Monday, February 3, 2014

Defining Minimalism

I have been reading some frugal blogs on and off for years. I've had random thoughts about saving money, living with less, and happiness floating around my head for years. Last week I read a blog post that really resonated with me: http://www.theminimalists.com/pitch/

Here is my favorite part: "Minimalism is a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.

There are many flavors of minimalism: a 20-year-old single guy’s minimalist lifestyle looks different from a 45-year-old mother’s minimalist life. Even though everyone embraces minimalism differently, each path leads to the same place: a life with more time, more money, and more freedom to live a more meaningful life."
-The Minimalists (who also happen to be from Dayton, Ohio)

We downsized two years ago to move to the Bay Area of California. It was for practical reasons since we expected to have a smaller apartment or house here. We live with about 600 less square feet and are debt free. We sold our house in Texas and do not plan to buy in the crazy Bay Area market.

Now I am digging deeper and reading more about simply living and minimalism. I really dove in to some reading on January 1st. We had a really long travel day after being rerouted to miss the snow in Chicago, and I needed a new book to read. I started with Tammy Strobel's book, You You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too. I read most of the book in one day and loved it.

Around this same time, my husband started reading a blog called Mr. Money Mustache. To put it in terms that my son would relate to, he is a money and retirement superhero.

There are so many resources and ideas out there, especially in the age of blogs and e-books. Any favorite frugal, simple living and minimalism books or websites to share? I think that I am just scratching the surface...

2 comments:

Susanne said...

Very thought provoking post, I've added the book to my list at the library. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I am finding lots of good things to think about regarding simple living and minimalism. Eventually I want to figure out how to simplify my paper crafting and still enjoy the hobby. :)