I’m a minimalist. My walls aren’t white, we don’t live in a tiny house and I still have stress in my life. But I don’t have clutter, my house is easy to keep clean and it’s definitely helped our financial situation. It’s definitely been life changing but it did not solve all my problems. 😂
@wjb-wi6dt
9 ай бұрын
For me, I think the comfort was in letting go of what "minimalism" is supposed to mean, according to other people! My goals were around decreasing clutter for convenience and stress relief, but also to a lesser degree driven by budgeting and for environmental concerns. When I quit thinking I had to reorganize my life according to someone else's instructions, everything got really easy. I kept all my books because I love my little (overflowing) library. I bought coordinated bins - even though it was spending money and not the best environmental choice - because mismatched stuff feels messy to me. I'm maybe more a soft-minimalist, if I have to put a label on it. Maybe I'll keep moving toward more minimalist in the future, or maybe I've arrived at what is right for me. Either way, it' a journey. I completely agree that it isn't a solution to all problems. But it did solve some problems, and it has helped me to be more content and at peace.
@scatherall4866
8 ай бұрын
I consider myself having the goal of becoming a “cozy minimalist.” By that I mean having as little useless clutter as possible (let’s face it, decluttering is a lifelong process). But some minimalist homes I have seen are all tan, brown, gray and black. There are hardly any pictures on the walls or sculptures or dishes on display!!!!! I LOVE color-it makes me feel ALIVE!!!!! I love my beautifully bound books on some special shelves. Just SEEING them neatly resting on their built in shelves makes me happy. On some other shelves I have my favorite books from my childhood and my sons’ childhoods. It gives me great pleasure to walk past those shelves and be reminded of the cozy times we spent together long ago (they are both now about 40 years old). I also have a beautiful freestanding hutch that contains various pieces of China and sterling silver that I have inherited from members of my family. They are not hidden away in boxes but on display behind glass doors. I also have a built in hutch where I put a lot of my seasonal decorations. I like to decorate for each season and for various holidays, but my cozy minimalism has shown me that I don’t have to have more than one Rubbermaid tub full of fall/Thanksgiving decor. However, even with REALLY whittling it down, I still have EIGHT Rubbermaid tubs of JUST Xmas ornaments!!!!! But we have some special traditions related to those and we have plenty of space in our house to store them. So I guess what I am saying is that I think decluttering all the stuff that gets in the way of a better life for your family is a high priority, but not at the expense of missing out on a home with a feeling of coziness and meaning. Thanks so much, Laura, for this great video. I thought you made a lot of excellent points. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” And I think whenever we try to duplicate someone else’s lifestyle, because we think we “should” we are headed down the wrong road. Happy New to everyone-all God’s best to each of you and your family for 2024🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
@janetmcgee4525
9 ай бұрын
Good points, Laura. Going too minimal may cause more trouble and work than it is worth. Don't let the minimalists guilt trip you.
@jackieo8693
9 ай бұрын
Agreed 💯
@sandrafisher2280
9 ай бұрын
So true about the dishes and added stress and the laundry and taking away flexibility!!
@janethunt4037
9 ай бұрын
Laura - You nailed it!!!! One thing I've noticed with a certain popular minimalist, is that she has more of some things than I do: 8 bathing suits, lots of throw pillows. I wish this person would use the word Intentionalist. She is very intentional about what she keeps and gets rid of stuff often. She shops more than I do. I have 16 dinner plates in my china pattern, and they all stack neatly in the cabinet. Reducing it to fewer would be more trouble than it's worth. We actually used to have a certain dinner for years when they were all used at the same time. A minimalist would say since we aren't doing that anymore, get rid of 8. It would not make much difference in that cabinet.
@Foreverjacksgirl
9 ай бұрын
OH MY Gosh! Intentionalist! THIS is how I am. I’m not minimalist - I need 2 (or more) of the things I need but I’m not scared to throw things away that are no longer serving me or my family. Thank you @janethunt4037!
@chrisperrucci76
9 ай бұрын
"Intentionalist." YES. Thank you!
@mimiscountrycooking1607
9 ай бұрын
@@ForeverjacksgirlSounds like me❤
@pamhernandez7989
9 ай бұрын
Growing up and even now that I'm 49, my mom had a perfect, uncluttered, unused home in case anyone came over. That's hard to live up to and I don't even want to try. So thank you for telling the world to invite people over NOW and not when everything is perfect ❤
@lisakoolmees1698
9 ай бұрын
That is hard to live up to. We don't live in just a "house", we live in a "home" . Homes have comfort and conveniences . (And some clutter 😏)
@kimhouchins8653
9 ай бұрын
I grew up with that too. I used to try to live like that my whole adult .. I am 65 years old. I don't try anymore. I do the best I can despite my physical limitations. I have decluttered some of my stuff so I am happier.. isn't that what counts?
@UnadornedInIndiana
9 ай бұрын
If you only see minimalism as getting rid of things, then minimalism will only help you with your stuff issues. If you see it as being intentional about what comes in and what comes out of your life, it can be life-changing. If you take out some of the things that cause you to run around all the time, you dont need so many things to make your life "convenient". So if you like a lot of stuff and a lot of activity in your life, minimalism probably won't be for you. But for many people it is life changing. Especially for people with stuff issues. It was for me. Just like learning to organize your things and your time well can be life changing, minimizing the things and activities that you need to organize can be, too. Great video to get us thinking. Thank you.
@vivian9803
Ай бұрын
So happy to read your comment. I am a minimalist and everything you said is what minimalism is about for me. It is truly "life changing." The problem with calling out minimalism with negativity is when the term - and the lifestyle - is so narrowly defined as implying that to participate, one must become an ascetic. It isn't about that. There are no "rules," only guidelines by which you tailor the practice to fit your needs and goals. Minimalism is an individual a lifestyle as people are!
@julietannOsfan1972
9 ай бұрын
Great post. If I was in someone’s house & it was totally perfect I would feel really uncomfortable. I have a friend whose house is like that & I hate going there, as I’m scared of doing the wrong thing. These kind of people also make me feel guilty for buying new clothes. I badly need some new t.shirts & trousers but I feel guilty about it.
@RheaOllett
9 ай бұрын
I agree whole heartly about not wanting only a week's worth of clothes. I like to have a minimum 2 weeks of clothes -- for one thing that is enough to fill my washer, and I don't have to worry about doing washing every week. I don't think I could be a minimalist -- but yes decluttering is one of my goals.
@lindawoodfill503
9 ай бұрын
Great tips ! Yes I’m at the age now where I need just to declutter and change my home up . We just remodeled our bathroom and I started there . Then we hand to purchase a new washer . So we remodel our laundry area ( which is small ) and I declutter there to . I made it so it works for our life style now and going into the future retirement season of life in a few years .
@GingerMiley
9 ай бұрын
The clothes concept with my daughter 12y is that she needs less options bc she will try on a shirt and not wear it. So the clean shirt ends up in the laundry. About 25% of her laundry was clean going into the wash. So she needed a lost less options. The shirt for example was itchy so she'll never wear it. Donation bin.
@petrathomson
9 ай бұрын
Hi Laura Thankyou so much for this. It is great to have such a balanced view and a better and healthier way of looking at things rather than I must comply. Thankyou.
@lisakoolmees1698
9 ай бұрын
Laura, i am so glad I found you and your videos some how randomly one day.😊 Your content is spot on and very relevant. 😊 Thank you! Thank you! 😊
@genalipscomb2596
3 ай бұрын
I’m so happy to see this video. I was leaning to this thought. I just cleaned my walk in closet Oh my goodness!! I’m working on “hidden” areas in my home. I use the tried and true donate, trash, keep method. One outstanding “block” for me was, would someone I know want this? STOP- donate. Do not waste time calling, delivering, have them drop by. I make my self put those items in the donate box and get it out of my house. Simple, time saver and efficient.
@kathydupriest2020
9 ай бұрын
I've done the getting rid of things and it helps however I wasn't intentional about what I got rid of and now I wish I had kept some of the things I got rid of. I am going for a less cluttered look and that helps a lot.
@ArleneAdkinsZell
9 ай бұрын
AWESOME video!! Minimalism only works to 'fix' your life if you change your mindset, I follow the Minimalists not because I am one but because they promote a healthy life as opposed to a magic # of possessions.
@ShelleyAR4487
3 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful for me. I've been trying to get a handle on my paperchase for years. The sad part is when you live by yourself that means you have to do everything yourself. Make the food, clean the dishes, clean the bathrooms by the time you get through everything. Everything you have no time to do the decluttering that you want or the filing of payers. I continue to work on it however and the few friends that I have in here are very patient with me and totally understand what's going on. You are so awesome! Keep those videos coming❤
@augustasimone9323
4 ай бұрын
I agree Laura ! Many , Many thanks for this very timely video ! I have put so many things on hold waiting for that future minimalist look and I am not happy and that " Not happy " attitude has blocked the process and the journey ! My house had a basement flood summer of 2020 and we got a beautifully renovated and professionally clean basement . Unfortunately, The company stored canned food in a Pod outside that summer and that was a huge mistake and I got stuck opening and discaring the canned and jarred food that ended up in the trash. Now everything else in stuck in boxes and family health emergencies and day to day life prevented the unpacking and facing these time capsules. I want to hire a company that does Estate sales just to have them sort out all the categories of stuff on to their shelves , Then have that yard/ estate sale and donate whatever does not sell. . I feel I need the help. Great video. I agree.
@gailwilson3610
3 ай бұрын
I have a large house in TN filled with collectibles. I am in the middle of decluttering and letting the grandkids have what they want. I have a tiny house in NC on my daughters property. It was put there for many reasons. I will eventually be there full time. I like all my things and will miss them they are memories from many trips, events, etc. Taking pictures for me in not the same. So yes, since I have both I agree wih you 100% there are pro and cons.
@simplylain4893
9 ай бұрын
I got 99 problems, but clutter ain’t one of ‘em. 😅 …that’s not 100% true for me, but I’m getting there. At first I wanted to be a “minimalist” but that felt actually more stressful with kids. Then I thought, ok I want to be an “essentialist”, but if you literally only have the essential, that’s just not that fun. Now I’m thinking of myself as a peacefulist (a word I made up just now). It’s basically singing to the same toon of Marie Kondo. Knowing I have 1 box of the most precious baby clothes brings me peace in my heart. Having 5 boxes with ALL the clothes including the stained and junked up ones does NOT bring me peace, so adiós 4 boxes! All of that is to say, I 100% agree with you!
@beans4853
9 ай бұрын
That was a funny read! I'm also a mom and think minimalism isn't suitable for my family after being tempted by it. Right now I'm doing 1 in 1 out, constant declutters, and shopping very intentionally!
@catherinerosestevens4433
9 ай бұрын
I love that word, peacefulist. I moved to a smaller apartment a year ago. And I wished I had kept one extra bookcase. I couldn't visualize where it would fit. I love my books. When I need inspiration, I just go to my book case and the right book jumps out. Also I wished I had not decluttered the extra stapler. I don't always feel well and going back and forth to use the stapler is not helpful. I did keep 3 scissors and I use each one in their respective area every day.
@anadajboc
7 ай бұрын
Many people seem to miss the essence of minimalism when it comes to clothing. They fixate on the idea that having fewer clothes is an ultimate goal, but that's like not seeing the forest for the trees. Let's consider the practical aspect: if you wear one outfit per day, by the end of the week, you're still going to have 7 outfits to wash. The number of clothes you own doesn't necessarily dictate a minimalist lifestyle. Minimalism is more about valuing quality over quantity, and making intentional choices that reflect your needs and values. It's about freeing yourself from excess and the burden of possessions, not adhering to a strict count of items. So, focusing solely on the number of clothes misses the broader, more meaningful principles of minimalism.
@vivian9803
Ай бұрын
Amen! 👍
@jackieo8693
9 ай бұрын
People mostly need to rein in their buying. Then they won't have such a big job of decluttering. Plus they will have more money. I see so many people buying tons of stuff and then they use government cards to buy their food. Ridiculous.
@TheBudgetWarrior
9 ай бұрын
Minimalist buying………it’s a great practice.
@1012chart
3 ай бұрын
Great stuff Laura. So many important points. Thanks for your great content
@deboraacharrette8652
16 күн бұрын
I love my minimalist life. I want to learn meal prep.
@Bushbratz
9 ай бұрын
Thank you 😊🙏🏻♥️✨😊
@martinetmoi1
9 ай бұрын
Very clever analysis!
@sonyad7723
9 ай бұрын
I feel like the definition of minimalism is having the best amount of the items that you are actually using on a normal basis. If 12 plates and a periodic Mount WashMore (God I love that Mt WashMore! TOO FUNNY) works for this season of your life, that, IMHO, that is your best minimalistic living:) After all, I don't hear you saying that you decided to keep 100 'extra unused' plates in you pantry or basement and 4 closets of not worn clothing! Lol As a single person who happens to love cuddling up in couch corners, the couch I decided to get is HUGE (think a full-length 3-cushion couch with 2 ottomans. Although just 1 couch, can comfortably sit 6, but can lay down 2 tall adults) But bc I love cuddling up in couch corners instead of just sitting in the couch like a normal person lol, the entire couch has 4 corners!!! So anywhere that I sit I have a cuddle corner seat AND can stretch out my legs!!! (It's a C space basically) But because I use it everyday & I love it so much, I feel like it's not excessive for me personally, so still a minimalist living room! No extra chairs that I never use, no coffee table that wb unused, or too low, or not fit in the middle of the couch c-shape etc. (just 2 small end tables on either side of the couch & 1 lamp). Nothing else on the floor. To me, that's the best definition of minimalism. Get rid of the crap that we're not using on an ongoing frequent basis! :) And bc of my minimalist apartment, it's sooooo easy to maintain my cleaning routine each Monday!!!! (Even with my 2 litter boxes & through my disability!!!! I do a little bit, take a rest. Do a bit something else, rest, & repeat until everything can get completely cleaned in ONLY 1 day each week!!!! Amazingly easy!!!! My dishes/kitchen quick tidy & about a 5 minute living room reset to pick up after myself are pretty much the only things that I do daily:)
@Jill-mz8wv
9 ай бұрын
Interesting observation regarding the process of decluttering and achieving the goal is important as the end result. I never thought of it that way, yet it is true.
@lisanicholls2706
9 ай бұрын
Thanks Laura 😊
@maryarthur5471
9 ай бұрын
Love listening to what you have to say. Prefer to listen rather than read. But. . . . Could you slow down a little bit? I don’t listen as fast as I used to, 🥰😉
@jackieo8693
9 ай бұрын
You can slow down the speed. Check under the settings on the video.
@MsPepper0421
9 ай бұрын
I love this video!! I have heard so much about minimalism and at first, I thought it was a great idea. But I soon realized it's not for me. You hit on so many areas I can relate too and I'm comfortable having a clean organized home. To some people they may think I should get rid of more stuff. But my home looks good. Everything is nice and not messy. I love it thanks to you! Not cluttered!! Yay!
@GetOrganizedHQ
9 ай бұрын
Yes, I talk super fast in real life. I try to slow down on videos, but often not enough. You can slow down the speed in settings, too, which may help a lot.
@brendamarshall9650
3 ай бұрын
Go to the “gear” at the top, you can change the playback speed
@mimiscountrycooking1607
9 ай бұрын
Great tips! Thanks for sharing ❤
@vivian9803
Ай бұрын
I'll start by saying that I understand the spirit of your message - anything taken too far is detrimental. However, you are presenting a picture of minimalism that is extreme, somewhat inaccurate and rather judgmental. Minimalism is very individual. It is what you make it and the goal is to make it work for your preferences and goals. In that respect, it is similar to decluttering and organizing, just with a lot less stuff! I love being a minimalist, it has been a life improvement and as someone who is now in my mid sixties, when my time comes, my children will not be faced with a horde of junk to dispose of. Minimalism is not a good fit for everybody. It is also not "one size fits all." It is a philosophy that ultimately seeks to make one happy, better organized with less stuff to organize, clean and maintain, and reduce the stress of visual clutter and over-spending. It is not, however, a panacea for resolving all of life's problems, stresses and difficulties. Nothing is.
@rosekerr7994
9 ай бұрын
Great common sense advice!
@TheBudgetWarrior
9 ай бұрын
Keep those 12 plates and load up the dishwasher everyday. Minimalist work is my goal…….LOL
@vivian9803
Ай бұрын
"Minimalist work is my goal" - I love that and I agree! 😆We are a two-person, minimalist household. I have a set of Corelle Winter Frost dishes - 12 dinners plates, 12 salad plates, 12 bowls and 12 appetizer plates. Reason being that we prefer to let the dishwasher do the cleaning and we run it every few days. Please don't call the Minimalist Police, I am clearly in violation of the imaginary rules... 😆
@TheBudgetWarrior
Ай бұрын
@@vivian9803 Minimalist police alert!! 🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣🤣
@mitchvan2951
9 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video. My goal is to simplify my life which includes declutter, but not becoming a minimalist. For me, it needs to be a balance.
@rebeccamapes1157
9 ай бұрын
I entertain a lot so I need a lot of dishes. I don't like to use paper because of the waste involved. For my home I need a service of 12 or more. But I don't like clutter. So I keep what I need and get rid of what I don't.
@nataliek3717
9 ай бұрын
Thank you for letting me know I don't have to be perfect!!!
@kimcoburn9798
9 ай бұрын
Wise advice. The main goal being to have a home that serves you and your priorities, which will be different for each of us. There is nothing "wrong" with having more or less (dishes, clothes, books...) , rather to decide if it is helping you, live your life.
@deeztube1
9 ай бұрын
Love this, thank you for the tips!!
@kathylaflen8476
9 ай бұрын
You crack me up! I love your honesty and just being real. It seems to all come down to the individual and what one's needs are. Process is so important. Thanks for your insights!
@lisastiller1504
9 ай бұрын
very helpful ideas, thanks!
@jahneneroth191
9 ай бұрын
I love the idea of minimalism in the sense that you try to not have more than what you need. I absolutely agree with not doing things that won't serve you better, like you said, making more trouble than it's worth. I personally have found that trimming down my family's clothing has helped me stay on top of laundry better because it's not that I necessarily do it less often, but I'm less overwhelmed to do a quick smallish load of laundry from start to finish way more often than I want to do a big heaping load of laundry ever lol But that's just for my personal situation, and everybody's is going to be different.
@rosemarygrabowski5834
3 ай бұрын
Great post, Laura! I'm working on decluttering for sure, as I can see how.much easier it would be to keep the house clean if there was no clutter. However, I have no desire to be a minimalist. I heard one person on KZitem say that you only need one set of sheets for each bed---two sets at most. And I thought about when my kids were little and they both had a stomach bug: they both threw up in the night, all over their sheets and blankets . . . twice! So I had to put clean sheets on two beds in the middle of the night---twice! I'm sooo glad that I had more than one or two sets for each bed, because I really wouldn't have wanted to have to wash sheets in the middle of the night before my sick kids could lay down in their beds again. One minimalist thing I have done---and it's working really well for me---is I packed away most of the dishes, and gave each person one plate, one knife, one fork, etc. Now, let me clarify. There are only 3 of us now, and we're all adults. So even though I'm still the wife and mom, I don't feel the least bit bad about saying that each person is responsible to keep their dishes clean. Our dishwasher hasn't worked for quite a while, so I'm washing everything by hand. And it's soooo much less overwhelming to me when I walk into the kitchen and there's not a stack of plates and what seems like a drawer full of silverware all dirty and piled up waiting for me. It's one minimalist trick that works for me. I'm with you about the clothes, though: I have a chronic illness that translates into me having some days (regularly) when I can't do much of anything, so chores/tasks don't get done right away. I need to have enough clothes, bath towels, etc to cover a week or two, depending on my health. I would be completely stressed out if everyone only had 5 outfits (or whatever.) Thank you for stressing the point that each family is different, and that that's ok. Nice job!
@ashlyefloyd
9 ай бұрын
The plates is a great example!
@mmortensen5598
8 ай бұрын
When we have more clothes, the dirty clothes piles get too large and overwhelming. We have just over a week’s worth of clothes. That gives me a bit of flexibility on when I do the laundry without getting overwhelming piles of laundry to add to my to do list.
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