If I Can, You Can Too: A Shopper’s Unexpected Journey into Minimalism

I didn’t set out to become a minimalist. After all minimalists live in cold living spaces with white bare walls and they never shop. This wasn’t me. I’ve spent the majority of my life happily shopping and accumulating all sorts of things. I bought bins and baskets to attractively organize all my things. There was always something to organize and always something to buy – and I was of the belief that “these somethings” would be sure to make my life better, simpler and happier or make me prettier, thinner, younger-looking.

I’ve learned on my journey however, minimalism isn’t about bare walls and never setting foot in a store, it’s about eliminating the unnecessary to leave room for the more important things of life – which are rarely things.

How did my minimizing journey begin? I began dabbling in “simplifying” and “budgeting” in 2010.  I read several books on simplifying life, creating a budget, but I had limited success implementing the suggestions – probably because I was busy accumulating things in effort to make my life “better”, not realizing this was the source of the problem.

In June of 2014, I attended a music workshop in Washington DC – it was a workshop I’d wanted to attend since 2006, but circumstances never seemed quite right. This past June I took the plunge, doing whatever needed to attend. I was full of excitement and anticipation until the actual day grew closer. I became riddled with nerves. I didn’t know anyone else attending. On my own, I would have to navigate a 60-90 minute train ride on DC public transit. I felt like I was going to summer camp or college for the first time. In the end I conquered my fears and left with a new sense of confidence and purpose I’d not experienced before.

Why was DC the light bulb moment? I’m not sure – perhaps it was the many long train rides in solitude for reflection, perhaps it was the opportunity for an intensive week of professional development, perhaps it was our incredibly inspirational instructor and the brilliantly streamlined and engaging materials she created to teach music theory. I do know there exists, for me, a distinct line between life before and after this workshop. The idea of streamlined teaching and needing less to teach more gradually overflowed into all other areas of my life. I didn’t need everything, I only needed what was essential, what was important and did the job of teaching well what I needed to teach – and that became and continues to take the form of less and less “stuff” in all areas of my life.  Below are just a few steps to start getting stuff out of the house and to prevent accumulating more in its place.

1. Start with the “easy stuff”: Once I came to the realization that I really didn’t “need” all the stuff surrounding me, I starting piling up things that could be recycled, donated or as a last resort, put in the trash.   I didn’t start with items that were valuable or held a sentimental attachment, but items that I would describe as “inconsequential” or “easy” items – things I had no particular attachment to and/or items I didn’t use   Each time I walked through a room I would try and find something that I could donate.  I kept a Goodwill box in our spare room and would fill it up once or twice a week and then run it to our local Goodwill.  I enjoyed the challenge of trying to fill up that box every week – and the breathing space and freedom I felt each time I dropped off that box.  The space created by getting the “easy” things out created an unexpected high, which encouraged more decluttering.  Eventually I was able to part with items I previously thought were things I “had to keep”.

2. Create a spending moratorium: Where could you eliminate spending for a week or a month? Clothing? Home Decor? Books? My first moratorium was spending money on “bargains” at Goodwill – I went there only to donate items and forced myself to leave after that task was complete.  I had a closet full of clothes, so that was another easy category to eliminate.  Of course clothes were a weakness of mine, so it also meant staying out of the clothing section at Target and not going anywhere near a Kohls!  I fell of the wagon a few times with Target and Kohls, but I’m happy to say the only thing I’ve purchased at Goodwill since June 2014 are pieces for a Halloween costume.  Several months later, I don’t even think about going inside Goodwill to shop.  I even put a temporary moratorium on buying piano music for my music studio.  I had a studio full of music, much like I had a closet full of clothes – surely I could survive with what I already owned.  The end result of these moratoriums was less money spent, more money saved and money spent was more intentional.

3. One in, two out: This is a bold statement, but we had SO much stuff that I felt if we brought one new thing into the house, we needed to part with at least two things, if not three, to stay ahead in this decluttering process.  Early in this journey, my husband and I attended a fundraiser rummage sale.  This could have been a disaster waiting to happen – accumulating more things, for a bargain price and to benefit a scholarship fund – the rationalizations for buying whatever we wanted were endless! We did make several purchases, but we sent out three things for every one we purchased that day.  It kept our purchases in check and I’m happy to say all the items we purchased that day our still with us even after all the stuff that’s left our home.

4. Create a wish list: I realized soon into this process that I had a fear of missing out on something.  I often thought, “if I don’t buy it now, I’ll forget about this great thing” or “what if I need it someday and then I can’t find one to buy”.  My solution was to create a wish list for these kinds of items.  Many of these were music or teaching related, but some were books, clothing, etc.   The wish list released my mind from worries about “not buying” something, which saved money, reduced accumulation and and made any future purchases more intentional.

5. Shop for need, not recreation: Shopping used to be my hobby and a coping mechanism to deal with stress.  I’d shop to relax, although at this point I don’t think it relaxed me at all – I merely had that impression.  I quickly realized shopping as recreation offered very little in return and if it did offer a sense of happiness, it was a very short-lived joy.  I now shop for needs – groceries, toiletries, pet food, etc.  As a result, I shop less and accumulate less.  This offers up more free time to focus on things of more importance and frees up money to save for things of more importance.  In the beginning, however, I had to find something to fill the space when my habit to “go shopping” would appear.  I would have to consciously choose to read a book, play piano, bake cookies, play with the dogs.  If I didn’t have more constructive options to fill that space, I would have undoubtedly ended up wandering the aisles of Kohls, Target or Goodwill!

The exact reasons I decided to wholeheartedly start the decluttering process are bit unclear,  but the results I’ve experienced from minimizing are the reasons I continue.  Now that I spend less time shopping, organizing and reorganizing, I have more time to rest and reflect, more time to relax, more time to breathe, more time for joy, more time for hobbies, more time for family and friends – more time for life.  Minimizing has finally allowed me to get off the harried hamster wheel – at least most days. I can’t imagine ever choosing to get back on that wheel and I can’t imagine that I ever will.  My hope is that these suggestions will also help you discover how choosing to have “less stuff” can truly offer a life of “more joy” and “less hurry”.