Let me show you how I went from being just nothing to a minimalist, then extreme minimalist in real life. In different categories I show you what changed:
- Clothing
- House
- Furniture
- Electronics
- Books and documents
- Food
- Being a minimalist in real life – conclusion
Clothing
I had quite a few clothes compared to now, but then it was just normal. A large wardrobe with a lot of clothing, different colors and shapes. I actually didn’t really like most of them and almost never wore them, but I still kept everything.
Then after I got into minimalism, I started to slowly donate my clothes. I took one piece at a time and thought to myself if I needed it or not. This process took months until I narrowed down everything I really needed.
You might have read about Being frugal in real life, where I explain that I focused more on high quality sports clothes. So, here I am with 4 pairs of T-shirts, Socks etc.
House
House? Rather a room. In fact, everything I own has space in one room. You would find there a bed, a table and some cartons that I use for storing.
Furniture
Well, before minimalism I had books, a lot of clothes, games, childhood things and more things that required shelves and took up so much space.
Luckily, while I moved I got rid of most of these items and now I have a bed, table and that’s it.
Electronics
I got rid of a lot of electronics and I stopped buying them. This is rather a frugal motivation.
On the other hand, I normally install a new phone or PC from scratch and don’t use any backups. In addition, I try to order everything I have on clouds. What you get is always a clean system and a comfortable drive.
Books and documents
This here changed quite a lot. I had a lot of books and documents, from school and more. Then, I figured out that they are heavy and difficult to transport.
So, I sold and donated my books. Then, I scanned my important documents and threw everything away.
What I kept are papers that have to be physical and my most important 4 books.
Maybe you can donate some objects and give them a new life.
I use the android app Clear Scan. Iphone users can use the scanner from Apple if you go into Notes > Camera > Documents.
Food
Minimalism didn’t change how much I eat, but what. Combined with frugality, I began preparing my food and reduced going out.
Normally I don’t buy pre-made food or desserts anymore.
I have to admit that this process was very interesting and I think that I eat a lot more healthily.
As a result, I prepare food once a week on Sunday. All the meals get cooked and put into tupperware for storage. Then, I have the whole week with food I prepared in a few hours. Just take care of fresh fruit and veggies. Fresh food like apples, bananas, carrots, cucumbers etc are quickly washed and ready for consumption.
Being a minimalist in real life – conclusion
In conclusion, you wouldn’t tell the difference between me and any other person if you would see me. I have my sports clothes and do stuff.
However, minimalism did change a lot at home. Ranging from simple decorations to furniture, I reduced everything to the point that it is rather called extreme minimalism.
I find myself a lot lighter and I enjoy having everything I need, but nothing more. I could fit everything I need and own in one backpack and a larger suitcase. This feeling of mobility is very
What I also realized is that this process was easy because it didn’t really affect anyone else. This is more difficult with a family and maybe children.