“One can furnish a home very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting it in.” —Francis Jourdain
Many people will miss the joys of minimalism because they are afraid to begin. Often, they fear if they remove an item from their home, they will regret it in the future if they need it again. While that rarely happens (you need so much less than you think), if this fear is preventing you from getting started, try this alternative method instead.
Begin by simply reducing the excess things in your home. For example, your family needs towels so you will never remove them completely—but you could simplify your life by reducing the number of towels you own. This approach removes all risk.
Once you take that first step, you will start to experience the benefits of owning less. You will enjoy the refreshing feeling of a less-cluttered linen closet or bathroom drawer. Soon, you will notice countless other things that can be reduced in your home. Before you know it, you will have made significant progress in your journey towards a more simplified life.
To better understand the potential of this simple, risk-free step, I compiled a list of 101 Things That Can Easily Be Reduced In Your Home.
This list is not meant to overwhelm or frustrate you, it’s simply meant to give you an idea of how significant a step this can be–just choosing 10 things on this list to start with would result in a noticeable difference in your home.
- Glassware
- Cookbooks
- Kitchen gadgets
- Kitchen appliances
- Pots / pans
- Mixing bowls
- Tupperware
- Water pitchers
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Books
- Over-the-counter medicine
- Make-up
- Barretts / hair clips / ponytail holders
- Cleaning supplies
- Personal beauty appliances (hair dryer/curlers, electric razors)
- Bottles of shampoo/conditioner
- Photos
- Photography supplies
- Sewing supplies
- Craft supplies
- Scrap-booking supplies
- CDs
- DVDs
- Decorative items
- Candles
- Figurines
- Crystal
- Vases
- Audio/visual components
- Audio/visual cables
- Computer equipment
- MP3 players
- Furniture
- Video game systems
- Vdeo games
- Video game accessories
- Shirts / shorts
- Pants
- Coats
- Dresses
- Hats
- Clothes hangers
- Shoes
- Winter gear
- Jewelry
- Purses
- Coins
- Pillows
- Towels
- Linen sets
- Candle Holders
- Televisions
- Items on your bulletin board
- Magnets
- Artwork
- Mirrors
- Home office supplies
- Pens/pencils
- Old batteries
- Tools
- Hardware
- Rolls of duct tape
- Coolers
- Manuals
- Phone books
- Coupons
- Sporting good supplies
- Sports memorabilia
- Aluminum cans
- Glass bottles
- Automobile fluids
- Automobiles
- Scrap pieces of lumber
- Brooms
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Garden tools
- Plant containers
- Empty cardboard boxes
- Board games
- Puzzles
- Decks of cards
- Unused wedding gifts
- Baby clothes
- Baby supplies
- Old schoolbooks/papers
- Army men
- Bath toys
- Toy balls
- Toy cars/trucks
- Toy musical instruments
- Stuffed animals
- Plastic toys
- Childrens’ old school papers
- Suitcases
- Soda
- Alcohol
- Processed foods
- Christmas / seasonal decorations
- Cable channels
Go ahead. Give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose.
If you are just beginning your personal journey towards simplicity, I recommend our book: Simplify. 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life. In it, you will find principles of simplicity that are encouraging, uplifting, and entirely within your reach.
I love this. I’ve naturally lived this way most of my 36 yr long life. I had 4 children and found that I could only have certain amounts of things as it was too overwhelming. It makes moving so simple and purchases smarter because I dont’ buy anything I don’t need. Except clothes, I could use more help in that area lol.
I feel so blessed to have come across this site! I am beginning to downsize this weekend after Christmas 2013. I have been saving things for my three “adult” children, who, of course, have no room for things they wish to keep, but want me to save for them. Husband and I live in the house surrounded by their stuff. I have saved childhood, toys, books, etc. for the “possible” future grandchildren, that I may have but at this rate, it is not looking promising. Starting to get rid of it all this weekend, donating to a Catholic Charities, Women’s Shelters and Homeless Shelters. As far as the items that the “kids” say they dearly want, well they can rent a pay for their own storage sheds and get it out of our home!
Automobiles……… I wish my problem was trinkets. I am one person and I have 8 vehicles that runs the gamut from a Harley to an RV. They all run, licensed and driven.. Since my house is paid for the vehicles are the replacement. They are paid for as well. I also seem to be the keeper of the Family heirlooms too. 1:18 scale car collection.
I have admired and envied the minimalist for years…….. Getting started is the hardest part.
I’ve got one box of Christmas decorations, one box of ornaments, and one little 4′ tree. I started out with much more, but year by year, passed things on to others. I still have more than I want. Would like to get the decorations and ornaments into the same box. I’m making progress, though. I can set it up and take it all down in less than an hour if I hustle!
My sister just told me yesterday that I need to stop posting this minimalism stuff because she works in retail and if everybody lived minimally she and many others would be unemployed! I just bit my tongue. What is your take on this point of view?
if it were My sister… I would tell her that everyone makes their own choices.. I simply want to minimize and simplify My life, and you have no fear of losing your J-O-B as there are billions of people out there still buying stuff..sometimes useless crap..but stuff nonetheless. it all depends on what “retail” industry she works in…? is it a useful thing she sells? if not, I would tell her if She is worried to look for different work if it upsets her that much.
Let her know that minimalism is fighting a losing battle. People are clutterers, so if they get rid of one thing, they’ll buy two things in its place. Ergo, you are *supporting* her endeavors. Also, being in retail doesn’t mean selling useless clutter, so it’s very likely that your sister’s products wouldn’t be included in the Big Sweep. Unless she’s selling Hummel figurines or commemorative coins. In which case, encourage her to sell food.
I’m sorry if I didn’t read through all the comments to see if someone hasn’t already pointed this out.. But, many of these things listed can also be re-purposed. or given to the needy(I.E. Goodwill salvation army.. Et Al) or friends and family that may not have the things you are discarding or they may need to upgrade to better stuff. I have been minimizing for years and also “think green” as often, and in any way I can. Good article I like the idea of it..maybe next time He’ll write more on re-purposing things
Cheers,
I’ve made massive inroads merely by ridding myself of all the spare pieces of lumber that were cluttering up my one-bedroom apartment. Not to mention all of the extra television sets. Now if only someone could convince me that books are unnecessary or clutter.
How does one go about minimizing to what you need in the kitchen, when the art and ability of being hospitable requires multiple wine stems, plates, serving trays, etc?
I enjoyed the article until I got to the list. There are obviously some good ideas but many I find ridiculous and not helpful at all. After throwing away the extra bath lotion I have been given, for example, I would have to spend more money on replacing it within a very short time. There are many similar things on this list. I declutter as often as I can, but some of the suggestions are way too extravagant for me.
I didn’t see anything on this list I could get rid of…And I have plenty of stuff. I craft but I actually DO craft. I need all my mason jars because I can. We have 2 sets of sheets for each bed – I don’t think that is too extravagant And as Barbara said above, getting rid of shampoo is an invitation to spend more money, which you can’t possibly be advocating (maybe you are…).
Heh – those first seven. I moved two years ago from a bungalow with a 14 x 18 foot kitchen with small, walk in pantry and ample (more than ample) cupboard space to a wonderful condo…with a galley kitchen, and a small, closet type pantry.
Talk about culture shock. I did realize what I was doing when I bought the place (or so I continue to maintain). It forced me to really cull out all the kitchen stuff. I kept only what could do double duty – no single purpose appliances (goodbye, bread maker) – and only one of each of the things I truly needed. Wonderfully freeing, and it’s not cramped my cooking and hostessing abilities at all.
Very good list! I have worked on many of these items in the past and plan to do more this week. I bought the book “Clutterfree With Kids” and am enjoying it. However, I just wanted to mention one thing – in the book you suggest not keeping kids’ outgrown clothes because the chances are rare that you will have kids in the same season and gender. Well, we are a family of seven and have been trying to be frugal so I kept everything. It worked out for us, because we have four sons all born in May, June and July. However, now that we have a baby girl, I am starting to donate a lot of my youngest sons’s outgrown clothes.
With all this stuff around me I feel I can’t even think sometimes. I have moved several times in the last few years that I accumulate and then get rid of things. It is a cycle I am breaking. My next move is to an RV and I need to get rid of almost everything, no need for a sofa, dining room set or even chest of drawers. I got rid of several things in the last two days and it feels empowering. I am afraid of losing my job so I need to make a move now in order to ensure a roof over my head and not worry where I am going to keep everything. The other thing about adopting a minimalist lifestyle is that you make yourself more agile, it is easier to move to a place where you don’t need to worry about how you are going to move with all of your stuff.
If this list does not work for you, make your own. For example, I spent an hour this morning sorting and purging socks. My approach to minimizing possessions and simplifying my life is that I did not accumulate all this stuff at once so I cannot expect to purge it all at once.
Best of luck to you in this process.
I always quiver when I begin to read one of your posts….cause I know it is setting me up for a challenge. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED…..
Josh I love your philosophy, truly inspiring. I know the power of an organized home on our lives…its proven when I feel the mood change in our home in those weeks when all the laundry is done and house is tidy, only to see the moods change again in a negative way as we fall off cleaning wagon. I have no doubt your principles are effective.
Very well said. I feel depressed when my home is not organized or unclean and when it’s all tidy, even a cup of tea is so enjoyable.
Great list of reducibles – born of experience I can tell. As I read your list my mind jumps from room to room and says yup, yup!
Reducible’s! I like that term! I’m going to use it.
Hello,
Thank you, this is just the sort of information I was after. I have been slowly reducing my stuff as I am planning on moving to the other side of the world, my wife to follow. As you can imagine this is a daunting task. Everything has to be either moved, stored, thrown out or sold. Less stuff = less decisions.
I can just see myself eventually with a few bicycles, my photography stuff (which I am aiming to fit within one bag), my clothes, a few books, and the bare essentials such as the bed, desk lamp, and a few keepsakes. I think it’s nice to have some art hanging on the walls, but that too can take over your space.
Since moving to Spain, we can’t afford all these silly kitchen appliances so that definitely helps. For example we only have three saucepans in the house but only really use one of them. I thought we had very few possessions. But reading your list I’m still amazed at what we have in our house that is on there:
– a couple of bottles of alcohol sitting there a few years
– unread books that I’ll likely never ever read but feel ‘guilty’ if I throw them out
– a few stupid stuffed little animal toys I don’t even like (I am just keeping the cute ones hahaha)
– old batteries
– coins which aren’t worth anything at all
– old pots
Seems to me a lot faster/cheaper to just throw all this clutter out. A few valuable things I have sold on ebay. Generally you know if something is worth selling or thowing out…
Please dont just throw.. Donate if the stuff is still useful or pretty new. Cleaning doesnt mean wasting. All that things needs to be re-use. If they we already bought is necessary for us to think how to give them more life before just throwing it away. And that way, you’ll definetly feel less “guilty” That’s what I always do.
Regards!
You are so right Laura…
Also, don’t forget to donate any towels, sheets,
and bedspreads to your local animal shelter! :)
Ah ha! You are a genius. I’ve always wondered what to do with old towels and have ended up throwning them out! This despite getting all our cats (at least) from shelters. Such a dimwit. I shall keep that in mind when we need to replace the current ones. Thank you.
What a great idea! I’ve been wondering what to do with them. Thanks for suggesting that!
Donating to an animal shelter is an excellent idea, but if you are in an area that doesn’t have this as an option you could always ask your local mechanic if they would like some rags. We have people bringing us bags of old pillowcases, teatowels etc to use and it is always appreciated. (Yep, I’m a mechanics wife and believe me, having them wipe their hands on rags instead of their clothes is sooo appreciated!!)
Many veterinarian’s will take them too. And most areas have a county dog kennel. ..they love towels and blankets for the dogs and for clearing!
I aim to donate most of what needs to go. i don’t hold on to garbage/trash [tho i dare say my siblings might disagree]. i thrown out what needs to be thrown out, i just don’t donate
as much as i should, tho i have started by giving my new nieces my old long hair accessories for which they were very grateful.
People should NOT feel guilty about throwing things out. The problem with that is that people with clutter need to let go of that donate it step. It just creates more clutter. Nobody else “needs” your clutter. Seriously people just put it off b/c of the guilt of needing to donate it. It just needs to be gone. It may work for you but not for someone who has issues with clutter.
Yes. This. The idea that “I will donate that” is often what prevents progress. Because some people get to a point where 60% (or more) of their possessions need to be donated which WILL NEVER HAPPEN. So the clutter just sits, waiting for that magical day called “someday” when its owner gets around to hauling it to the various donation places.
It is better to “donate” to the garbage man once and for all and make some visual, quantifiable progress, than to be hung up on the need to donate to the point where you never see the forest through the trees.
Know thyself. “Will I REALLY ever get around to donating/selling/fixing/refurbishing this?” If not, let it go.
I disagree about not donating. I worked in a women’s shelter and we were very grateful when people donated decent home items. The women we helped often had to leave with nothing and when we set them up in their own place we were able to give them a few dishes, pots, curtains, mugs etc. that made the new place feel like a home. Please don’t add to our landfills by just tossing things. At the very least, put items out by the curb with a big FREE sign on it and you will see things disappear. It’s not your problem if it becomes someone else’s clutter, and maybe they can really use the items you don’t need.
Agree with the about comment, it’s extremely wasteful to just throw useful items out as trash instead of donating! Not to mention the enormous mounds of garbage our society already produces which ends up in landfill. Good quality unwanted items (clothing, linen, toys, household items) can all be put to good use by those less fortunate, or recycled by others.. Don’t be so lazy and just dump it in the trash!
Awesome! I started a blog at the beginning of the year, my new years resolution is to get rid of one thing everyday. So far I haven’t missed a day! Sometimes I have a weeks worth of stuff and sometimes I struggle to find something to get rid of that day. This list gives me some ideas, thanks!
Blog: http://365thingsicanlivewithout.wordpress.com/
Thanks for sharing your blog Carly. I think I am going to start doing the same. I know I will struggle but I will still give it a go.
I love this article. Just love it. And I love the cleansing feeling of removing items that I don’t need but I’m far from being minimalist. I’d love to see photos of a house from some who is truly living the minimalist life.
Look up the Tiny House movement.
There is a blog of a friend of mine. She has a family of 6. Perfect example of living minimalist. thevanillatulip is her blog name.
I’ve been doing the 2014 for 2014 Challenge with Slow your home. I am at just about 900 items, but my momentum is slowing. This was exactly what I needed.
Surprisingly I have only excess of hangers and plastic toys. Yay
We are a family of 4 that live in a small tOwnhouse. We had a house fire in 2012 that completely wiped us out. Prior to that we were filled to the brim with toys, household items, and childhood memories. While we struggled with rebuilding and replacing I realized how much of that “stuff” that we had which we never really needed. It’s nice to, now that we are back home, live simply and be free from the clutter.
sad to lose that which you would have happily kept!
I have been doing this challenge for the last 35 days getting rid of one of the categories a day! Some of them don’t apply because I have already purged, but many of them do! This article has really made me explore what I keep, and most importantly why. I am excited to keep trucking through and see how much more I can rid of!
Other than Photos, Photography Supplies, and Artwork – I am quickly taking this article to heart and revamping my entire home!!
Thank you!
What’s a good way to reduce excessive photographs?
Probably to scan your photos onto a computer then save in a hard drive. Otherwise maybe have a family night where you take stock and each select certain # of photos to discard for good? It’s a tough answer for me too
Where does one donate old bottles of shampoo or lotions and things that are stil half full?? I feel bad throwing these out but dunno what charity would take them. Suggestions?
Same goes for condiments or vitamins that were opened once and not used, still within expiration date…
Thanks!
Throw them out. I know you don’t want to waste them but it’s similar to giving someone a half-eaten sandwich. I know I sure would not want any of those items once they’ve been opened/used.
I know this may sound odd but I for shampoos, lotions, and the like I’ve had people pay .50-1.00 for those at yard sales. I didn’t think anyone would buy them but they did.
Or put out a “free” box (at lawn sale…or a friend or family members lawn sale). People will use it!
Shampoo, hair products, body washes etc… donate to shelters. Women & children will pick what they need & its a plus for the shelter.
Woman’s’ shelter loves shampoo, etc.; local mission, S. Army.
use them to clean the stool. I got the idea from the flylady. I used the ones I became allergic to.
I place contents down the drain, rinse and recycle bottles.
call your local women’s shelter or homeless mission/hostel. Lots of people, travellers and such, coming through would appreciate it.
What I’ve been doing for this month is that on the 1st I give away, sell or throw out 1 item. On the 2nd; 2 items. On the 3rd; 3 items, and so on until the end of the month. By the 31st I’ll have gotten rid of 495 things. I started identifying Items the last week of the previous month so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed on any day. I also post my daily purge on my facebook page just so I honour my commitment and also I find that it holds me accountable.
I have been de cluttering my home for 6 months .
17 car loads to donate to savers and goodwill .
Some tips I have , stuffed animals can be donated to the fire station . They give them to kids that have been in accidents or fires .
Also getting your kids involved in cleaning out their rooms .
Kim, that is a great idea! My Goodwill told me that they are overflowing with stuffed animals and would probably be discarded. I love the idea that they can go somewhere to bring joy to a child especially in a traumatic situation. Thanks!
I loved how in the midst of reading therunning list of things that can be reduced, I came across “army men”. Made me smile.
Craft supplies? Are you mad? lol
Seriously, I’m an artist, so reducing my craft supplies isn’t a priority. ;) That said, I have been cleaning out to try and become more focused on what I do.
Good list.
I had the same idea. I would never get rid off craft supplies, nor books. The rest I totally agree. You can add (plastic) bags!
Funnily, the first thing to do to start getting rid of unwanted stuff is buying a book ;)
I use the public library. :)
I use the public library. :)
I donated over 800 books to a used bookstore.
My soup pot is my stock pot is my crock pot is my mixing bowl.
The tupperware we have is used for freezing, taking lunch to work and storing leftovers. If it doesn’t fulfill its intended purpose it goes.
Old batteries are collected and disposed of in the supermarket.
We don’t own a car.
Last year I just replaced all my 10 year old underwear with new ones. 3old for 1new.
We don’t have any medicines.
Others can go after we are dead.
Love this list one so many levels. We’re moving in a few months so all the more incentive for us to rid of things we don’t need and only bring purposeful items we love and need in our new space.
Just donated 125 cookbooks!! The purge was uplifting and now I’m inspired to do more. Any ideas for motivating a not-so-enthusiastic partner?