Less Stuff, Less Housework

Housework. It seems that no one actually likes it. However, since it is as unavoidable as a nasty Trump tweet, something must be done to make it manageable.

While it is possible to enjoy cleaning house, how many people would rather do housework than other possibly more enjoyable activities? 

I have tried saying to myself, "I get to clean today" instead of "I have to clean today" to make it feel more like a choice, but I would still rather be in the woods, or be playing guitar and singing with Linda.

Having said that, I do believe I have found the secret to housework. 
    

Have less stuff.



That is my personal solution to the challenges of home maintenance. The way I see it, less stuff means less work overall. Life is more than buying and cleaning and storing and upgrading an endless number of things. 

Less stuff maintenance means more time to spend on more enjoyable things. For me that is just about anything. 

Less stuff, less housework, more life.

Can Buying Things Change Your Life?

Can buying things change your life? For the better?

I can't think of many things that I have bought that have changed mine. I know that is the promise made by advertisers far and wide for decades, but in the real world this usually fails to pan out.

Can I think of anything I have bought that has changed my life? And if so, has that change been an overall positive one?

I can think of experiences, like going to school, that qualify as having changed my life. And there are many people in this category as well, and I am who I am today because of them. But stuff?

I am hard pressed to think of any material possessions I have purchased that changed me in anywhere close to the same way. We have all spent a lot of money in our lives buying material possessions. Why is it so hard to think of even a handful of worthy ones?

I will try.

My guitar is the first possession that I can think of that has had a meaningful impact on my life. Some of the best money I have ever spent, although I initially learned to play on guitars that were given or borrowed to me.

And I guess my leather hiking boots would make the cut, too, although the pair I am using now were sourced for free.

I enjoy cooking, and the tools and supplies in my kitchen help me make nutritional magic. That mojo could make the difference between sickness and health, so is potentially life changing.

Owning a motor vehicle certainly changed my life, but considering the impact of the internal combustion engine, not to mention the complete hassle of car ownership, I am not sure the overall effect has been positive. I can't say the same of all the bicycles I have owned over the past 50-some years - they have all been life changing possessions.

Finally, I would have to include any art supplies in the life-enhancing category. Paint, brushes, watercolour paper, an easel; all have yielded positive benefits. 

Some people like the rush that results from the process of buying things. I'm not immune to this effect, but I have never let that become the driving force in acquiring material objects. 

Far from being addicted to shopping, I am more like phobic. Therefore I avoid the buyers' remorse that often follows many (most) purchases for a lot of people. It is that moment when we realize that the object we just paid for is unlikely to change our lives, and we would probably be better off without it altogether. 

My personal solution is to not have a lot of things. When I do acquire something, I make every effort to source it for free. It is amazing, if one is willing to be patient, how often this is possible. It may provide a fraction of the initial rush, but in the long term it is the object itself, and not how it was acquired, that makes a difference.

So before forfeiting your hard earned cash, ask yourself, 

"Will buying this item change my life?" 

"Will I still think this is a potential life changing item if I wait a day? A week? A month?"

And lastly, "Can I source it for free?" 

If a possession helps us reach a goal, or otherwise makes our lives more beautiful and enjoyable, then it might be worth owning; it might change your life. 

Otherwise, save your money, and look to have an experience, or to help someone or something else. That is where the real life changing events take place.

Out Of The Closet

It's out of the closet: a minimalist wardrobe is enough.

The pioneers of one planet wardrobes are coming out of the closet, and they are clean, adequately clothed, and content. And they have some great ideas.

What a pleasure to see the discussion going on in the comments after our post on the serious global clothing clutter conundrum. There are many experiences shared that show that simplifying ones closet is the way to go for a multitude of reasons.

Linda and I have been de-clothing for many years. After reducing our possessions to what we could carry in our van in 2014, we have since reduced further, and are enjoying a more minimalist wardrobe than ever before.

Recently we have laughed about our "uniforms". Each of us have been relying on two sets of clothes since the winter started. One set is worn, while the other is to be laundered. We usually wear the same set of clothes for a week, then do laundry along with bedding and towels.

At the same time we do laundry, we have our once per week shower (more or less depending on the time of year and what we are doing). And let me tell you, if you are only having one shower a week, each and every one feels like a major spa treatment.

There is nothing like living in simplicity to heighten your appreciation and enjoyment of all aspects of life. The same goes with having too many clothes - how can you appreciate the things in your closet and drawers that you don't even know you have?

Our tiny wardrobe, coupled with our shower and laundry routines, help to make our life more simple and efficient. In simplicity, such routines become an enjoyable part of life, not something to avoid, or do in hurry rather than in savour.

And do I even need to say it saves resources and money?

In closing, let me say how satisfying it is to be able to have this discussion with such sensible readers. No fashionistas making fun of wearing last season's colours or clothes. No oversanitized hygiene hysteria. Just simple, frugal, enviro-friendly ways of living happier with less.

How refreshing.

Writing Re-Use, Not Refuse

What do you do with a couple of pencil nubs too short to hold, and the plastic centre of a roll of dental floss?

When I taught elementary school I discovered that some students (usually boys) are obsessed with using pencils until you can't see them any more.

They would wrap their little fingers around tiny nubs of heavily used pencils, and scratch out their school work. Of course, that work took several times longer than if they had a more extended version of a pencil, and the writing they produced was often illegible.

However, I admired how committed they were to using the pencil, the whole pencil. They loved the challenge.

I decided to challenge myself to see if I could improve on their methods.

You create a functioning pencil.

It so happened that I was also hanging on to the plastic centre of a roll of dental floss. I enjoy finding uses for things that most people don't think twice about before throwing them in the garbage. It must be the little person in me.

I trimmed the ends of the pencil nubs so that they fit in either end of the plastic tube. Voila! A functional pencil utilizing materials rescued from a trip to the landfill. My design also encourages precision - no eraser. Pure business at both ends.

It works! Easy to hold, and uses the pencil nubs till there is nubbin left.

So much of what gets classified as refuse can be re-used, repurposed, and through that, respected. Just think like a kid - "You can't throw that out!" - and take it from there.

Downsizing: What Do You Keep?

I love to cook, so decided to keep core kitchen items like large bowls and cast iron frying pans.

Downsizing? Just as difficult as it is to decide what to get rid of, are the decisions of what to keep.

It seems that about 98% of the things we buy and hold on to in consumer societies are unnecessary, weigh us down, and destroys the planet at the same time. Knowing that, it may still be hard to let go of familiar things.

But it is worth it. Simplifying and having less leaves more room for what is truly important, so all the difficult decisions are worth making.

The more you own, the more you spend to purchase, maintain, and store things. Stuff needs to be cleaned, sharpened, lubricated, dusted, and kept free of rust and decay as it all succumbs to the laws of entropy. Plus you have to look at everything all the time. Even worse, you  have to wonder why you bought any of it in the first place.

When you have less you have more money, more space, and more time to create the life that you passionately want.

Things We Decided To Keep (for now)

- cast iron frying pan
- universal pot lid
- stainless steel bowls
- blankets, pillows
- outdoor clothing/gear
- art supplies
- basic clothing and fabric
- tools
- small sewing kit
- seeds
- computer
- yoga mats
- rugs/carpets
- guitars and sheet music
- books/journals

But what about things like photographs and love letters? Nope, we let them go, and freed ourselves in the process.

I don't want things, I want happiness and contentment, and over the years I have found that those increase as the anchor of physical possessions becomes less of a drag on my life.

My ultimate goal is to have all my possessions down to what will fit in a small backpack, or shoebox by the time I die. 99% of what we buy and own in consumer societies consists of distractions that keep us from the truly important.

What is kept while downsizing will differ from person to person, reflecting what is most important to each of us. No expert, no book, no method can tell you what to keep. That hard work is up to each of us, and us alone.

It wasn't important to keep photographs... for me. It might be for you, though. Only you can decide.

But the goal should always be to keep as little as possible. The way to do it is: be honest with yourself, be fearless, then let go. Enjoy what you keep, including the memories.

Peak Stuff

People are getting over their love affair with stuff, and finding happiness.

Are mature consumer economies reaching Peak Stuff? I mean how much crap that you don't need can people buy? Or afford? Like banging your head against the wall, it can't go on forever.

Data shows that in the UK the consumer buying frenzy has been tapering. It is unlikely that it is the only place where 'dematerialization' is occurring. The times are ripe for the post-consumer curious to look at minimalism and simplicity in pursuit of right sizing bloated lifestyles.

Ex-consumers are altering personal consumption from conspicuous displays of wealth to a level based more on need. After a decades long buying spree that has not increased our quality of life, many are feeling better while consuming less.

Businesses are even cluing in to the fact that things are changing. An executive from a large home furnishing store said recently,

"In the West, we've probably hit peak stuff. We talk about peak oil. I'd say we've hit peak red meat, peak sugar, peak home furnishings."

Yup. Peak stuff, peak this, peak that. We have been pigging out on everything. Are we finally done?

Tons of Free Book/Audiobook Downloads

It is nice to own some books. But not too many books, if that is even possible. I guess it is because Linda and I have had a former stuff reduction in which we trucked boxes and boxes of books to sell at used book stores. It was kind of sad.

In the end we didn't mind unloading all that weight, and we made good money selling our little library. Now our minimalist collection could fit on half a small book shelf. Since our book purge we have been using public libraries extensively, and with joy.

In my recent post Free Knowledge I wrote about finding our new public library upon arrival at our new home. It generated an excellent discussion in the comments about accessing literature and other resources for free. Since then I came across a great addition to these suggestions.

I discovered a site that offers the post 100 Free Places To Download Literature. It includes resources like Project Gutenberg (49,000 free books) for classics, and Banned Books for writings someone thinks you shouldn't read.

Click here to see the other 98 free book sites that include places to access textbooks, mysteries, novels, and books on science, religion, philosophy and more.

There you will also find a post on 20 Sites to download free audiobooks.

It is nice to have a small collection of books. Any more than that and one can forget about buying anything and get the rest online or at the public library.

Happy free reading!

Trying To Keep It Simple

Minimalism in action. Our landlords took pity on us and brought over a table and a chair for
us to use until we get things of our own… if we get things of our own.

After living in the efficient simplicity of our van for a while, we are loath to start collecting things again while in our new home.  However, some things are quite nice to have.

Like a table and somewhere comfortable to sit. Or a cheese grater, or bed big enough that my feet don't hang over the end (we moved the bed from our van into our bedroom).

The van had just enough room for us and a limited number of things and no more. In comparison our new home feels downright huge. And empty.

We are in a situation we have not been in for many, many years. We need more stuff.

Having said that, we are enjoying some parts of going majorly minimal. When a place is not crammed full of things it has a beautiful open and airy feel. There aren't so many things to run in to, or get in the way when stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Doing dishes is a snap when you only own three plates, two cups and a handful of cutlery. Our kitchen seems huge with drawers and cupboards looking sparse and clean. Counter tops are clear and usable.

Minimalism now seems like the way to go since more than likely there will be another move in our future, perhaps as soon as next fall. Considering that, it would be nice to not have a bunch of junk to move, or otherwise get rid of. We have just been through that exercise when we left the west coast and I don't want to do it again for a while.

But how do you make cookies without a cookie sheet? And can you ask guests to sit on the floor and share a plate and cup between them? How do you clean a floor without a vacuum or broom?

I don't like needing to acquire more stuff, but when it comes down to it, a few functional things are what make our lives more enjoyable. People need stuff. Not much stuff, but at least some.

The challenge during this acquisition phase will be to keep it simple and not catch Consumeritis. As you know, this disease is as widespread and virulent as the common cold, and about as welcome.

Keep it simple, keep it simple, keep it simple...

Mini-size My Home

An adorable and affordable 400 sq. ft. home in Nova Scotia, Canada.

There are not many small houses where I live on the west coast of Canada. Houses here, based on a rough estimate, range from 1,500 to 3,500 sq. ft with the average being around 2,400.

In the upper range are homes of 5,000 to 9,000 square feet.

Prices range from about $350,000 up to several million, with the average house price in my immediate area being a resoundingly unaffordable $490,000.

The east coast of Canada is a different story.

Nova Scotia has a vast inventory of small houses at the bottom end of the size range, with many houses in the range of 300 to 1000 square feet. Prices range from $20,000 to $50,000, which often includes several acres of land.

The inside of the mini-sized home is very practical and functional.

I like the efficiency of living in small spaces. It must be attractive to others too - just look at the words realtors use to describe houses in the bottom end of the size range. I have seen small homes described as "cozy", or "quaint",  or "adorable".

Even better is "easy to heat".

But my favourite realtor adjective used to describe smaller homes is "affordable".

Smaller homes put the concept of enough into practice.

As has been pointed out in our "house size forum", a well-built large home may use less resources to run than its small, poorly built counterpart.

But by that same logic, it is also true that a small, well-built home would be even better yet.

One of these inside a tiny home and a woodlot out back can go a long way toward being prepared
for inevitable energy shortages and price increases.

I want my shelter to be Mini-sized. Smaller dwellings use less resources to build, heat or cool, and maintain. To me it feels like the nature-endorsed way to go.

Plus they are just so darn cozy.

The Shoebox Challenge

The less you need, the more free you will be.

Here at NBA we get wonderful comments and emails from people that have also realized the futility of fettered, unsustainable lifestyles. But I have been noticing similar sentiments expressed in many other areas in my reading around the internet.

More and more people are fed up and tapped out. Finished. Done.

They know the effects, personal and environmental, of consumer-oriented lifestyles. Stress, depression, unpayable debt, and a big house cluttered with consumer goods that need to be cleaned, maintained, stored, and disposed of properly. Environmental destruction.

Many folks are simply bailing from the whole mess.

For example, here are a couple of comments from a thread on a real estate and finance blog that I follow. The post was essentially about people living beyond their means and piling on debt.

One commenter wrote:

"It is time to voluntarily exit middle class madness and start spending within your means. Live small and debt-free, not big and in deep. 

This is my plan: 

1. Get rid of stuff (sell, trade, and give away).
2.  Eliminate debt.
3.  Invest what’s left, and live simply. 

 Wait and pay attention and you will be thankful you pulled out before it all collapses. 

As I have been selling stuff, it seems that people are still spending money. It’s like the general populace has reached a point where they are fatigued, and spending makes them feel good.  

Bad news is exhausting - go shopping. 

My goal is to own almost nothing. Literally. I’m done with the consumer life. I want nothing - that’s where the freedom is.  

When I die, I want to be thrown away along with my shoebox of possessions. It should take about ten minutes.  

That’s my goal now."

In response someone else said:

"My spouse and I just had that conversation today. We were thinking the same way you are about possessions. We have already sold and got rid of a lot of things.  

We want fewer things, too. I curse most of the stuff in my home, believe me. But it is tough to get down to that shoebox.  

Good luck, I’ll see you out there on the road to freedom."

The consumer capitalists tell us that working hard (for them) and buying things (from them) will set us on the road to happiness and ultimate freedom. Well, they lied, and more of us are catching on to their soul-sucking scam.

See you on the real road to freedom - becoming unencumbered by societal expectations and material things.

“You may have occasion to possess or use material things, but the secret of life lies in never missing them.” 

- Gandhi, whose possessions at death could definitely fit in a shoebox

Decluttering Is Like Dying

Letting go of our possessions can feel like
the death of our previous identity.

Philosopher Bertrand Russell must have been a minimalist. He knew the hold things have on us and said, "It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly."

If this is so Mr. Russell, then why is it so hard to rid ourselves of those nasty encumbrances?

Over the past decade Linda and I have been on an ongoing quest to become less preoccupied with possessions, and this is what we have found. Decluttering is hard.

As time has gone on it has become easier, but not by much. It is a conundrum that has spawned a lively household debate. Like good little thinkers, we have had long discussions and have theorized on why it is so hard to get rid of stuff.

Linda came to the conclusion recently that it is because decluttering is a lot like dying. Or more like a bunch of little deaths every time we part with something. No wonder it is hard!

Consumer culture places great emphasis on material possessions, and we are trained to derive our sense of self from them. There is no getting away from this misplaced view of our identity - we are reminded by brash commercials thousands of times every day - we are what we own.

If we get our sense of identity from the things we own, what happens when we declutter those things out of our lives? Getting rid of them is like getting rid of little pieces of ourselves.

As I pare down my possessions to only that which I require to meet my goals, I can feel my past identity dying. But it is a delicious death because it frees me to discover who I really am.

I am finding new concepts besides consumerism and materialism with which to identify. Concepts like the rightness of Nature, or the power of good deeds, peace and compassion.

Ultimately, the death of our past selves by putting possessions in their place, allows a new identity to form which is based on the oneness of everything.

Take a risk - declutter and die a bit. Then be reborn to your new free and noble life.

Simple Living: Doing The Math

I like lists for their efficiency and ease in presenting many thoughts and ideas in a short time. An excellent list has been compiled in a post over at the Miss Minimalist blog. It offers "100 Ways to Simplify Your Life (and Make Yourself Happier)".

I read the NBA-approved post after initially thinking that a list of 100 items wasn't minimal. But hey, life is complicated, and it could have been a list of 1000 things, or 10,000.

If 100 items are too much and you like your lists more minimal than Miss Minimalist, I found the following item that summarizes the information contained in the original in only 24 succinct points.

AROUND THE HOUSE

1. Ditch the TV (or at least turn if off). If you’re an average viewer, you’ll save over a hundred precious hours each month. An added bonus: less exposure to commercials means less desire to buy stuff, and more money in your pocket.
2. Get rid of excessive furniture, so there’s less to walk around, trip over, or move when you have to clean.
3. Put items away immediately after use. It takes a lot less effort than cleaning up piles of stuff later on.
Have a place for everything. It makes it much easier to find things, and put them away.
4. Consolidate hobby items in designated containers. That way, all your supplies will be on hand when you need them.
5. Adopt the “one in, one out” rule: when you purchase something new, get rid of something old.

WARDROBE AND STYLE

6. Choose versatile clothing. The more ways you can wear something, the fewer items you’ll need.
7. Get a simple, no-fuss haircut; it’ll save tons of time in the morning.
8. Avoid unhealthy habits, like smoking, drugs, or drinking in excess. You’ll look better now, and avoid a boatload of health problems down the road.
9. Let your inner beauty shine. A pleasant countenance and radiant smile will make you more beautiful than any cosmetics.

KITCHEN AND DINING

10. Plan your meals in advance. You’ll spend less time staring into your refrigerator, wondering what to make.
11. Purge unnecessary gadgets and seldom-used equipment. A large variety of meals can be made with basic pots and implements.
12. Eat healthy foods (like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables), and you’ll avoid a wide variety of medical problems.

OFFICE AND TECH

13. Pay bills online. It takes much less time than writing and mailing a check, and you won’t need to buy envelopes and stamps.
14. Stay out of debt. Life is much simpler when you don’t have to worry about interest charges and minimum payments.
15. Take digital sabbaticals. Disconnecting for a period of time – be it an hour, a day, or a weekend – can be quite liberating!

TIME MANAGEMENT

16. Right-size your expectations. When you expect too much of yourself and others, disappointment and stress are often the result.
17. Forget about perfection. For the vast majority of tasks, good enough is good enough.
18. Make it a goal to do less, not more. Increase your productivity to free up your schedule, rather than jam more stuff into it.

ATTITUDE

19. Live in the present. Don’t spend excessive hours pining for the past, or fretting about the future. Be here now.
20. Think before you act. We can often save ourselves a lot of trouble if we think about the consequences before acting on impulse.
21. Think before you speak. Once you let some ill-considered words out of your mouth, you can’t get them back. Better to hold your tongue than have to deal with the fallout.
22. Don’t hold grudges. Forgiveness eases your stress and tension, and frees up your time and energy for more positive pursuits.

MISCELLANEOUS

23. Downsize your digs. A smaller home means less to maintain, less to clean, and less to pay in mortgage, utilities, and rent.
24. Don’t shop unless you need something. In other words, don’t browse stores, catalogs, or websites looking for something to need.


I recommend reading the full list of 100 at Miss Minimalist, and perusing the comments as well if you have the time. However, one could subtract a lot to arrive at just a few simple rules just in case you want to get on with things:

1. Live within your means.
2. Take care of yourself and others.
3. Enjoy life and be happy now.

Minimal Wardrobe Monday

More like 50% cotton, 20% blood, 20% sweat, and 10% tears.

I rented a home with a walk in closet while I was a student at university. I didn't (and still don't) have much in the way of a need for a closet so large, so I did the studious thing and converted it to an office.

Even now I keep my small wardrobe (and Linda's) hanging in a tiny closet and stuffed in a few boxes on the shelves contained within it. We don't have any other clothing related furniture - no dresser, no stand alone wardrobe, no plastic bins stacked to the ceiling with unworn clothes destined for the second hand shop.

Minimizing our wardrobe has saved us a lot of money, and has made clothing decisions in the morning much more simple.

By reducing our wardrobe, and by making the clothes we do have last, we have reduced the amount of harm and suffering done on our behalf in order to cover our naked bodies.

And as the world has learned, there is a lot of harm and suffering manufactured alongside the stacks of clothing that come out of factories the likes of which we have not seen in north America since the 1900s.

Clothing Industry Issues

• The global textiles market is huge, worth more than $400 billion per year.
• In recent years, production has been growing by up to 25 percent.
• The Asian region has become the highest contributor of textiles in the world.
• Workers have long suffered in the ready made clothing industry, like the Triangle Shirt Factory fire in 1911 in New York City where 145 workers, mostly young girls, were burned to death because their tenement factory lacked adequate fire escapes.

Textile Industry 2008 - 2010

• The textile industry has always been competitive, but from 2008 to 2010, the rapidly globalizing industry struggled to return profits - rising labor costs and the financial crisis put downward pressure on money-making.
• Fierce competition in low-wage countries drove down what employers were willing to pay workers. 
• Business owners in developing countries cut corners in building safety and work conditions, abetted by lax enforcement of rules and desperate workers forced to accept harsh conditions.
• Workers often labour long hours for very low pay resulting in the worst case scenario - the infamous sweat shop populated by children.

Environmental Issues 

• Chemical processing of fibers and textiles is known to have a far reaching impact on the environment, often poisoning local water sources. 
• Some workers are exposed to harsh chemicals directly in manufacturing, resulting in serious health issues.
• 2.4% of the world's arable land is planted with cotton yet it accounts for 24% of the world's insecticide market and 11% of global pesticides sales, making it the most poison-intensive crop on the planet.

Future of the Industry

• Old methods with chemical-heavy production practices are no longer in line with environmental ideals, and the industry is being pushed toward greener methods.
• In the past several years the sales of eco-friendly textiles have seen double-digit growth.
• From 2006 to 2010, the sales of organic textiles in the United States alone has grown more than 600 percent. 
• Increasingly aware customers expect the manufacturers of their clothing to place more emphasis on natural fibers, eco-friendly methods of manufacture, and ethical treatment of workers. 

- source

Mxmlists Fight Back

We are entering an era
defined by natural limits

For a variety of good reasons, simple and minimalist living is becoming more mainstream. Because of this, simple living and minimalist blogs are becoming more popular. I am optimistic that this trend will continue, and that the message of such blogs will help us transform our economy, our selves, and the way we live our lives.

But some people don't want this inevitable transformation to occur.

Because of the impending shift to gentler (read "less profitable for big business") ways of living, mainstream political 'leaders' and their buddies, the private sector 'wealth generators', are getting nervous. I know this as a fact since my own federal government has recently decided that I am a threat to our country's national security.

Not only that, but environmentalists like me have also been added to the growing list of terrorist threats.  Wow - they really are scared. What's next - fighting back with maximalist, conspicuous consumption blogs brought to you by the United Corporations and the governments that work for them?

Sometimes I wonder why I have never seen any complex living blogs, but I think we all know. In North America, blogging about the work hard/consume hard lifestyle would be like a fish blogging about water.

But for future reference, I thought up some possible names for pro-consumer/work/fast life bloggers to consider.

• Mxmlist -  the joys of maxing out on possessions and having lots of everything
• Buying Everything - more work, more stuff, less freedom 
• Consumer Habits - how to acquire and feed the consumer habit for life
• Miss Maximalist - living a semi-beautiful life with more stuff
• Lavish Dad - enjoy all the toys and never mind the kid's education or your early retirement
• Being Luxurious - have fabulous stuff regardless of the consequences
• Fast Times - helping you shorten your life by increasing the pace to hyper speed

As the environmentally degrading consumer era comes to a close, those with vested interests in the status quo will flex their ample moneyed muscles.  Rather than look to natural limits to explain the end of profitable conspicuous consumption, they will be looking for party-pooping activists to blame for its demise. 

That is why the Canadian government now lists in their Counter-terrorism Strategy, under "Domestic Issue-Based Extremism", terrible terrorist tactics like engaging in environmentalism and anti-capitalism activities.  

We are entering the age of limits. There will be no Mxmlist Blog in the future, nor will there be the conspicuous consumption like there is now.

There will also not be massive profits for the exploiters, and no amount of green backlash is going to change that.

My Minimalist Wallet

The minimalist wallet - less space, less stuff

Do men still carry leather wallets? The advent of virtual money, and now, the virtual wallet got me to thinking. Has the analog over-stuffed man wallet been, like so  many things, demoted to museum exhibit status?

Alas, the leather billfold seems safe for now as the digital variety has been slow to take over, despite the virtual wallet's ability to hold all the things men put in their pocket purses, except coins, mints, and pictures of the kids.

More than likely a wallet remains on the typical gift list, even for today's digital dads.

The George Castanza Wallet - not minimalist

If there is one on your list, save your money. I have a more practical, less expensive idea I came up with after several unhappy relationships with traditional wallets. If dad is a minimalist like I am, he will appreciate your spartan-minded thoughtfulness.

He will also avoid the "Costanza Wallet". Men's wallets, like George Costanza's on Seinfeld, quickly descend into out of control blobs of leather bound dude detritus. Buying a large-capacity wallet is simply asking for trouble.

I know this because when I was a kid my dad's wallet was the original pocket-busting wasteland. Many things went in, but little ever came out. The constantly growing collection, the size and shape of a squished double-decker burger with all the trimmings, would prematurely wear out any pocket into which it was thrust.

Apparently Pop did not pass on the gene for large wallet carrying. I have always seen wallets bulging at the seams as a case of hoarding on a small scale, and have avoided them. But I have had my own versions of wallet black holes.

My solution for this masculine mayhem was to dispose of the idea of a traditional wallet altogether. I emptied my last old wallet of the things that I actually 'needed', and realized it all amounted to very little. A wallet is a function of commerce after all, and I figured the size of your wallet should fluctuate with the amount of buying that one does.

Rubber bands, or wallets?

A guy not buying anything doesn't need a big wallet, or a regular wallet, or any wallet at all.

In keeping with my mission to reduce my possessions to the most minimal and practical as possible, I concluded that all I needed was a rubber band! There it was - my new 'just enough' wallet.

And even if you do some day get the main dude in your life a digital wallet, what comes along with the device? That's right, a plastic card. I guess you use it to buy things when you can't figure out how to use yet another newfangled gadget.

But where do you put the card when you no longer have a billfold? Or what if you have some cash on hand? Whatever will the man on the move do in this increasingly digital world?

Another minimalist solution, a money clip might work, but that could cost as much as a more traditional wallet. I suggest banishing the massive man wallet to the local museum collection, saving some money, and trying one of my essentially free minimalist wallets.

Note: I am currently using a rubber band from our junk drawer, or 'miscellaneous resource depository' as it is known around here. So far it has lasted many months of service.

Minimalizing More Monday

A lot of people, when they get together, talk about their new acquisitions. I guess it is a "pride of ownership" thing. A smaller group of people, in the same circumstances, talk not about things they got, but rather things of which they have gotten rid.

Since Linda and I moved from Alberta to British Columbia eight years ago, we have been on a semi-random minimalist mission. The move itself was the perfect excuse to unload years of accumulation, and we downsized our  belongings from a mid-sized moving truck to a utility trailer pulled behind our small pickup truck. 

Our drive west felt more like riding in a balloon with all the ballast thrown overboard. We felt liberated, exhilarated even.

It is demonstrated that some people experience a rush when shopping. I have a similar reaction when I get rid of stuff.

In the summer we took a truck load of things to the second hand store, and last week we took another full load. The more we take out of our small home the better it feels. More space means more room for air, sunshine, and creativity to flow.

This has been a decades long project that is ongoing as things pass through our lives. There is no end, which is ok. It is all about the process of eliminating the superfluous so that the necessary can reveal itself.

We have a way to go before we are down to backpacks, but as we minimalize more, our simple, spartan, and austere dream is becoming a happy reality.

Mobile Minimal Mansion Monday

A small, cozy living space that can really go places

Summer is officially over, the rainy season has begun, and cooler temperatures are indicating it will soon be time to start heating our home.

Perhaps because of the instinctive urge to move south this time of year, this mobile minimal mansion caught my eye. I love the warmth of the wood interior, not to mention that of the welcoming wood stove.

Who said small space living had to be cramped and uninspiring? Or attached to one place?

I can see myself driving this right on to the perfect small patch of land, and starting a big garden. A summer sanctuary.

Then I would put it on biodiesel, and burn used french fry oil to migrate to warmer temperatures for a few months in the winter.

Minimalism Monday

I saw an article on hoarders recently with a headline that asked, "Why aren't hoarders bothered by all that junk". It made me think, "Why aren't consumers bothered by all that junk?" What's the difference?

It is difficult to separate the hoarders from big-box consumers stuffing all available storage space with bargains, some of which will never be used or seen again until the estate sale. 

Most of us in industrialized countries could use a serious minimalizing of our possessions. We tend to hang on to things like kids hang on to their collections of stickers, coins, or miniature action figures - "They're cute - collect them all!". 

Before long our cherished stuff, our "collections", are like lead boots that threaten to drag us down. Minimalism, on the other hand, gives us wings.

We should be teaching minimalism in schools rather than the current doctrine of conspicuous consumption, or maximalism, and save our kids from the smothering burden of complicated, stuff-oriented lives. After all, maximalism is not sustainable, while minimalism definitely is.

"There are many different facets to minimalism, but in a nutshell, it is about cutting the unnecessary clutter from your life to enable you to focus on what makes you happy. 

People practice minimalism for many reasons - be it to remove redundant possessions, clear their minds of worry, or even just for aesthetic appeal - but in essence, it is a means to increasing the quality of your life by removing rather than adding. 

Though it must be noted here that keeping things that make you happy can be just as important as removing things that don't."     - from r/minimalism FAQ

Linda and I stopped adding to our possessions long ago, and have been working on removing selectively in order to achieve an optimal amount of stuff - just enough to do the things we love. We think very seriously before bringing anything into our home (unless it is wholesome food).

Some recent examples of our ongoing efforts to minimalize and cut unnecessary clutter include:

1. Earlier this summer we recycled our microwave, and a toaster over after they quit working. Since our kitchen is very small, and we like a lot of free counter space for wild and creative cookery, we did not replace the appliances. We already have an oven and stove top, and these are what we use now for all our cooking, reheating, and baking. The best part - peace and quiet without a noisy microwave, and room to roam in the kitchen.
2. I am not sure how stuff lays right under our noses, untouched, for years without us being more aware of it, but these items that blend into the background must be seen, and eliminated from our lives. We took  boxes of unused stuff to the thrift shop, and got rid of them for good. Don't have to look at them, don't have to think about them.
3. We have been digitizing photos and music CDs, then giving away the original hard copies.
4. We gave away our TV, and have no plans to buy a new one. It is amazing how getting the big screen out of the house makes it feel so much more spacious and calm.
5. Everything has its place. Any new items that do not fit harmoniously into existing spaces won't make it through the front door.

How have you been increasing the quality of your life by removing rather than by adding?

Minimalist Furniture

Furniture H.D. Thoreau-style

Never mind the giant leather sectional, all you really need for furniture is three basic chairs. Furnished in such a fashion, Henry David Thoreau found his 150 sq. ft. house to be perfectly adequate for company and 'entertaining'.

"I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. When visitors came in larger and unexpected numbers there was but the third chair for them all, but they generally economized the room by standing up.

It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, at once under my roof, and yet we often parted without being aware that we had come very near to one another." - H.D.T.