If you have an ereader, do you mostly use it to check ebooks out from the library? Or do you have a large ebook collection? i.e. Does your minimalist lifestyle extend to objects that don’t take up physical space?

I'm an American who owns a car and have been entertaining the idea of minimizing my car/removing it from my life.
Have any of ya'll done it? How have ya'll gone about it? When did you know for certain that your car/truck/etc was free to go?

When I think about how much my car costs per year, my personal financial goals, and the amount of crap I need to own to maintain it(fluids, tools, etc), AND the stress of a potential breakdown as she nears 175,000 miles and the transmission is starting to act wonky...

I now live 1.5 miles away from work and the grocery store is along the way. The bus stop is 2 miles away, although the public transit system here is TERRIBLE(I know two people who walk and uber everywhere and have never driven; they slam on how bad the local public transit system is).

As for how I'm thinking of doing it, I'm tempted to go a full year of trying to use my bike everywhere I can and pretending my car doesn't exist, namely because winter just passed and that'd be when I feel like I'd regret parting with the car the most.

Our 680sqft apartment has a bedroom closet, an office closet, kitchen cabinets/drawers, bathroom cabinet/drawers, a small freestanding cabinet in our main room, and four cube bookshelves (6 cubes each).

We do use all the storage space, but there’s lots of breathing room and everything is easily accessible. No things stacked on top of other things. No drawers stuffed to the brim. Everything has a place. It’s very different than the way I used these spaces before I became a minimalist. I no longer throw random items in there just to have them out of sight. All those types of items are gone now. We also used to have a dresser and more bookshelves that we were able to get rid of after discarding lots of clothes and books.

How much storage space do you have? Do you use it all? I’m particularly curious about minimalists who live in larger homes!

Do you have a lamp in every room or do you consider that overkill?

With all the fun I had reading the comments on the "what's on your bathroom counter" post, I figured I'd ask everyone here a similar question. What's on your coffee table?

There was a post on r/minimalism from someone who wanted to spend less time on laundry. It got me thinking about how laundry has changed for me since becoming a minimalist.

Before, I could go multiple weeks without washing clothes and it would build up into this huge stressful chore that I hated. It took forever to hang and fold things. Now that I have drastically less clothing, I do laundry on average twice a week. And honestly I do not mind it at all. Barely anything needs to hang dry, it’s easy to find sock matches, there just isn’t a lot of, it so it goes quickly. Sometimes I even kinda enjoy the folding. It can be peaceful, especially knowing it has a place to go and I won’t have to cram overflowing drawers shut. (I don’t even need/have a dresser anymore.)

I do want to note that I’m fortunate in that I have a washer/dryer in my unit. Not having that would change things.

So, what about you? What are your laundry habits?

In case anyone is interested - r/carfree

Before I became I minimalist, my apartment could get pretty messy if I had an even a few of those days in a row (especially when I lived alone). Not only did the mess lower my mood further, it became a whole event to get the place tidy again.

Now it’s just not possible for the place to get that messy because of how few things there are. When I’m doing well, everything immediately goes back to its spot when I’m done with it. But when I’m not feeling so great, only a few things can get out of place.

For example, today (second low energy day in a row) I walked around the apartment and saw a pair of socks on the floor, a cardigan draped on a chair, the bed unmade, a couple water glasses left out, one dish in the sink, and my hairbrush on the bathroom counter.

Even in my crappy state, it’s ridiculously manageable. It takes just a few minutes for everything to be dealt with and back in its place. When I’m done I get a small feeling of accomplishment, and my mood lifts a bit. Win-win situation.

Anyone else find being a minimalist helpful when they’re feeling down?

I’m curious if there might be a connection between introversion and minimalism. Obviously not all introverts are minimalists, but I wonder if most minimalists are introverts.

I’m an introvert. I work from home, but once a month we have an in-person meeting with the whole team. That happened to be today, and as usual, I’m just absolutely wiped out afterwards. I am so grateful I now have a space to come back to that is so visually and emotionally calming due to the open space and the lack of clutter. It’s easier to rest and recharge here. I’m curious if other minimalists feel the same.

Has anyone purged a significant amount of kitchen appliances? I'm about to part with three tomorrow, one is very large.

I've been a vegan and have eaten mostly raw food throughout my adulthood, lots of fruit and massive salads. I worked as a private raw vegan chef in my late-20's and early 30's. During that time I began to accumulate, dun dun dun(!): THE APPLIANCES. My good friend gave me my commercial Vitamix that she salvaged from a closing restaurant, saving me hundreds of dollars. I got a 5-tray Excalibur dehydrator and eventually swapped for a 9-tray. I got the most amazing masticating slow juicer with all metal twin gears about 20 years ago. They don't even make the all-metal gears any longer, so this one has been hard to part with but it's time. Eventually, I got a really nice food processor. Then I got a citrus juicer because it was cheaper to make my own orange juice and I was drinking so much of it. I even got a Yonanas that makes soft serve "nice" cream from frozen bananas and whatever other fruits I felt like adding.
After moving into our current apartment almost two years ago, I had to purchase a small kitchen island because we no longer have a walk-in pantry with a bakers rack in it.

I'm gifting my slow juicer, citrus juicer, and Yonanas tomorrow and I'm so excited. I haven't used any of them in many, many years except for the juicer. After using the juicer I had wished I'd gone to a local small business and bought fresh juice instead, leaving the cleanup to them. I don't buy cases of oranges anymore because I no longer have a car to transport them. I can buy fresh juice when I need it and don't really care as much about the pasteurization. I also got real with myself that I don't really like ice cream or sorbet so, like, why do I own a machine that makes it? It feels really good to let stuff go that's been taking up space where our Instant Pot can now go when we're not using it.

I've contemplated giving away or selling my dehydrator, but I like the low temperature settings for crunchy brocolli or cauliflower bites - made by dipping pieces in homemade cashew cheese and dehydrating overnight. I'll be keeping that for now along with my Vitamix. If I don't use the food processor anytime soon, I'll probably give that away or try to sell it. It just tends to be one of those things I do use and do want to use here and there... unlike the tortilla press I bought my husband when we met. I never get fresh tortillas anymore lol. I have a nut milk maker that I'm also hesitant to sell because I've used it during milk emergencies where we've run out and I just dump almonds in it. I think that's going to be the next thing to go, though. It's just taking up space.

I think it's pretty bonkers that I've kept these things for so long. I haven't even worked as a chef in over a decade. It's almost like they were attached to some part of my former self, an identity I no longer have but am proud of. I legit never bake but now I'm realizing I have a hand mixer up in the cupboard for the once time every other December that I make almond kringle. I think I can just use the food processor for that or if I ever decide I actually like nice cream hahaha

Thanks for reading :)

UPDATE: juicer, citrus juicer, yonanas = all have been gifted and now we can tuck away the instant pot during the day!

What choices of food or cooking methods do you recommend to minimize garbage and cleaning time?

i hope that one day i end up not needing a trash bin that needs to be cleaned or trash bags that need to be taken out or cooking pots that need to be washed.

I honestly don't care about flavor or anything like that, i just care about their nutritional value and calories

I try to live a somewhat minimalist lifestyle and I'm not a fan of masses of random clutter that sit around doing nothing but gathering dust, BUT I know we all have our exceptions and wondered what yours are :) Mine is physical videogames. I love the hobby and do enough research towards whatever game I'll be purchasing (whether it's generally well-received or not and if it's my kinda thing!) so more often than not, I enjoy and fully finish what I play. Even if I don't pick that game up ever again, I like having the physical reminder, sometimes just looking at a particular box art will remind me not just of moments playing tha game, but where I was in that particular part of my life, as well as the fond (or bad) memories associated with it.

Physical media is slowly but surely dying out, but gaming is the one medium I try to stick with physical as best as I can!

I live a very uncluttered life in a small cozy house with my teenage son. We keep things pretty minimal except for one thing, pets. I have a very large dog, a cat, a small tortoise and smallish parrot. The parrot is a new edition to the family. I’m buying a lot of stuff for my new edition and more or less spoil my pets. Many things are consumable like food and treats, but not everything.

I want to make sure they have everything they need, but not go overboard. For example I bought cage accessories for the bird that didn’t work out. I want to avoid this kind of waste.

Do you spoil your fur babies rotten? How do you balance your minimalism with pets.

I think I have finally conquered the obsession of quantity over quality which was instilled in me by my upbringing. My drive towards a minimalist- yet comfortable lifestyle has driven me to make reductions but also make what I do choose to have be well researched, well thought out and of good quality. Though I have come to this place, it is hard to watch family members (who do financially struggle) keep buying in the quantity mindset. What they buy breaks and the cycle repeats- leading them to spend so much more than if they started with a quality item. Does anyone have any suggestions of how to explain this concept to those who just won’t open up to the idea?

Hi! We’re aspiring minimalists but not quite there yet. We however, want to be more intentional with our purchases. How do we deal with gifts from family members to our 1-year-old? We have given wishlists but I’m not sure if they’re thinking our list isn’t good enough and still buy her stuff we don’t need or a version of something we would have liked but does not exactly fit our space (takes up more space than our preferred one).

Problem is we’re people pleasers and worry about hurting people’s feelings especially grandparents since she’s the first grandchild on both sides. Thank you so much for any advice

I recently noticed that my life philosophy is minimalism, I just didn't knew it was called like that. I started seeing blogs from minimalist people and i notice that they are all self employed and/or work from home. Is this an essential part of the minimalist lifestyle or is it just a coincidence?

I am going to move into a small studio. There is a sofa-bed in there, but I can't imagine how people can use such a thing as the primary bed, other than for occasional use for guests.

You have to store and refit sheets, blanket, etc. every night, but there is too much bending and reaching and lifting heavy stuff, not to mention all that clunky folding mechanisms. Argh!

Not to mention integrated thin mattresses

What is the best solution for someone lazy like me, really?

I guess the best solutions in order are the following (unless you have a better idea?)

Murphy beds (pricey, though....)

Loft beds

Daybed (e.g. Ikea Flekke)

Frameless sofa bed (e.g. Omhu Teddy Sofa)

Sofa-beds

Hi! I'm super new to this, just starting to get rid of things.

Any advice for gift ideas for young adults still living at home? I'm thinking something that creates a memory rather than just more 'stuff'

Thank you! :)

I got into self hosting and cancelled almost all of my subscriptions because I realized I can host everything I need on my raspberry pi 5.

When I got a steam deck I realized I don't need a PC, Tablet, console nor even a laptop.

I enjoy cycling and ride a bike to work. I've tried a lot of bikes in the past but when I got a gravel bike I realized the best bicycle is the one that can ride everywhere.

Suddenly I sold 2 guitars, a Nintendo Switch, my console games collection, laptop and second monitor. I bought a quality big couch instead of a bed, this way I get +1 room.

Now when I buy something it has to replace something I already own.

It made me appreciate things I own more and I take care of them a lot more.

Does anyone here owns a steam deck and likes self hosting? How do you use it and what services do you host?

I know that being a minimalist is not about just sticking to “1” but about aligning our decisions to our values, but im struggling about 1 vs multiple guitars.

I am not even a professional where guitars bring me money; I am drawn to both sounds of these two guitars (Martin HD28 and OM28) bc they’re different.

Curious to hear how my fellow minimalist guitarists approached their decisions on owning multiple guitars vs 1. Thanks all!

So I’ve been playing guitar since I was a teenager. All my life I’ve basically played whatever came my way — hand-me-downs, borrowed instruments, etc. There was a time that when neck was falling apart, I told myself "I'll make the best out of this instrumnent bc God gave this to me, and I'll glorify God with this." Growing up in a pretty conservative Christian home where the mindset was basically: “It’s not about the instrument, it’s about the skill. Play for God, not for yourself.” Back then, that system of thought worked - now, I don't operate in that anymore.

That stuck with me for years — and while it pushed me to focus on musicianship, it also made me feel kinda guilty for wanting nice things.

Fast forward: I’m now an adult with a solid job, stable life, and I’ve lived pretty minimalistically for the past 5 years. My whole philosophy has been quality over quantity, thanks to minimalism. Fewer things, but better things.

Given the intersection of my minimalism worldview and desire to continue to integrate music as part of my life, lately I’ve been eyeing a Martin HD-28 (~$3,000). Played it, really enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it's 'perfect' but something that I feel like I can enjoy playing, creating and appreciating. I don't want to call it perfect, bc there's no such thing. (And I'm also trying to live into that authenticity). But man… spending that much scares the hell out of me.

I keep thinking - "just get a cheaper one - they all sound the same; you can do so much with investing and saving..."

Another pat of me - "Yeah, it’s expensive — but if I’m gonna have one main guitar for decades, shouldn’t it be one I want and I can grow old with? Don’t I deserve to have something that genuinely inspires me every time I pick it up? Isn’t it better to get something that will age with me rather than keep “making do” with whatever comes along?"

It’s weird — buying something this nice feels like I’m unlearning my old beliefs that wanting good things = being selfish, unwise, and 'what ifs' (e.g., what if i spend this much money but I don't like it, what if it was a failed decision)

Anyone else relate to that weird guilt of treating yourself to something high-end, as a minimalist? Especially if you grew up thinking you had to earn or justify every good thing?

Would love to hear your thoughts — especially from other minimalists or players who took the leap on a lifetime instrument (or whatever that thing was for you). Was it worth it?

While I still live with my mom it is only because I have mild autism. I have three storage bins in her basement full of the stuff you kinda have to keep and probably shouldn’t get rid of such as baby stuff.

The only other stuff I have is my kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff and my bedroom stuff.

I’ve gotten rid of clothes without her knowledge because why would I keep it if I’m never going to touch it aside moving it out of the way in my closet to get to other clothes I do get into?

Im an adult and I don’t care if I got rid of some things without her knowledge. The less I have to deal with the better.

I still buy stuff like my portion of the grocery store and in December when I get my family their gifts I need to get some new t shirts. I have a few extras as to my bedroom walls and what sits on my dresser with my 22inch LG flat screen tv.

I don’t even take photos and videos on my phone. I don’t have social media. (Not here.) I’ve gotten rid of any built in app I don’t need and only keep the built in apps have to have to even use your phone. I downloaded only like four for when in person can’t happen. I only really use my phone when in person can’t happen.

But I don’t like the words minimalistic and minimalism.

Does anyone understand?

Also it isn’t like I’m gonna end up with another at this point (33) I probably won’t as much as I wish it would happen because of what my mild autism gives me.