Minimalism at other people's expense

littlerock

My son and my sister were both boasting about their minimalist life styles at a family gathering recently. I got a bit annoyed and pointed out this has been achieved by my son parking his "archived stuff," in my roof space whenever he moves to a new flat and my sister doing the same to her partner. So really they are taking advantage of us and then criticize how crowded our houses are. I told my son he can have all his stuff back......My sister says she cannot store anything herself because she has to rent out her flat as she needs the income from her flat to live on ( she is out of work. )

Anyway it got me thinking. Is it really possible to be totally minimalist? If so how? I know two people who have achieved it and they have nothing in their houses to read and no collections and no ornaments and all presents are taken round to the charity shop and they have only a few clothes. It all takes a degree of ruthlessness I could not manage. Does anyone out there manage it?

Do you really have nothing in your houses or is the spare stuff all stored away somewhere? Do you throw away your clothes regularly, only read Kindle books, only watch films on Netflix? How to cope with children's toys for example? Do you have no hobbies that require storing anything? I would really like to know how you organise your house and stuff as any tips would be useful.

Davesnave

Of necessity, the house has been pretty minimalist over the last 3 years, during which we've torn it to bits and re-built it around ourselves.

However, the 60' barn is looking a little stretched at the seams....

Sea_Shell

We trying to clear out a bit as we go (just gave lots of books/stuff to Charity).

Going forward, we are trying not to accumulate any more STUFF. We have even asked family that xmas pressies be consumables (toiletries, fancy biscuits etc) as we don't want more stuff. How many novelty "whatevers" does one person need!!!!!

We may downsize in the future....and the thought of having to move/store a lifetime of accumulated stuff (if not downright tat) is not something I want to deal with.

Doozergirl

There's a really good documentary type programme on Netflix called "The
Minimalists". I follow them on facebook too, in the hope that some of it rubs off on me.

I found Marie Kondo's book "The Lifechanging Magic of Tidying Up" to be so helpful in pushing me to get rid of a lot of a things I'd previously felt guilty about doing before. I need to read it again. For some months I had the tidiest knicker drawer in the Midlands.

paddy's_mum

Doozergirl wrote: »

For some months I had the tidiest knicker drawer in the Midlands.

Oh, I do agree!

It's amazing how neat and tidy things stay if you don't ever use them, isn't it?

:rotfl:

Wassa123

I'd like to be minimalist, but it's hard with a missus who doesn't.

Not because I don't like ornaments and trinkets, but because I hate cleaning, and they gather dust!

PlymouthMaid

Apart from when you want to move, I don't really get why I would would want a minimalist lifestyle as I like my stuff. My hobbies also take up a fair bit of space. I do tend to go along with William Morris however and give nothing houseroom that U believe to be neither beautiful nor useful although my OH sometimes disagrees. It has been a mega-job shrinking down my two daughters stuff as they have both effectively left home but I have a megaton of beany babies etc which have to be kept for grandchildren apparently.

EssexExile

PlymouthMaid wrote: »

give nothing houseroom that U believe to be neither beautiful nor useful although my OH sometimes disagrees.

Is OH worried they may be considered either not beautiful or not useful?

martinsurrey

Wassa123 wrote: »

I'd like to be minimalist, but it's hard with a missus who doesn't.

I have a 1 year policy.

Anything that hasn't been moved or used in a year goes in the charity shop pile, she then has a sentimental cupboard and can fill it with anything from the charity shop pile.

Livelongandprosper

I would love to be a minimalist but my husband loves clutter

The double garage, the two sheds and greenhouse are full to overflowing. There's not a surface in the house that's not overtaken with his clutter

Yet he goes mental if I put anything on the kitchen window cill and he has a passion for going through the fridge with a fine tooth comb, chucking out my saved butter wrappers, my odds and sods bits of cheese etc and he gives off at me for the state of the hot press ( we have lots of bedding) where as I can't even get into the walk in wardrobes for his clutter. Does anyone really need 15 jackets and 12 hats?

Biggles

Livelongandprosper wrote: »

Yet he goes mental if I put anything on the kitchen window cill and he has a passion for going through the fridge with a fine tooth comb, chucking out my saved butter wrappers, my odds and sods bits of cheese etc

Oh dear, I wish you hadn't said that! I'm going to need to know why you save butter wrappers!

Does anyone really need 15 jackets and 12 hats?

Oi! Hands off his hats, hats are endangered, didn't you know? If he gets rid of any good ones, I might give them a home. I only have 40-odd but add to them most years (esp when abroad).