Becoming Minimalist » 7 things

7 things – your refrigerator

joshua becker — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:35:01 +0000

“7 things” is an ongoing series here at becoming minimalist where we identify 7 things in your home that can be minimalized today. you can see the full list here.

here is a list of 7 things that can be minimalized from your refrigerator:

anything old or expired (that’s an easy one).
condiments (did you know the shelf life of opened ketchup is ony 6 months?).
portion-size packets of sauce from restaurants.
leftovers (eat them for dinner tonight).
non see-through containers (i got mad when my wife brought these home.. now it’s the only thing i’ll use).
anything on the top of your fridge that’s not dust.
spills (a sponge with soap makes the whole fridge experience better).

another helpful hint: the most clutter-prone spot in your refrigerator is its door. but you should limit the weight you put on your refrigerator door so that there will be less wear and tear on it. too many people make the mistake of dumping everything on the door compartments.

7 things – christmas decorations

joshua becker — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:23:51 +0000

“7 things” is an ongoing series here at becoming minimalist where we identify7 things in your home that can be minimalized today. you can see the full list here.

now that the holidays are over, we offer 7 christmas decorations that can be minimalized:

anything large and inflatable in your front yard.
icicle light strings (they are just not that neat anymore).
any nutcrackers over the number of 2 (at some point they just get a little creepy).
this wreath.
those holiday cds you know longer listen to.
christmas window clings.
anything you didn’t put up this year (if you couldn’t find a place for it this year, you’re not going to use it next year).

we took number 7 to heart this year and finally ridded our storage room of christmas decorations that we know longer use.

7 things – your purse

joshua becker — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:59:09 +0000

“7 things” is an ongoing series here at becoming minimalist where we identify7 things in each room of your house that could be minimalized today. you can see the full list here.

today, we offer 7 things that can be minimalized from your purse:

gum wrappers
barrets / hair clips / ponytail holders
used kleenex
extra make-up / lipstick
receipts
coupons
pens

honorable mention:

extra keys
pacifiers
crayons
stickers/toys

7 things – your diet

joshua becker — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:29:09 +0000

“7 things” is an ongoing series here at becoming minimalist where we identify7 things in each room of your house that could be minimalized today. you can see the full list here.

loosely based on our series, we offer 7 things that could be minimalized from your diet:

soda/fruit drinks – the number one source of calories in the american diet. drink to quench thirst, not hunger.
fast food – save your waistline, arteries, and checkbook balance.
sodium/salt – the average american consumes twice as much sodium as recommended.
caffeine.
sugar.
white bread.
processed foods.

honorable mention:

hamburger helper
tuna helper
chicken helper

7 things – the toy room

joshua becker — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:19:54 +0000

here are 7 things that could be minimalized in your toy room today:

games/puzzles with missing pieces
army men
video game equipment
balls
cars/trucks
toy musical instruments
stuffed animals

honorable mention

happy meal toys
plastic animals
dolls/miscellaneous
guns

7 things – the storage room

joshua becker — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:22:01 +0000

here is a list of seven things that can be minimalized in your storage room/basement/attic today:

old seasonal decorations (esp. christmas)
old sporting equipment
unused wedding gifts
baby clothes/supplies
cardboard boxes
old schoolbooks/papers
household decor items

other rooms:

7 things – board games

joshua becker — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:59:37 +0000

in the spirit of our always-popular “7 things” category, i offer 7 board games in your home that you’ll never play again and should be minimalized today. the extra space in your closet will thank you.

jenga (fun while it lasted – that one christmas back in 1991)
pictionary (win, lose, or draw went off the air decades ago)
battleship (was only great when your kid was 9)
chess/checkers (at least the boards that are missing pieces)
backgammon (i don’t remember the rules anymore either)
operation (it’s still too annoying for everyone else in the room)
monopoly (the elvis presley or nascar edition)

any board games you would like to add to the list?

7 things – the garage

joshua becker — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:00:31 +0000

here is a list of seven things that can be minimalized in your garage today (or this weekend if you prefer).

sporting good supplies
aluminum cans / glass bottles (take them to the redemption center, free up space and get paid)
automobile fluids (be sure to dispose of properly)
scrap pieces of wood
children’s outdoor toys
dirt/leaves (grab a broom. a clean garage floor is a wonderful feeling)
lawn and garden tools
your automobile (less or smaller – probably takes more than a day but is still worth the effort if your lifestyle accomodates it)

honorable mention:

empty boxes
plant containers
tools

remember – if you live in an area where winter is approaching like me, now is the time to minimalize the garage before the air gets chilly and the snow starts flying.

7 things – the junk drawer

becoming minimalist — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:15:11 +0000

a quick project for you to tackle today, you’ll be glad you did. here are 7 things that can be minimalized from your junk drawer in one hour or less:

pens/pencils
old batteries (you know you’re never going to use them)
keys (if you don’t know what they open, they don’t open anything)
scissors/tape/paper clips/rubber bands (does that count as one item?)
tools/hardware (keep one philips screwdriver, that’s it – put the rest away)
coins/receipts
phone books (i hope i’m not the only one with more than one phonebook in my drawer…)

is there anything you would like to add to this list that should be minimalized from your junk drawer?

7 things – the office

becoming minimalist — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:49:43 +0000

here are 7 things that can be minimalized in your office (home or away) today:

paper files – if you can, scan them to your computer. if not, sort and file.
bulletin board items – you’ve needed to declutter that for months anyway.
wall decorations – just keep 1 or 2 accent pieces (and maybe a clock)
physical desktop items – find a home out of sight for your stapler, tape, and paper clips.
computer desktop icons – remove unneccesary icons (or hide all of them)
your desk drawer – you know the one i’m talking about…
books – if you don’t use them, get rid of them.

honorable mention: pens/pencils