Becoming Minimalist » minimalist moment

this morning’s minimalist dilemma

joshua becker — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:41:32 +0000

i encountered an unexpected minimalist dilemma this morning at the dentist’s office… do i accept the roll of floss even though i still have three rolls left from my last three visits? tough call.

as you can see, i took the case. maybe i’ll take up flossing…

minimalist moment – hotel shampoo

joshua becker — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:52:57 +0000

“minimalist moment” – a moment in time when my journey to become minimalist impacted an unexpected decision.

i forget exactly why i ever thought it was a good idea to take home the hotel shampoo/conditioner/lotion. i think it was because i thought it would be good for weekend travel, which it is… but last year when i cleaned out my bathroom, i realized that i didn’t need a whole shelf full of little bottles of shampoo.

the other day when i was checking out of my hotel room, i went to grab the little bottles just like i always do. but then i remembered, i have become a minimalist… and i already have a little bottle of shampoo waiting at home for me.

it seemed like a minor victory at the moment, but it doesn’t take too many minor losses to make one major cluttered mess.

looking to minimalize your hotel shampoo collection? here are some creative ideas: recyclethis.co.uk

minimalist moment – my birthday present

joshua becker — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:33:21 +0000

i am just about to celebrate my first birthday since becoming minimalist and creating a wish list has been extra difficult this year. today, my wife surprised me with my gift: a membership to the local gym. hooray! not only will my home stay minimalist, my waistline just might become a bit more minimalist too.

minimalist moment – mcdonald’s

joshua becker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:09:49 +0000

“minimalist moment” – a moment in time when my journey to become minimalist impacted an unexpected decision.

yesterday, we were running late over the noon hour and i decided that it would save us some time to pick-up mcdonald’s for lunch instead of making something at home. i sent the family on ahead and went through the drive-thru. while in line, i remembered my complaints about happy meal toys (you can read about them here). at that point, i decided to try a small minimalist experiment: order the happy meal food without the toy. after all, it was cheaper to buy the food items individually anyway.

driving home with food in hand minus the happy meal toy, i was interested to see how it was going to go down with the 6-year old and 2-year old.

they jumped for joy when i walked in the door with a mcdonald’s bag and quickly ran to the table. we enjoyed our food. so much so, that i actually forgot about my experiment. that was, until my oldest asked me, “did you bring a toy for me?” at that point, my younger daughter remembered as well and said, “yeah, toy.”

i turned to my son and told him that i didn’t bring home a toy because i didn’t buy a happy meal, i bought the food separately. “oh, that’s okay, ” he responded. i was glad he approved.

however, my girl wasn’t quite satisfied with the answer and asked again, “my toy?” my genius wife quickly picked up a small doll on the kitchen floor (my daughter had dropped it so that she could climb on the chair), set it on the table next to her and said, “here’s a toy for you.” and my 2-year old said, “yeah. that’s a toy for me.” and that was the end of that!

i’m calling the experiment a success! no more happy meal toys when daddy is buying…

minimalist moment – the garage sale

becoming minimalist — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:26:18 +0000

“minimalist moment” – a moment in time when my journey to become minimalist impacted an unexpected decision.

this weekend while driving through my neighborhood, i noticed a large number of cars parked outside a neighbor’s home. as i drew closer, i counted 12-15 people in their driveway and the “garage sale” sign posted by the street. my initial inclination was to think, “wow, that’s a lot of people at that garage sale. it must be a good one. i should at least stop and check it out.”

at that point, my mind raced back to our decision to become minimalist. i asked myself a different question, “is there anything that i really need to add to my life?” after thinking of none, i drove past the garage sale without a second thought.

don’t get me wrong, i’m not against buying used and cheaper. but i am against buying used and cheaper just because it is used and cheaper.

minimalist moment – the ballpark

becoming minimalist — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:53:57 +0000

“minimalist moment” – a moment in time when my journey to become minimalist impacted an unexpected decision.

over labor day weekend, some friends and i went to see a couple baseball games at a major league stadium. as is my custom, i ordered a large soda and hot dog (with mustard and onions please). the large soda came in a souvenir plastic cup commemorating the final season at this particular stadium. as i received the plastic cup, i couldn’t help but think of the dozens of souvenirs cups that i had collected since my childhood at different sporting venues across the country – the exact same cups that i had discarded weeks ago when minimalizing my kitchen cabinet.

my specific minimalist moment came as the ninth inning came to a close and we stood up to leave. my buddy grabbed his souvenir cup to take home. i left mine on the stadium floor – it felt really good.

minimalist moment – amusement park

becoming minimalist — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:23:28 +0000

this afternoon during a trip to six flags, new england, i took a seat on a bench to wait for a friend. as i sat down, i was suprised to see two young men walk by with HUGE stuffed animals draped around their necks. they had obviously just won them at a “carnival game” and i turned to see which one. it was the basketball shot challenge… and i was immediately intrigued.

i like to think that i can hold my own on a basketball court – especially shooting a long-range jump shot. these young men didn’t look they were anything special and so i began to watch the other contestants.

$2 got you 1 shot and $5 got you 3 shots. make one basket and win a prize - a 4 foot tall stuffed puppy with the tongue hanging out. of the three current contestants, one won. at about that time, a team of 12-year old basketball players and their coaches arrived to give it a shot. when i noticed a high percentage of the players winning on one particular basket, i figured i was on to something and began reaching in my pocket to find a $5 bill thinking that my kids would love the gift!

and then i stopped. “wait a minute, i’m becoming minimalist. what am i going to do with a 4-foot tall stuffed puppy in my basement?” i asked myself. i imagined my kids thinking the puppy was pretty cute at first and then pushing it into a corner to go back to their old toys. the puppy would just sit there, lonely, taking up space in my basement.

i gripped my $5 tighter and tighter as i wrestled with the decision. and when my friend arrived, i used it to buy him some ice cream. i’m very happy with my decision.

minimalist moment – a bookstore

becoming minimalist — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:17:32 +0000

i quickly ran into border’s books the other day to purchase a book that i have been meaning to read for the past several weeks. after asking the cashier to help me find the book, she directed me to the correct section, told me exactly where to look, and informed me that “i couldn’t miss it.”

sure enough, she was right. there were 4 copies on the shelf in 2 different sizes. one was smaller and less expensive. the other was larger and cost $4 more. i had a decision to make.

picking up the smaller one, i considered the benefits: takes up less space, less trees, cheaper, and all the same info. as long as my eyes can support the smaller print, it’s an easy decision.

related posts: benefits of minimalism, book reviews

follow-up: great book, i recommend it. no wonder it’s been in print for 70 years!