about us
we are a family of four living in essex, vermont. my wife and i are in our early-thirties. my son is 7 and my daughter is 3. we are a typical middle-class family (minus the dog).
after a conversation with my neighbor on memorial day 2008, we decided to become minimalist. this blog is about our journey. you can read more about the start of our journey here. this blog is about the joys and the struggles. and we’re definitely going to need your help.
you can also read more about the lessons we have learned in our book written to encourage others: simplify. 7 guiding principles to help anyone declutter their home and life.
you can contact us at becomingminimalist@gmail.com.
24 Comments
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Hi new minimalist family ~ I stumbled across your blog in my own attempts to comprehend what a minimal lifestyle means for a family of 6! Similar to your own experience, I couldn’t find a lot of information. I am dropping you a line to let you know I appreciate the Biblical aspect your blog has shared a couple of times. In my findings thusfar, most sites seem to take a new age, cosmic spititual point of view. And that is just not my lifestyle, as I believe in God and I am a Christian. My husband presented me with this idea of living because we are in the mist of losing most of our material possessions. We have really had to examine what we would “sacrafice” if we were called to do so. And what we are experiencing is that it is so much more than just “stuff”. It is a journey of sacrafic, obedience and discipline. Thank you for sharing your experiences and incorporating your faith. And thank you for allowing me to share mine.
Hey,
Flipping through blogs at wordpress brought me here. For a long time I’ve been wanting to reduce stuff in my life too. In my case it’s mostly been about reducing matter – I’d just love to increase hanging out on town in cafes and such if I could.
Anyway, I had a nice time reading about your attempts at minimalazation and decided to leave a note
Hey guys,
Nice to see you on the blogosphere. Will be following your minimalism endeavors and have already gleaned some great points and insights into things I’ve never thought of before (condiments being one of them). Godspeed on the journey and hope to see you all soon.
Hi there,
I just linked your blog to mine (be whole now) and plugged you in today’s post. Thanks for sharing your journey with the rest of us! Stop by and visit during one of your clutter-free moments.
Hi there! Stumbled across your blog and I can’t get over how similar our paths are. My husband and I have 2 kids and I have been feeling more and more of late that God is calling me to a life defined by simplicity. Not deprivation, but living on the minimum instead of the maximum!
I have spent the last 10 months de-cluttering and simplifying our home and lives. I did one round of simplifying and when I started looking at my things more critically, I realized that the first go-around was really the tip of the iceberg.
It all started rather unspiritually last Halloween.
I was schlepping to the door for trick or treaters. I was embarrased at the state of my house and thinking about Christmas and it all just came to a head internally.
The thought occurred to me – -I live in a darling little victorian house that could be the epitome of home and warmth, but it feels cramped and messy. And I knew Christmas would be here before we know it and that will mean *more* decor and clutter. Talk about missing the point and skipping the whole peace and reason for the season.
So I decided that night to start the next day removing as much clutter and reorganize so that in a few weeks when the Christmas season hit, I was going to enjoy my little house and cramming it full of peopler and things I really loved.
I worked my TAIL off and it made a huge difference in our Christmas and in my mental clutter. I started to look for things that had meaning in my stash of Christmas decor and somewhere along the process, I started to see *all* my things in a new way….I wanted to be surrounded by things I love and not by stuff I should keep. I re-thought what I wanted our living spaces to be like and how they could serve our family better. For example…while a rocking chair emotes a feeling of warmth and comfort, how practical is it when my wrestling little boy gets it in the head and floor space is at a premium?
And in the 10 months since, I have kept at it…paring down our entire house- – basement to bathroom – -every drawer and corner. I’ve taken countless overflowing car-fulls possessions to the thrift store and there isn’t a single thing I wish I’d kept. That concept has been sobering to me say the least…I had *that* much stuff that was “out of sight out of mind”. Oy…no wonder we’re consider the “haves” of the world. And I’m still finding things weekly that I can purge.
To me, this isn’t about if I have 100 things or 1000. It’s about living on the least I can. It’s about spending less time thinking about stuff and more time loving people. It’s about living in the present and not being caught up in the past or waiting for the future. It’s about seeing everything I have as a huge blessing.
Am I down to the bare minimum? Probably not, but I’m working on it. But I feel like I’ve discovered a new way of living that involves real thought and priorities and creativity. I ask myself questions now when dealing with my things…Will I really use this thing (and not just in theory!)? Is it in the most sensible place for it? Would it mean more to someone I love to have it? And most importantly “Just because I CAN buy something, does it mean I have to”?
And this desire for simplicity has spilled over to how I spend my money and my time too.
For me it’s an obedience thing. I have been given by God a huge heart for the less fortunate of the world. So how can I possibly justify being excessive and wasteful if I care about the poor?
I am really enjoying reading your blog from start to finish and thank you for your transparency. Blessings to all of us as we find explore this journey we’re on and God’s best for US.
I like this website. It is set up well. Easy to read and find things. Nice job.
Thank you so very much for taking the time to visit and your kind comment. I agree with Jana. A very nice site and filled with good intentions. Funny how the more we do without, the more room there is to fill with that which matters most. Will keep in you and yours at heart wishing for you an enlightening journey in minimalism. Much metta, two hands as one.
My journey began from forced circumstances, a divorce after having been married for 30 years. Having to downsize from a large home with 30 years of accumulated stuff was a real eyeopener! The things you thought were so valuable, you find nobody wants and most of the time it is even difficult to give it away. I realized all the stuff I had were useless collections of things I had accumulated over the years. I put the rest in storage, lived with my Dad for five years. All that stuff in storage I couldn’t even remember what was in there and had lived happily without it all for 5 years. When I finally bought a small townhome, I resolved to have only five pieces of furniture and the bare minimum of everything else. All that stuff in storage I again gave it all away b/ c it was more trouble than it was worth to try to sell it for the little amount of money I would get. Plus it was liberating to just give it away to some really happy people rather than trying to get money for it. Forget the showy suburban materialistic lifestyle!! Its more work than its worth to try and impress a bunch of people who really don’t even know who you are anyway. I am so happy owning practically nothing.
Myself, wife+babyinside, boy, and girl have been on this process of decludderization… or minimalism ourselves. We are followers of Yeshua(Jesus) and believe that we, throughout our lives must de-emphasize this world and project the world to come! An added bonus is minimalism is very beautiful and we can breathe in this kind of surrounding. I think minimalism is part of the walk with Yeshua and following his way…
Hi,
Its great to see how far you guys have come along. I have been reading your blog for quiet some time now and it is definitely inspiring. I too have been on a similar journey recently and it is so good to see that I am not alone. Your blog has inspired me to blog about my experience as well.
Good luck!
Anu
Have you read the book, The Happy Minimalist?
If you have, I would love to know your thoughts on it?
I just ordered it from Amazon, and wonder what others who are interested in Minimalism think about it.
Love your blog! I just nominated you for a blog award – Superior Scribbler.
http://becheap.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/award-winning-blogs/
i came to your site via zenhabits.net, and have been reading away happily all day. i find this place wonderful! i’ve been toying with the minimal lifestyle after finding myself homeless and living on the streets in lovely burlington, vermont. that was a few years ago, and my life has changed so much from then, but i’m still working on incorporating more lessons on minimalism into my world. this site will be a great resource to me! thanks for making this website. you are awesome. <3
I so love this blog. Nothing more to say, everything else to emulate.
Love the minimalistic lifestyle that is how we came about for our garage sale website.
Living with less is certainly the new age theme and is going to help us come out of the recession on top
Hi! Just found your blog by searching for “minimalist family”–guess I came to the right place! More photos of your minimalist life would be inspirational.
My question for you is: does minimalist always equal modern? It seems that in your blog you are saying no, minimalist can mean a way of living rather than just a design style. It seems that you do like some of the modernist minimalist designs (the wall clock?) but is it necessary to become a fan of such styles or no? Must all minimalists aspire to all-white interiors and chrome accents?
I am a minimalist at heart–although with four children, you probably couldn’t tell from my home–but my aesthetic would probably be more “practical and down to earth minimalism” rather than the formal minimalist styles you see in magazines.
@leann – good question.
for me, “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things that i most value.” and subsequently, “the removal of distractions that keep me from the things i most value.”
personally, i do prefer modern minimalist design – as you can tell from the photos and links that i have included on this blog.
but you’ve got to develop your own style of minimalism that matches who you are as a person, what you most value, and your stage of life.
Any way to follow by email? Thanks.
Hello, I was looking for a way to subscribe by email but can’t see one. minimalized out?
I’ll sub by rss for now but would prefer an email option if there is one?
Cheers!
I love your website! I’m a minimalist, too! I need nothing! I tell family and friends – don’t give me gifts- donate $ to animal shelters instead!
Honestly, I am sharing your stats with my audiences! What’s your twitter name?
I have to applaud you for understanding what so many people don’t. I found myself the happiest when after college I got my first professional position which paid well, and I devoted myself to spending the same that I was before I got the job. I have to say that I have a modest savings, great quality things in my apartment, and am able to seek a Master’s Degree with little stress. I have a question, how is your family currently interacting with media? How much tv, what form of cable or satelite, and how does that interaction pan out for you all?
I came to your site from Zen Habits today, and I am really impressed. I wish I’d had your support when my kids were younger and they would always be wanting more “stuff”, and I would always be fighting a losing battle to get the house clean and tidy! Some supporting arguments would have been useful back then…
I found myself wondering though, about the style you use in your entries. I mean the lack of capital letters for sentences, names etc. It’s not “text speak”, because your (American) English is perfect, and so it’s only a minor irritation, but why do you do it?
I have a theory that it’s a device to encourage “mindfulness”, by making it necessary for the reader to concentrate just a little harder than normal, while continuing to use language well to convey your meaning.
Am I right?
Even though I have been on a long term journey to simplify my life and possessions, I have not really explored the specific topic of minimalism.
Truthfully, my first impression of it was a bit guarded because I thought that for some people it comes from a scarcity mentality (being afraid of or opposed to wealth).
I have to say though, that I really like your definition:
“minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things that i most value.” and subsequently, “the removal of distractions that keep me from the things i most value.”
I find that definition to be healthy and refreshing. In a few short words, you summed up the primary focus of my life right now.
So apparently, I’m a minimalist. Who knew?