16 Minimalist Hacks
#1 Get some inspiration! I read Marie Kondo’s book “The life-changing magic of tidying up.” I can't go without mentioning it because it got the gears turning. It's a great place to start, and for some people, it gets them all the way to true mindful living in about three months.
#2 Start a capsule wardrobe! It is the perfect way to start living simply and see if it's for you. Don’t be too strict or legalistic. Changing for the better is fun.
#3 Get the Kids involved! I started with my 4-year old by talking about how some children have less, and I asked him to look through his room and see if there were any toys he would like to give away to make other kids happy. He responded well and enjoyed being generous. When he was five, I found a toy he favored at the bottom of a toy bin and explained: “This is one of your favorite toys, but you haven’t gotten to play with it because you couldn’t see it! Maybe we should donate some of this stuff you don’t like very much, so you don’t miss out on the things you love.” Again this worked well.
#4 Capsules for the Kids! My kids are much happier when they love everything in their closet. (And one hamper of laundry is easy to get done.)
#5 The 20-20 rule! If you can source an item for less than 20 dollars, and you can drive there in under 20 minutes, let it go. Your home is not a storage unit.
#6 Why the doubles? Don’t keep doubles. I'm not talking about backups. I have emergency preparedness items that I cycle through and replenish. However, You don’t need two measuring cups. You don’t need extra salt and pepper shakers. You don’t need four sheet sets per bed or fifteen throw blankets. Pick your favorites and toss the rest.
#7 No Miracle Appliances! Keep it simple.
#8 One drawer at a time! If you're feeling overwhelmed then pick a drawer. Go through it, purge, clean, reorganize. The power of encouragement far exceeds any inspiration I can give you. If you feel empowered, you can move onward and upward!
#9 Get into gifting! Maybe you have four mixing bowl sets, and perhaps they all spark joy. Take a minute to think about it, would any of your friends or family love that particular set? Give it away!
#10 Play the Minimalism game! This has been my most recent go-to for progress. Pretty straightforward: the first day of the month, get rid of 1 item. Second day - 2 items, Thirteenth day - 13 items, continue through the completion of the month.
#11 One in - one out! Try to keep a mindset of replacing things instead of collecting things.
#12 The 3 Day rule! That may be the most flattering blouse you have ever tried on. However, you know you DO NOT need another blouse… what do you do? Take a picture of it. Go home. In three days if you still really want it, and find a multitude of uses for it in your wardrobe, get it! We aren’t robbing your joy, just the impulses that don’t benefit you in the long run.
#13 How much do you need? You need two pairs of sheets per bed at most. You need enough place settings for the number of people in your home. You may choose to double that due to your dishwashing regimen or possibly your regularly scheduled hosting events. Point is: sit down and make a list of your numbers! Do you need seven pairs of underwear or do you need ten so you have some wiggle room on laundry day? Whatever that number is, respect it. Make your list, and then go to your linen closet, your laundry room, kitchen cabinets, wardrobe, etc. and purge!
#14 Clear Surfaces! What's on your dresser, bar, countertops, dining room table? Is it trash? Does it have a home? Does it need a home? Hash it out, and deal with your stuff. Make a home for it or decide that it is not valuable enough to keep.
#15 Kitchen Counters should be clear. If you kept out all your daily use items, it would be the lions share of your kitchen. The question to ask yourself is: Why do I have things I'm not using daily, weekly, or monthly?
#16 Practice Shelf Cooking! Set aside a block of time not to grocery shop beyond the basics. Plan to “shop” your pantry and freezer. Challenge yourself. I bet you can get further than you think. Plus that beautiful Pinterest pantry is not so far away when you strip your food inventory down to the basics!