Becoming Minimalist

Own less. Live more. Finding minimalism in a world of consumerism.

9 New Simple Living Blogs I Highly Recommend

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I am really quite excited about the current state and future of simplicity-focused blogs on the Internet. I have been writing about minimalism for almost 8 years now. Over that time, I have seen a lot of good writers come and a lot of good writers go.

But every couple years or so, it seems like a fresh wave of writers begins to appear on the scene. If you haven’t noticed, we’re in one right now.

Each writer offers a unique stage of life with unique circumstances and experiences. As a result, each one is able to connect with a different reader or segment of the population. And I think that’s great.

If you are looking for new inspiration, there is no doubt you will find someone on this list below whose voice resonates deeply with yours. Each blog is less than two years old and I am confident each author would welcome the opportunity to connect with like-minded readers.

Break the Twitch | Anthony Ongaro. Anthony is the Marketing Director for the bike share program in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nice Ride. He writes about observing the way we live, experimenting with our habits, and then changing to better suit our needs. He is creative and genuine. And his video posts are a welcome change of pace.

Smallish Blog | Evelyn Rennich. Evelyn and her family of six live happily in a small-ish house. She writes about their attempts to live modestly, frugally, and green. Evelyn shares beautiful details about her experience and how others can find inspiration through them.

No Sidebar | Brian Gardner. I met Brian several years ago through the introduction of a mutual friend and quickly found we have countless things in common. Since then, we’ve become good friends and he has helped me in immeasurable ways. Brian has assembled a talented team of writers for his No Sidebar Project, a collection of articles on minimalism, productivity and simple living.

Melissa Camara Wilkins | Melissa Camara Wilkins. I needed to read about 2-3 paragraphs of Melissa’s writing to fall in love. Her writing is encouraging and gentle and uplifting—but filled with powerful truth. Her and her husband are raising their six kids in a beach town in Southern California. She writes about defining your unique life and living it with purpose.

Minimal Millennial | Emily Torres. Emily recognizes that many people in her generation (and outside her generation) are dealing with debt, cluttered homes, unhealthy relationships, stressful jobs, or even just trying to figure out how to “grow up” in this ever-changing world. She writes for seekers of happiness, simplicity, health, and well-being.

Jacob Jolibois | Jacob Jolibois. As a side-note, it was Jacob’s blog that inspired this post. I already knew many of the other blogs on this list when I ran into Jacob’s. His well-designed site and helpful approach to blog posts caused me to reflect further on the current state of simplicity-focused writing. Go check it out and make room for more meaning in your life.

Frugaling | Sam Lustgarten. Sam has been blogging for just over two years on the act and art of maximizing your budget and minimizing costs. I’m a big fan of Sam. I appreciate the voice he is bringing to the personal finance world—that financial success is not just about finding more income, sometimes it is found in redefining the life we live.

Blonde on a Budget | Cait Flanders. After paying off $30,000 of debt, Cait adopted a more minimalist lifestyle, tossed 70% of her stuff and is currently in the middle of a two-year shopping ban. Her blog is actually a bit older than two years, but I still thought it deserved mention.  She’s funny, sharp, thoughtful, and lives in Canada (how could it get any better?).

Simple… Not Plain | Janie Baran. What I appreciate about Janie is that her posts contain detailed thoughts on implementing minimalism. She has written about her own personal routine in wardrobe, beauty, laundry, and decluttering. Her writing is not merely inspiration, but also instruction. Whether a reader implements everything she writes or not, just hearing how somebody else incorporates these principles is helpful.

These lists are hard. And even though I spend a considerable amount of time finding simplicity-focused writing online, I admit my scope is limited. Almost without a doubt I have missed blogs that should be included in the list above.

Use the comment section to spread the word about even more new blogs focused on simplicity or minimalism. It can be yours or someone else’s. Include the blog name, one link, and a 2-3 sentence description. Thanks.

Joshua Becker

About Joshua Becker

Writer. Inspiring others to live more by owning less.
WSJ Bestselling author of The More of Less.

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Comments

  1. Thanks for more much needed information in my quest for a simpler life style. I have a newborn blog that I have just released to the world. No one has looked at it lol. I am shy & nervous about putting myself out there….but I need to push beyond if I hope to accomplish what I wish. My blog is really pretty random but the gist of it is to live & help others live a more gentle, peaceful life. It is based on my observations & experiences in this life. If even one person can be comforted, helped or grow because of it I will be successful. Please check it out at: https://compassofmyheart.wordpress.com (constructive criticism & guidance appreciated)

  2. Thanks so much for the mention! I feel honored to be on your list. Your blog has been an incredible encouragement and motivation for me along the journey towards a simple, yet full and meaningful life.

    • FYI- The link provided for Janie’s blog will not pull up the blog, same with copy/pasting into the address bar.

    • I’ve just checked out your blog and it’s wonderful! I’ll certainly be sharing some of your posts with my local community as your instructional approach seems to just hit the nail on the head!

  3. Great list, thanks! Our blog is just sharing what we do, which is pretty simple. We’re a nomadic family of 5 living in an RV for the past 5 years (with no end in sight). We’re RVsteading when we feel like it and traveling when we don’t. http://www.lundy5.com

  4. Thanks for sharing these, Joshua. Some I’d clicked through before; and others are new to me. But with your recommendation, I just added them to my feed reader. I have a “bettering” category where you exist and others.

  5. I have not read all the comments but from those I DID read, and from your blog I feel like I am in the minority regarding embracing a more minimalistic lifestyle at an age that I will say is closer to 70 than 60. You all seem much younger. I feel that I can learn so much from you, but would also like to read blogs/blog entries from the more elderly population. Do you know any of those offhand? I also would like to know how to subscribe to Olivia’s blog which is floridalifeminimalist.wordpress.com . (I realize she is not old, but I did enjoy reading her blog)
    Thank you for all the wisdom. I am a beginner at this venture and am eager to become more fully aware.

  8. Great list! Earlier this summer, my husband and I, along with our two young daughters and a pair of Welsh Corgis, moved cross country with all of our earthly belongings tightly packed into a 6’x12′ Uhaul trailer. About a year ago, we realized that our lives were not aligned with our true values and thus began our journey toward simple, joyful living. Our move took us out of the urban core of Oklahoma City to the shores of Lake Michigan, and we are now practicing an intentional life of minimalism, pursuing our creative passions, and exploring nature daily. We are seeking a deeper contentment that abides in a simple, honest, uncomplicated life. If this speaks to you in any way, consider joining us on this journey.

  9. I was actually just looking for some more blogs, awesome.

    I’m in the midst of decluttering on and off, and I post sporadically with no real rhyme or reason, but if anyone is interested, feel free to check out my blog.

    saltwaterstars.wordpress.com

  10. I’m also a new blogger (well as of three months ago). My blog covers a wide variety of topics, some controversial and some just overall life topics. It’s a lifestyle improvement blog. I talk about happiness, living better, and becoming a better person!
    http://montanaviolist.com/

    Thank you Joshua for this list! I’ve definitely added some of these wonderful bloggers to my list. So excited to be part of this community!

    • I’m looking for a blog or minimalist website geared toward retired people. I love reading all the blogs written by young people, those with kids, millenials, but there are other challenges for older folks. Any recommendations.

  12. Joshua,

    Thank you so much for this great list. I love your blog and I know I will enjoy most of the ones you recommended just as much!

  14. Good reading; good tips. My plea to bloggers, especially in these areas, is please keep it simple. 32 or even 18 ways to x, y, or z are 28 or 15 too many. One can’t absorb, consider and try so many ideas at once, so then I either delete or your blog becomes part of my e-stuff, filed where? and maybe with a title that doesn’t give me a clue if I do try to find it again. Thank you.

  15. I blog about simplicity, de-cluttering, self-improvement, and zero-waste.

    jakisnextrightstep.blogspot.com

  16. I find it surreal that you recommend bloggers with six children. No matter how much you recycle and reuse, having six children, unless they’re adopted, is not minimalist. To me, minimalism is not just about making our own lives easier, it’s about something much bigger, and to remain silent on this feels like ignoring the elephant in the room.

    • “minimalism is not just about making our own lives easier, it’s about something much bigger…”
      I couldn’t agree more, and that is exactly why minimalism sometimes is completely compatible with a large family. Minimalism (as I understand it -I won’t attempt to universally define the term) is about finding freedom by reducing your life to what matters most to you. Some people choose to journey life alone or with a companion and no children. Some choose to journey with a family -large or small. Perhaps those six children are what really matters to someone. I would certainly assume so.
      …And, to give them a little grace, I’ve yet to see a good suggestion on how to de-clutter members of your immediate family.

      • Sdg.. you are so witty.. i really had a good laugh reading your short message.. especially this part “I’ve yet to see a good suggestion on how to de-clutter members of your immediate family”… i really couldn’t stop laughing reading it. happy wednesday !

    • The dictionary definition of minimalism is extreme spareness and simplicity. I believe you can achieve that with a 1 person or 20 person family.

    • I don’t often read comments, but in looking for inspiration I thought this post’s comments would be a good place to glean, and I stumbled on this one. I’m a Mama of seven, yes, SEVEN, children. We have a large family intentionally, all biological (though we did walk the path of adoption unsuccessfully for 3 years). Minimalism does not look the same from one person to the next. We’ll not be decluttering any of our offspring as we continue to scale back and simplify our lives. They are the absolute best thing my husband and I have ever done. I’m not a minimalist blogger by any means, so I have nothing to offer there. I love my children fiercely and am honored to parent each of them, and I must say that the elephant in this room is a rather judgmental attitude.

  18. It seems impossible in our culture to raise the issue of family size without being labeled ‘judgmental’. This is why I feel it’s the elephant in the room.

    • It was your statement – ” having six children, unless they’re adopted, is not minimalist” that I found judgmental. You’re being very critical of large families. It sounds as though you have determined the appropriate family size for minimalist living and any above that number negates minimalism. Believe me, the “issue of family size” is brought up often, usually by those who believe the number of children should be limited to an arbitrary number according to their own point of view.

      • Yes, I’m critical. I wish more people would think about the environment when deciding how many children to have. The more children we have, the more houses, roads, cars, food, water, fossil fuels, etc., we’ll need.

        I would never say to parents of large families, “you shouldn’t have had so many kids.” That would be rude (to say the least), insensitive and impractical– the kids are already here. But I did feel, and still do, that Joshua recommending bloggers who have a lot of children reflected a very individualistic view of minimalism, and I would like to see a more expansive sense of it where we think not just of reducing our personal clutter, but minimizing our impact on other species and the planet.

        I don’t pretend to be a great example, by the way. I don’t have biological children (not due to political beliefs, but for various reasons it just didn’t happen), but I fly a lot, and that’s also damaging.

  19. Of all of the blogs that I read about minimalism, this is by far my favorite. I truly enjoy everything that I read here and the spirit of the blogger.
    I appreciate the opportunity to comment about my blog:
    http://www.Myspoclife.com
    I write about minimalism and travel from the perspective of a single parent of color. I believe that the information is beneficial for many who may find themselves in this category, and also for those seeking to do something different in their family life.
    Keep up the good work!

  20. Hello! My husband and I have three children, and two of them have rare, severe medical conditions. Life is crazy! I just started a new blog to share the humorous parts of our lives as well as our thoughts and fears. I practice simple living and plan to incorporate that soon, too! http://Www.thispatchworklife.blogspot.com

  21. I love your blog, especially the weekend reads. Minimalism has changed my life so much for the better. I have saved so much money and have gotten out of credit card debt and my car is completely paid off. Right now i am working on paying off my student loans and keep a blog that i recently started called womanvsstudentloans.blogspot.com. Blogging has really kept me on track with my goals and I will never go back to how things were before I found minimalism. I hope to inspire others to work towards freedom and get of the hedonic treadmill.

  23. Minor usability comment: When posting links to external sites, can you program them to open in a different window (so I can easily get back to your blog and others you’ve linked)?

    PS. LOVE this blog. LOVE this lifestyle. LOVE this community. Thank you.

  29. Salina Christaria was born a minimalist and is passionate about the freedom that comes from owning as little as possible. Her blog posts cover a wide range of topics about living a simple, authentic and healthy life, and her vulnerability and sense of humor are truly captivating!

  31. If anyone is interested in my budgeting blog… well, here it is: stickingtomybudget.com As a new dad and homeowner, sticking to a budget has proven to be a difficult task, despite being employed and having a steady job over the years that pays well. I would love some feedback!

    Thanks guys

  32. Hello – I have started my blog less than 3 months ago called Path to Simplicity at http://linawynn.com. I usually live in Melbourne but have moved to Myanmar where I will be based for 12 months working as a volunteer.

  34. Thanks for yet more inspiration Joshua. I’ve shared numerous of your posts over the last year and ended up starting my blog a few months ago at http://www.mindfulminimalism.co.uk mainly through peer pressure but also so I can explore the links between mindfulness and minimalism. They seem, so naturally to go hand in hand.

  35. I’d like to add my new blog to your list: Two Simple Lives: living living simply and mindfully in middle life

    It arose from our ongoing experience of early retirement, a 60% decrease in income, and how to make this happen without compromising our quality of life.

  39. My husband and I started a blog a few months ago (diythegoodlife.com) to write about our most recent adventure, moving our family of 5 to the Thailand-Myanmar border to work with a community building non-profit (www.thecharisproject.org). I have several posts about how simplicity has helped to make this move possible for us.

  42. I started my blog last year when we made the decision to downsize and move into 220 sq.ft on wheels. I have been following you guys since before then and always love the content you put out! Thanks for sharing this list, always love seeing others process and journey, I blog about my minimalism and tiny living journey at http://laurenjadelately.com

  43. Love this list! If I may, I’d love to add my own baby/toddler of a blog, The Ethical Wardrobe. This year (2016) I’m doing a minimalist fashion challenge where I’m not buying anything new for my wardrobe for the year. I’m blogging about the challenge, as well as all things minimal, sustainable, slow and ethical at theethicalwardrobe.com. Would love you to check it out!

  48. Freeing up a person happens with less clutter inside, outside in their life. Living within your needs without waste is just common sense and a stress reliever for you and others that live around you!

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