Minimalism Isn't For Everyone

I happen to be one of those!  While I truly admire those that are, I have no desire to be a minimalist.  I like my stuff too much and I admit I also like to acquire things.  I have a few collections and a love of vintage items.  I like to decorate and make things too.

While I don't wish to be a minimalist I do wish to be a minimizer.  I think, for me, it is important to minimize the items I keep in my home.  Clutter has an amazing way of gnawing at my psyche.  It makes my anxious and uncomfortable.

Last year I researched minimalism quite a bit.  I read articles and blogs, watched TV shows, documentaries and YouTube videos.  While it didn't make a convert out of me it did motivate me to continue my journey of minimizing.  I did the 30 Bags In 30 Days challenge last month and I am really glad that I did it.  Doing that challenge enabled me to start the year out on the right foot and make sure I don't hang onto things that we don't need to have in our home anymore.

Since moving back into our home nearly 4 1/2 years ago we have brought in a lot of new things.  We had purged, sold and donated our items to the point that we were able to downsize into a 27 foot travel trailer where we lived for a year.  When we moved back in we were literally starting over with our possessions and I loved it.  But I really didn't want to fill my house back up with crap again.

Before that time I spent over 5 years getting rid of the stuff I had accumulated in my lifetime.  The final six months I was ruthless.  It amazed me how much stuff I had squirreled away in every nook and cranny of my home.  Once it was finally gone I felt like I could fully breathe again.  It was quite an eye opening experience to realize how all that stuff had been affecting me over the years.

As I continue my journey of minimizing I am now much more mindful of the what I purchase, what I bring into our home and ultimately what I keep.  Many times I've thought about building a storage shed on our property, but then I realize that if I keep my possessions in check I don't need another building to store my stuff.

The things we own now, we use and enjoy.  I've gone through our home from top to bottom and made sure of that.  Moving forward I will be going through our things regularly and removing items we no longer need.  Every day I work on eliminating paper clutter (the bane of my existence) by going through mail, school papers and receipts and tossing them in the recycling bin or putting them on the shelf in my hall closet for burning.  Once that stack is a couple inches thick I take it outside and light a match.  Paper clutter can be overwhelming so I try to really stay on top of it.

This year I am planning to purchase less stuff.  We don't really need much so, in theory, this shouldn't be a big problem for me.  When I do buy something I want to be really intentional about it.  I don't want to be wasteful so I think it is important that I put more thought into what I spend my money on.

Do I really need or want it?  What is its purpose?  How often will I use it?  Is there something else I have that will already do the job?  Is this a quality item?  Is it priced well or can I do better?  I think asking these questions will make it easier for me to be more mindful of what I buy.  In the end I will spend less and save more of my hard earned money.

How do you feel about minimizing your possessions?  Is your home thinned out or do you have a ways to go?  Or, how do you feel about minimalism?  I'm curious.