we enjoy entertaining and having people over to our house. we almost always have guests in our home once per week, occasionally twice per week, and sometime three times a week. with this much company, you would think that we would do a better job of keeping our house spotlessly clean. but with two small children, it’s not that easy. and just like most families, we are tidying, dusting, and vaccuming in the hours preceding the guests’ arrival hoping that none of them arrive too early.
since intentionally becoming minimalist 45 days ago, we have noticed a significant decrease in the amount of preparation time before our guests arrive. there are less things in the house that need to be relocated. there are less things that need to be cleaned or dusted, and we have a tendency to keep our house cleaner throughout the week because the clutter is more obvious in a minimalist home.
this benefit came sharply into focus over the last two test cases. 1) my mother-in-law came to stay with us for a week to watch our kids. 2) a group of strangers came over for an evening to discuss investing in our businees. in both cases, we were ready preparing the house in record time and even had time to spare before the guests arrive.
since going minimalist, we have found it easier to entertain and more enjoyable.
related posts: benefit #4 – easier to clean, full list of benefits of minimalism
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That is interesting. One of the reasons the my family doesn’t have more people over is because of the time that it takes to clean. It makes the night miserable for me. Thanks for the post.
For those minimalists who like to entertain, you may have to remind guests to bring their own eating utensils/dishes! We still haven’t entertained at mealtime yet, but we only have what we need for my family of 4 plus two if the extra plates are not needed for platters. I hope that my friends will realize our intentions are not to be rude. At least it will be a great conversation over dinner! I plan on washing for them of course before our guests leave! Any suggestions on mealtime guests in a minimalist household?
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