How I Became A Minimalist Overnight

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minimalistIt’s a new year and the minimalist movies and blogs are all everyone is talking about. Then Lent comes and the 40 days / 40 trash bags meme and groups pop up. Everyone says take baby steps and do it gradually.

Well at the end of 2013, I moved from a 1500 sq ft 3 bed / 2 bath 3 story townhome and moved into a 141 sq ft tiny home on wheels. It was not something that I dreamed about or got to plan and then do it. It was because plan A- Y failed. So plan Z was move in there and beat the rain. I had to purge everything. I put a lot in boxes to deal with later. But I made a plan of what was “important” and Salvation Army picked up the rest. I became a minimalist.

What I kept:

My clothes:

1 pair of pants
1 pair of shorts
8 underwear
8 pairs of socks
8 bras
4 long sleeve shirts
4 short sleeve shirts
1 dressy outfit that was a black pair of pants, with a matching short skirt, with a matching black jacket
4 tank top blouses with matching cardigans
1 black cocktail dress
1 pair of winter gloves
1 winter beanie hat
1 scarf
4 pairs of shoes (1 black flats dressy, 1 flipflop, 1 tennis shoes, 1 pair of mid-calf boots)
1 winter coat
1 bathing suit

Linens:

2 sheet sets
4 bath towels
2 hand towels
4 wash cloths
2 blankets

Kitchen items:

2 dinner plates
2 cereal bowls
2 large water glasses
4 coffee mugs
4 forks / 4 spoons / butter knives
1 crock pot
1 set of pyrex and matching lids
1 toaster oven
2 instant pots (i got those towards the end of being in my tiny home)

My then 5 yr old daughter:

1 pair of jeans
1 pair of shorts
8 underwear
8 pairs of socks
4 leggings
4 long sleeve shirt
4 short sleeve shirt
1 winter coat
1 hoodie jacket
1 dressy dress for church
1 pair of tights
3 pairs of shoes (1 dressy, 1 flipflop, 1 every day)
1 bathing suit

Books:

We each got to keep 10

Toys:

2 board games
1 deck of cards
3 puzzles (they were about 500 pieces each)
Some Shopkins, 2 barbies, 2 ponies
20 stuffed animals

I kept pictures, winter clothes, and anything extra in a 5×5 storage unit that I paid $40 a month for.

Being a minimalist is different for everyone.

I kept the basics because that’s all we needed. On a typical week I did 1 load of laundry and 30 mins to vacuum & mop, clean the bathroom and the kitchen. My expenses were very low living in the tiny home and only doing laundry once a week (sometimes once every 2 weeks) allowing us more time to read, play games, be outdoors and watch movies.

What about all my other stuff, did I miss it?

Yes, I missed pots and pans, but then I didn’t miss washing them. I had a small mini fridge so I only bought a few things at the store every couple of days. No more going to Costco or Target and saved hundreds of dollars each month.

What about my jewelry?

At first, I had everything in ziplock bags, but then I didn’t see it so I didn’t wear it. After living there for a year I bought a wooden spoon holder, and I hung my necklaces on it. I really went through it, and only kept what I needed. I hadn’t worn some of it in months. So it was time for it to be given to another person to enjoy.

What about movies/CDs?

I got a zippered case (they run about $20 from Wal-Mart) and I put mine in alphabetical order into the zippered case and threw away the cases. Now we have 2 zippered cases, one for only kids movies and CDs  and one for the rest of our movies.

Want to know more? Ask me anything! I’d love to help you become a minimalist!