day and take care of yourself,

Jen xx

angelpye

Jen, I saw and seems I wrote on your diary as you were writing the above! So funny! True Cost is brilliant isn't it? I just got the Fashion Revolution fanzine through so will be reading that as my down time at some point.

Have a great day too!

angelpye

Time for an update I think.

This week has been good in that extra money by way of a grant I applied for and one off payment from tax credits came in.

Not lots of money but enough to put by for the cheap holiday I have booked for the summer and need to pay by June. Nice to have something to look forward to and even nicer not to worry about paying for it. Just need travel and spends which I will put aside once income goes up in May. Don't need a lot as quite a bit included in holiday but will look to put aside unto £500 and once holiday done will pay remainder from this onto CC.

I did spend a little extra this week on Friday as a treat and got annoyed with myself afterwards but decided to let it go and move on.

I more or less stuck to the meal plan last week and have done another for this week, mainly using up leftovers in freezer:

Today: Carpet picnic with little one of wraps, snacks, fruit and chocolate dessert with custard as DD ate main meal earlier with her dad.
Monday:Veggie pasta
Tuesday:Veggie chilli and cous cous (enough chilli for wrap next day lunch)
Weds:Veggie burgers
Thursday: Mushroom Stroganoff and rice
Friday: Sausages, potatoes, veg and gravy
Saturday: Random pick from freezer.

Supermarket run today was more expensive than hoped for but I did buy toiletries on offer that I don't need for a couple of weeks and the snacks my DD loves were on offer and so stocked up - this had got very low! Snacks won't need to be replenished for a couple of weeks now. So have recorded and will be mindful in coming weeks.

Emotionally the food thing is a challenge as I have this urge to be stocked up in case of an apocalypse! But telling myself its unnecessary and I am sure its just a retraining thing.

As mentioned before I managed to pay off an extra £10 on CC so that made it £33 off balance - not a lot but it is all steps in right direction.

Survey experiment still going and I am 2/3 a way towards a £25 gift card and at £25 to cash out on the other although leaving that in their for now.

So all good in the Pye household and still marking time until I have the income to make a real difference. Eb@y is still on the list for when I have time.

Marching on...

JoJoC

Your marching sounds like it's going well, A!

I love seeing other peoples' meal plans, in fact, i just posted mine on Treadingonplaymobile's new diary. I also like to see people planning on using leftovers as this is pretty much my life

Glad you're making progress with surveys too - I have been getting back on board with OnePoll (only £2.30 so far as cashed out at Christmas) and signed up to Crowdology on Friday but I haven't had a survey through yet. I'll need to take a look at the rest and see what works.

How lovely that you've managed to book a holiday! Something lovely to look forward to We're hoping that next year is the first year that we go on a proper family holiday, the four of us. Something to aspire to - might set myself a target (have £x emergency fund, be out of overdraft entirely and pay £x of the credit card) in order to earn it.

I'm also bad for stocking up, but hate to run out of things. Perhaps this will be tackled as part of minimalist 'training'?? Haha

Treadingonplaymobil

{raises hand} Another one who find that minimising is really helping me live life better - more time and energy to devote to everything from my children to cooking to hobbies to just being. Chucking out the consumerist crap also makes me realise how completely unnecessary it is and how much harder it makes life, rather than easier, even aside from the fact that it has added debt to my life.