I often n get gifts I can’t use and I’m a minimalist so I hate having extra stuff in the house that’s not serving a purpose. Do you regift them to others or donate them?

Do you have anything that is kind of extravagant and thought isn‘t really necessary, but then turned out to be essential to you?

Example: the other day I saw a little laptop bed table that instead of breakfast you could put your laptop on to work on it in your bed, and normally I would never buy it but due to the good reviews I kept wondering if it could be useful.

i am wondering if there is any minimalist audio packs or collections of ringtones and notifications for phones/Pcs that fit with the minimalism principles like clear, calm and less noisy and less disturbing so we can unify them to understand events around us easily just by hearing a specific notification sound for example. Thank you.

I’m not quite a minimalist nor do I want to fully be one; I like my things however I really want to pick up some minimalistic traits and incorporate them into my life so that it’s not so “messy” for lack of better terminology. What are some easy start up behaviors, actions, changes I could make to bring more minimalistic qualities into my life? I’ve already started a small declutter so it’s not so busy around me and overwhelming. I feel as if I have too many things or do wasteful things at times and occasionally over consume things I don’t need. Any advice for shopping purposes or how to dim down those impulsive purchases? I want more sentimental value to the things I have and limiting things to appreciate items more.

We all talk about gifting less but did you also receive less? Personally, I got a planner for 2025, a new diary, a tablet sleeve and money to help pay the car insurance. All things I asked for and will definitely use.

How about you all?

The day before Xmas day I went and purchased Xmas decorated t-towels. I wrapped the gifts with these (I only purchased small sized gifts). I tied them with lovely ribbons and they looked awesome! No paper and helped the planet 🌎

I have been on the minimalism journey since the last few years. This year I decided to experiment with buying annual supplies of toiletries in bulk eg soap, toothpaste, toilet paper etc to avoid running to the supermarket every month or two. However the collected amount of stuff now in my house is making me anxious. Have any of you experienced something similar? Would you recommend this approach as minimalists? Please share your thoughts and advice. Thank you

I love the idea of sustainable fashion feeling just as luxurious and high-quality as designer pieces. what gives a brand that premium feel while staying sustainable?

I have been told about no buys and if I understand correctly, you’re able to adjust the rules to suit your goals. I’d love to hear if anyone else is attempting one and what their plan is!

I received a grocery shop gift card for Christmas so I think the time is right for me to try. (Due to being able to lock away my payment cards to resist temptations!)

I’m thinking of adding up the cost of any essential products that might run out over the month and allowing that as an allowance for those things (bin bags, toothpaste etc.) And then using only the shop cards and existing food for meals. Train and bus tickets will have to be allowed due to pre-agreed plans.

My overall aims are: 1. To be more aware of the little unnecessary spends that add up slowly over time.

1. To hopefully break out of the habit of buying this and that because « it’s on offer » or « just in case », and instead using up the food / products I already have.

For the last 6 years I’ve made funny jokes about how my house has nothing in it and I don’t like stuff. Every year she gets me unneeded (cheap) blankets, lotions, decor, etc. this year when she asked me what I wanted I sent her two things a jewelry organizer and puzzles and she FINALLY only bought me those things.

Later she said she did horrible with me. Because I only had three things to open when others had 10+ and I really reassured her it was okay because she got me everything I really wanted. I love her, she is so sweet. But she really tried to fill up that Christmas tree.

I had a phase where I got into deep hole of kpop. I started with just watching videos and listening to songs.. until i spent significant amount of money and occupied a lot of space in my room. I am ashamed to admit that. Although i organized them neatly, their physical presence stresses me out.

But, i am proud to say that i stopped buying in the last 6 months. I don’t have urge as well. Right now, i wanna slowly reduce those items. I need to mentally and emotionally prepare myself to fully let them go. I know it’s confusing that those stuff stresses me out but i need time to let them go. 🥲

I don’t personally know anyone who likes kpop so i cannot just give it away so i will most likely throw them away. Hopefully it will give me a peace of mind soon.🤞

Just for one or two things for our three kids. Wife and I agreed not to get presents for each other. It was awkward at times, but I do think we appreciated the build up and presence of Christmas/Winter Holiday more than before.

Can anyone recommend any YouTubers to follow who are minimalists or similar. Am looking for ones that are non religious and have kids. Out of the US would be good too (I am from New Zealand).

I have few accounts I follow but they always end up bringing up church and stuff to do with that and I just want to find people I can relate to.

Thanks :)

Every Christmas I try to scale back, and I think it would be better if I had actual guidelines to stick to.

So far I have told my family that I now only buy for my parents, partner, stepchild, partner’s mom, bother and his wife so 7 people total.

My step daughter has four families that buy for her. I love getting her presents but I think she gets way too much than is practical and I spend more than I should. I tried setting a budget and sticking to it, that definitely helped me scale back but I think even if money was no object there is too much stuff being brought into the house.

I’ve heard methods like: something you wear, something you read, something you want and something you need, but if she was getting less gifts of a higher value ultimately she would want to pick them out and then the whole “gifting” is lost. It becomes just buying things from a laundry list.

Has anyone struck a nice balance with this? If so please share!

My mom is the type to want a list of what we want. It’s easier to just tell her rather than have her guess, because she’s going to spend a couple hundred bucks anyway. So I asked my mom for a very specific pair of skates because mine are over 15 years old and have never fit properly, and I skate weekly in the winter. The pair I asked for would be a BIFL purchase. She said that’s out of budget, so I said no worries - she didn’t have to get me anything, or I would be very grateful to get a gift card to the store instead so I can buy them myself, or have my partner cover the difference if she really wanted me to have something to open on Christmas morning.

Instead, Christmas morning I get a much cheaper pair of skates plus a TON of random things I didn’t ask for and won’t use - bringing the total cost of my gifts to well over what the skates I asked for cost.

I don’t want to seem ungrateful (I know I am) but… she knows and makes fun of how I’m a minimalist and like having just a few nice things in my life, and it feels like such an intentional act of not listening that each year she gets the not-quite-right-gift plus junk because she personally likes giving me more gifts rather than one quality gift I’ll actually use.

Anyone go through anything similar? How do you deal? Personally I will likely be bringing the extra gifts to the thrift store, and bringing the skates back to the store so I can hopefully get credit to get the ones I want, and never talk about it with her. But it’s going to mean that instead of being able to go skating this week I’ll have to wait for stores to open, likely order my size in, and not have the skates for the holidays when I really wanted them.

As I mature into minimalist life style, I'm starting to find that minimalism in my head is as important as physical minimalism. Of course they are closely related; less stuff = clear mind. Right?

Yes, for the most part, but not always. Listening from a dedicated CD player without internect connection allows you to enjoy music more. Reading from Kindle reader instead of android tablet lets you stay with the book longer. Playing a movie from DVD player makes you watch the movie instead of jumping between new mediocre movies and never commiting to watching them.

Would I love to be a person who can read from iPad and never get distracted? Finish a whole music album without switching to a new song? Actually start and finish a movie without stopping in the middle? Yes, of course I would love to. But, it is very hard.....almost impossible. I've tried and I'm sure you did too.

Turns out having a dedicated object that does only one thing is very important for the full immersive experience. That's why I went back to owning a camera, mp3 player, cd player, ebooks, non-smart watch, etc, despite having my 'smartphone'. At some point, I thought I could live out of my backpack. But having a clear, non-distracted head is as important as having a clean room.

I’ve been feeling like my space is too cluttered lately and want to make it more minimalistic. I love the idea of a clean open vibe but I’m not sure where to start. i would appreciate any help!

Moved into my first home, and I haven’t gotten any furniture aside from a kitchen table, a sofa, and a chair for the living room.

Everything else I made, a bench, a tv stand, my bed frame over ten years ago.

Instead of getting a dresser, I was told the more modern trend in higher end homes is not having a dresser at all. And using the closet for everything.

Thus, my bedroom feels very empty. Just a bed, a lamp on the floor, and an air purifier.

I want the room to feel clean and cozy, yet minimalist. I know this sub has a philosophy, but can a bedroom feel too minimalist?

The idea that soap is essential for daily hygiene is heavily driven by industry marketing, but the science tells a different story. Here's why showering without soap is not only hygienic but also better for you, your budget and the environment:

1. Soap disrupts your skin’s microbiome: Your skin naturally hosts beneficial bacteria that outcompete odor-causing ones. Regular soap use strips away these protective oils and microbes, allowing harmful bacteria (e.g., staphylococci) to thrive. This creates the very odor problem soap is marketed to solve.

2. Excess sebum production: When soap removes your skin's natural oils, the body compensates by overproducing sebum. This feedback loop leads to greasy skin, which increases dependency on cleansing products. Stopping soap use allows the body to recalibrate over time, reducing oil production naturally.

3. Preserving the skin barrier: Without soap, the skin retains its acidic pH and natural moisture, which makes it less hospitable for harmful bacteria. A healthy skin barrier is inherently odor-resistant.

4. Environmentally friendly: Forgoing soap reduces plastic waste, chemical runoff, and the carbon footprint associated with production and transport.

5. Soap where it matters: Washing hands with soap remains crucial for hygiene, especially to prevent illness. But for the body, water alone suffices for removing sweat and debris from daily life.

Showering without soap isn’t unhygienic—it’s a sustainable, frugal, skin-friendly choice backed by science, even if the soap industry would rather you think otherwise.

Hello everbody, I've got a problem rn with Adobe bc it's got too much clutter, way too many side bars. I hadn't noticed this bc I've been using an iPad to read and now I'm using my computer while I take notes on the iPad. Thing is that I'm reading uni books with something like 1k pages and using two at the same time so the sidebars are annoying when I jump from one to another (I'm splitting my screen to read both at the same time). I saw a past post on this topic but Edge isn't good at loading the 1k pages pdf.

Has anyone else grown up in a minimalist home and how did it affect you?

Over the years I've realised I grew up in a VERY minimalist home. It feels like new information because it was just how things were and what I was used to. I know now my mother has always been a true minimalist and likes no clutter whatsoever and to almost throw things out just about before they've entered the house. Looking through old photos, I didn't realise at the time but our house was very spartan inside, no real ornaments, hardly any pictures, just the basics in furniture and everything organized and put away. The dining room only had a dining table and 6 chairs and literally nothing else. Maybe a tablecloth. The kitchen looked almost empty. I can't remember even seeing a toaster, it must've been put away. There was an electric jug out though...No clutter anywhere in any rooms but we kids were allowed to clutter up the insides of our wardrobes and could keep any toys or junk we wanted, which I think was very kind of my mother. I kept so much stuff under the bed and my wardrobe would spill everything out if I opened it but the room was very tidy...She had set routines for everything too, dinner at 5.30pm sharp, bathtime at 6.30pm etc. I remember as a kid being utterly shocked at the clutter in other people's houses, especially one of my mother's friends home who had piles of books and laundry lining the hallway walls and stuff literally everywhere. I felt so uncomfortable going anywhere messy and then just happy to be home again in our minimalist home. My mother is now in her 80's and lives alone and in the same regimented way, EXCEPT now for her living room, which has recently become crowded with her artwork and sentimental ornaments and photos, but all in the one room only. You walk into her house and it's practically empty, kitchen, laundry and bathroom absolutely minimalist, it barely looks like anyone lives there, bedroom spartan, and then there's this room full of stuff and visual clutter. It feels weird walking into that room, knowing how anti clutter my Mum is. This started during 2020 lockdowns and we talked about it yesterday. I told Mum it's ok, it's your living room, a room for living and the rest of the house is so ultra tidy and organized like how I grew up, that one room doesn't matter. It's not like anything is piled up anywhere, just a gazillion paintings and ornaments and books, and now almost no wall space. Actually it's maximalist...Now that we discussed it, today she's already starting a declutter program in her true minimalist style. I think growing up with a minimalist was a very positive thing. It's helped me in my life and I wish I could be as spartan as my childhood homes always were and I strive to have that level of organization and emptiness but I can't get to my childhood home levels of minimalist. I don't like much clutter and like all surfaces to be clean and clear but it's more of a challenge for me than it is/was for my Mum. I sometimes feel like a minimalist failure. Anyway I don't think it matters if my mother has one room Maximilist, I'm proud that the rest of her house is so calm and sane, and I understand that lockdowns have affected people in many different ways. I think she should just do what makes her happy, but I now foresee many trips to make charity donations now she's looked at that room with her true minimalist eyes.

I’m 6 months pregnant, and I need to move 10 hours away by flight with my 8 year old.

I need to get rid of stuff, I’ll just donate as I don’t have an energy to sell.

Declutter the whole house apart from kitchen supplies. (I will leave those)

I need to pack what I want to ship later this summer apart from furniture, not even sure if I’ll ship my furniture.

Pack things for me and my son

Please give me some inspiration, what are the only essentials I need and what should I leave behind, what should I start to declutter and what should I start packing.

Update: Ended up hiring a full time helper to stay with me until I leave to do everything with me and managed to delay leaving until after 2 weeks 🙏 thanks for all the tips using them all ❤️

As a minimalist who loves keeping things simple, I've always written down my thoughts and tasks to stay clear-minded. But I found myself frustrated with constantly switching between apps and typing.

So I created a minimal voice app for myself - just speak and thoughts are organized instantly. No complicated menus, just a clean interface. It's become part of my daily minimalist routine.Wanted to share it here as it's still in beta. Would love to hear how other minimalists organize their thoughts!

How do you handle Christmas & birthdays with a large family who love giving gifts?

We have a new baby and a 2 year old, and I have lots of aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents that love to dote on, which I so appreciate and am incredibly grateful to have such a large and loving family. But it’s getting more difficult to guide them on gift buying - my preference honestly would be no gifts and experiences only (most of them are close by but don’t really visit outside of holidays). I’ve tried putting together lists of toys, clothes etc that we need/want but almost no one buys anything from that.

I understand people just love gift giving as their love language but a lot of the stuff feels like junk - cheap stuff bought off amazon. Whereas one nice gift would be amazing! Part of it is we have a small house and I already have lots to clean and don’t want to have more stuffed animals, bits and bobs to organize, clean up.

Am I a grinch for saying thank you and then donating all the stuff? Does any one else deal with this guilt? I also stress about the environment and SO much plastic. Luckily she is at an age where she doesn’t notice me donating, but know this may be harder in the future.

I used to be more of an unintentional minimalist, because I was just really organized and had recently moved away from parents back in my colege years. So I didn't have much of my own stuff.

But not so much the last 6 or so years of my life after graduating. After wrangling some hard hurdles in life, I'm ready to address it.

The last 3 weeks, I've been filling up small boxes with donatable stuff. Each week I have filled up atleast 4 boxes for donation, which is my limit so I know when to chill out, since I get very manic on projects and forget to self care. And thre away quite a lot of bags of trash.

A lot of this stuff was accumulated through my weakness of allowing myself to be persuaded by people in my life telling me things like "what if you're going to need that later," and things like that. As well as depressing and bad living circumstances kept me from caring about my living situation for a good chuck of the last 3 or so years.

I don't have a lot of furniture to begin with, so a lot of my stuff is already in cardboard boxes, but was stuffed in places in closets and under my bed, and on top of folding tables. It got really bad...

I still have a ton I need to go through, but the place is looking more empty. It is way easier to vacuum, and I have less things to look at, which makes my life less overwhelming.

Once I have all the gunk out, I would love to actually buy furniture that works for me, instead of things that just kind of exist with half purpose.

But yeah, I will continue the journey slow and steady, and I am proud of my progress so far.

Also, Happy holidays everyone. I don't really celebrate today, so I'm just chilling and self contemplating rn. I'm too poor to buy people presents and I won't guilt my financial wellbeing away. I also don't want to receive random gifts from people I will end up just donating or tossing later.

Anyways, end of thoughts for now!

TL;DR - Just restarted my journey back to minimalism. Been throwing out a ton of stuff so I can get furniture that is actually useful and wanted. Home is starting to look empty and is easier to clean, and I am very happy about that. Happy holidays.