Tips on How to Live Like a Minimalist

Luckily, you can always downsize on what you own to lead a minimalist lifestyle. Don’t get this wrong, however. A minimalist lifestyle is not about suffering or punishing yourself – it’s simply about having less, and using whatever you have as efficiently as possible. So, what tips should you have in mind when trying to adopt a minimalist lifestyle?

1. Evaluate and examine
This is the first, and probably the hardest stage. You have to examine what you own and determine whether it’s really worth having. Here are the main questions to consider when determining whether you really need certain items:

•    Have you used the item recently?
The idea that you might need a certain item someday is the main culprit as far as unnecessary clutter is involved. If you haven’t used an item within the last year, it probably doesn’t have much use being in your house. In such a case, chances are you may never even realize that you no longer have a certain item if you rarely use it. 

•    Why is a certain item not used regularly?
Even though you haven’t used some items recently, you can still keep them for legit reasons. The following are some of the items that you can retain 

Seasonal items
You can retain items such as camping gear or ski equipment as these can even be used after a couple of years. This should be the case especially if the items are expensive and you have plans to use them in the next few months or maybe even years.

Sentimental items
Some things like your favorite childhood photos may mean so much to you, that you simply don’t want to mess with your memories and emotions by getting rid of them.

Collectibles 
You can keep collectible for reasons similar to those of retaining sentimental items. As a collector, however, you should aim to keep only the items that have the greatest value in your life. 

2. Declutter the space
After deciding what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of, the next thing should be to get rid of what you do not need. There are different ways of accomplishing this objective. You can list the valuable items for sale, donate the extra stuff, or even find ways of creatively storing the items you don’t need. Storing the items is essential if you have not fully decided whether or not you want to keep certain items. 

3. Downsize your living space
If applicable, you can always shrink your living space especially after creating so much space by getting rid of boxes of stuff that you did not need at all. There are so many benefits associated with shifting to a smaller house. You get to lower the rent, reduce wastage of resources, and also reduce the chances of cluttering your home again, as you will have lesser space. 

4. Always think before buying
A minimalist life is all about needs, not wants. As such, you should always make a list of what you need before you go out shopping. By buying only the things that you need, you will not only reduce the chances of cluttering your home but also save a lot of cash in the long run. Since you’ve just decluttered your home, you should do whatever you can to keep it that way.

5. Buy quality items
You are buying what you need, so you should do your best to ensure that you get the highest quality. High-quality items will last longer, which means that there will be less clutter in your home since you are not always buying new stuff. If you can’t afford to purchase a certain high-quality item at a certain moment, it’s always a good idea to save some cash, then get it after some time.

Conclusion 
A minimalist life makes you feel free and exhilarated. You get to live the goal of being able to fit everything that you own into a single backpack. Living a minimalist life is the best way to own the things that matter without worrying that there is too much occupying your living space.