Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.
The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.
For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.
The Top 7 Reasons Why People Become Minimalists | Abundant Life with Less by Rachelle Crawford. I questioned real, live minimalists to learn exactly why people become minimalists. Here is what I uncovered…
Men Spend More on Impulse Buys than Women. Here are 6 Ways to Break the Habit | CNBC by Beth Braverman. Women may get the rap as frivolous spenders, but it turns out that men are just as likely as women to make impulse buys—and spend more when they do.
How I Ditched Massive Student Loan Debt: ‘I Just Pretended I Didn’t Have Money’ | USA Today by Bev O’Shea. I wanted to get out of debt almost as soon as I got in. I knew that being in debt limited choices, and that it was temporary.
Minimalism Isn’t All or Nothing | Treehugger by Katherine Martinko. It’s OK to be a partial or ‘selective’ minimalist, if you wish.
6 Steps to Declutter Your Kitchen | Joshua Becker on YouTube.
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Raven says
I never leave negative comments here, but the article on getting out of debt is really not representative of the vast majority of people’s financial situations. Of course you can get out of debt with just some self restraint if you make that much money. A lot of students’ problem is that they get a degree, have difficulty finding a job (in their field or otherwise), and have this massive debt cutting into what little they do have to live on.
I worked for 8 years (roughly 13k a year, and not for lack of trying) and threw everything I could – the monthly payment or more, my tax refunds – at my measly $5500 total in student loans, from one year of a school career that thank God I didn’t complete, and still wouldn’t have paid it off for a very long time if not for my parents bailing me out of the rest of it when I got pregnant. Spending less than you earn is great advice, but this story imo comes from a place of oblivious privilege.
Dee Nowak says
Such great reads, thank you! I’m always finding great new websites and blogs to read thanks to you.
Eric Owens says
Great article choices. Thanks for sharing. :)