MINIMALIST LIVING

[nicola_juliano]

Minsan, I realized mahirap din mag-minimalist living lalo na may mga kasama ka sa house like your mom and dad who usually buy stuff na hindi naman talaga kailangan. Buti na lang, may aunt ako na kasama sa house na minimalist person since I was a child. I guess sa kanya ko nakuha yung pagiging simple at hindi maluho. Yung tipong paper bag na ginagamit ko sa school dati for my books, ginawa nya yun by using not needed na mga cartons o box na pwede nang itapon. Siguro we could match na din MINIMALIST LIVING to being resourceful. It's a good way to cut costs too and live simple life.

[j.adore]

How do you balance this with living a good life? As in not excessive naman but just going for quality.

Pag yung basics at home like refrigerator for food, you'll say minimalist kung mura at maliit or wala at all?
Or am I confusing it with being thrifty?

[melmedrano]

Good question sis j.adore... How do I balance minimalism with living a good life. Paano nga ba?! Here's how we do it... or at least we think we're doing it:

Example:
TV - we have one TV Set (37 inch ata yun na SONY), it comes with dvd player and home theater. Yun ang pinakamahal naming binili nung nag move-in kami sa bahay namin nung 2011... well it's my hubby's choice. Satisfied naman kami sa purchae namin but then napansin namin yung dvdplayer at home theater di namin nagagamit (kasi ginawa na rin ni hubby na monitor ng PC yung TV kaya live streaming na lang kami sa net). So we gave the dvd player and home theater sa sister ko early last year, kasi sila magagamit nila. :-)

Clothes - my sister (from Canada) periodically sends us a balikbayan box... ang pang fill nya mga blouse, light jacket, skirt, pants para sa amin... kaya di na kami masyado bumibili ng damit... since wala naman kaming dresscode sa office, kung ano ipadala nya na kasya sa akin yun na ginagamit ko... tapos pagdating nung next na padala... papamigay ko na yung mga nasuot ko na from previous. Kung kailan na lang kailangan bumili ng damit (pag may a-attendan na gathering or pag mag b-beach), saka na lang ako bumibili ng damit ko.

Bag - lagi talaga akong isang bag lang eversince, pag luma/sira na, palit na... until recently lang na pinapadalhan kami ng sister ko. Ako na lang ang nagsasabi sa kanya na wag na magpadala ng bag kasi marami na, dish washing liquid na lang. Hehe! :-)

Sa tingin ko it's more of maximizing the use of the things you own... whether mura lang or mahal yan basta nagagamit/napapakinabangan ok yan... wag lang yung white elephant lang sya sa bahay/cabinet. :-)

[patriciaheart]

Sa tingin ko it's more of maximizing the use of the things you own... whether mura lang or mahal yan basta nagagamit/napapakinabangan ok yan... wag lang yung white elephant lang sya sa bahay/cabinet. :-)

ayan tumpak! maximize the use to minimize clutter.

[ikaela]

For keeping a balance: it was mentioned here in the early pages, about not depriving yourself and maintaining your levels of comfort. Basically, it's just using what you need and having enough. I also like to add that it doesn't put unnecessary strain on the environment. It also comes with reconditioning your mind on what is "enough" for you. Syempre, in minimalist living, the less you need, the better.

[princess jaz]

You can donate your books to Hernando Guanlao's street public library in Makati (1454 Balagtas St., Barangay La Paz, Makati City). That's what my mom did when she downsized her home that used to be full of books.

http://m.bbc.com/news/magazine-19547365

Thank you for this.  Sis kim, paano systema nila? Dalahin ko lang directly yung mga books dun? 

On topic:  Having enough.  Also, distinguish the difference between wants and needs.  Minsan kase, may tendency ako na bumili ng things na gusto ko, not necessarily kailangan ko talaga. At the end of the day, nasasayang lang kase di nagagamit at inaalikabok. I'm  still struggling for a minimalist living, but I'm slowly getting there.

[pret_ty68]

Minimalist living does not mean depriving yourself, it is about simplifying your life.

[Annie M.]

Thank you for this.  Sis kim, paano systema nila? Dalahin ko lang directly yung mga books dun? 

Yes, just bring it there. Naka-donate nako dito. Iiwan mo lang dun then you sign the log book of donors

[lonelymiss28]

one way din na i realized is to stick to a certain brand that works for you example shampoo and conditioner, yung brand lang na talagang gusto mo it doesn't matter kung magkano kasi ang nangyayari we tend to buy different brands then ang dami na pala natin like for me i have 5 years worth of shampoo, conditoner, sa cabinet namin so i am thinking of sending yung mga di ko talaga gusto sa pinas, same thing with make-up and skin care.
when irt comes to dressing naman find your style and stick with it let's say you don't wear dress often then don't buy them even if its on sale and maganda kasi tendecy is di mo naman isusuot. and for jeans naman which we all have stick to a brand/ cut/ style that looks good on you kahit mahal at least it will look good on you. same goes for a lot of things.

[chubbycheeks]

^ agree. Stick to what works for you para hindi bili ng bili just to try trends. I have clothes na 5 years ko na ginagamit and they still look new. I guess i stick to classics din and take care of my things for longevity.

[loveleah]

Thanks naman sa thread na 'to. I only tend to be on minimalist when Money's almost gone na, like pag paubos na ang sweldo ayun! Doon na lakabas ang mga spend-thrift ideas ko and mang hihinayang na naman ako bat gumi give in ako sa luho . I should live below or within my means na. i know iy won't be easy but I'm getting there!

[richnskinny]

something i found on the net. hope this helps.

Here are 37 things that you probably have in your home that you can easily get rid of (recycle, trash, donate, whatever works) without a second thought.
      The near-empty ice cream carton in the freezer
      The extra packet of buttons that came with a cardigan that you've since donated
      Stained t-shirts you've had since college
      The ratty towel you've been using in lieu of a bath mat
      Holiday cards
      The treasure trove of plastic grocery bags under your sink
      Unidentified foil-wrapped things in your fridge or freezer
      2013's calendar
      Promotional mugs or glasses that came free with a meal
      Piles of ticket stubs, old transit passes, etc., to concerts, movies and places you don't really remember going to in the first place
      Any receipts that have accumulated in your pockets or purse (unless it's something you'll need come tax time)
      All the stacks of magazines you haven't touched in months
      Expired coupons/savings passes
      Any envelope that you've kept only because you needed to remember the address (just add it to your phone/contacts list)
      All the half-scrawled lists, notes and post-its reminding you of things you have no idea about
      Old invitations for things not involving treasured family members or friends
      Anything you've agreed to take from your parents' house solely out of guilt
      Hobby supplies for hobbies you've given up on (donate it)
      Journals, notebooks and other writing pads you've used maybe twice and then given up on
      Old textbooks
      Paperback novels that didn't change your life
      VHS tapes, cassettes and DVDs that did not change your life/entertain you
      Printed recipes you tried, didn't like and saved anyway
      Expired medicines
      Office supplies you never use, such as pens that no longer work
      Cheap accessories which have since become a tangled mess of tackiness
      Any plastic storage container that doesn't have a lid
      Empty coffee canisters
      Old batteries
      Instruction manuals for appliances you know how to use
      Near-empty booze bottles containing one pathetic shot
      Tea that's more than a few months' old -- you don't need to drink steeped dust
      Party favors from weddings (people really should stop with those)
      Miscellaneous cables, cords and wires (just make an attempt to match them first)
      Discount/shopper loyalty cards to places you don't even shop at anymore
      The weird secret stash of chopsticks acquired from all those times the sushi place thought you were ordering for 4 people, not 1
      The stash of duck sauce, ketchup, hot mustard and soy sauce packets

[gentai_chan]

Count me in here , I practice minimalist lifestyle na din and started decluttering mga kung anik anik na nakita ko. Surprisingly ang dami ngang di kailangan and nappreciate ko yung space na na-ooccupy nung mga yun. Im learning a lot from here hehe..

[duchessxspeaks]

really good thread!

SO recently told me about the things he needs in life. Simple lang..a job, a few close friends and someone to love and see the world with.

We don't even realize the "junk" we hang on to sometimes -- people,  things,  memories. I even have receipts that have been in my wallet for so long, you cant even read them hehe

[chubbycheeks]

I've been using OLX to get rid of stuff I'm no longer using. Masarap ang feeling of decluttering.

[jelliebean28]

Mahilig ako sa clothes, books, bags and shoes. Everytime na may magustuhan ako sa shop/mall na things, tititigan ko muna sya tapos kapag aktong bibilhin ko na, bigla kong bibitawan at sasabihing "Meron pa naman akong bag/damit/shoes eh." or "Hindi pa naman sira yung bag ko." Si bf nasanay na, sa tinagal tagal namin magwindow shopping, di rin naman pala ako bibili! Hahaha. May friend naman ako tinatawag akong kuripot, kasi daw sa tuwing maubusan ako ng hawak na pera, yung minimum amount winiwithdraw ko, sabi ko kung pwede nga lang 50 pesos iwithdraw eh! Hahaha. Ayun nahawa na rin sa pagka kuripot ko.

[Annie M.]

Yes, kuripot, killjoy, Debbie Downer -- natawag na ako lahat niyan. Kesho ayaw ko magpa-print ng tarpaulin for a children's party kasi basura lang yun after (and sorry, ang tacky i-display sa bahay): "no fun" na ako. I didn't want to give straws with drinks because they're such a wasteful, single-use plastic item that stay forever in landfills: ang kuripot ko naman and I don't think of the customers daw. And like I posted before, ayaw ko tumanggap ng mga used things ng in-laws ko because I really don't have use for their clutter: ingrata na ako.

Anubah, stop with the stuff. There's just so much STUFF.

hahaha, relate na relate ako! 

[be_Jenuine]

Ako may alam ko pag kailangan ba or splurge lang kahit unang tingin pa lang. I also keep in mind ang kailangan sa hindi gaanong kailangan or may cheaper alternative

Parati ako nasasabihan na kuripot kasi hindi ako nanlilibre. Why should I? We're all trying to make a living and it's not like I have money to just spread around.

Ayaw ko ding nanlilibre because first sayang sa pera at pinaghirapan ko yun so parang feeling ko sinasayang ko lang kinikita ko dun hehe

[rae]

How do you balance this with living a good life? As in not excessive naman but just going for quality.

Pag yung basics at home like refrigerator for food, you'll say minimalist kung mura at maliit or wala at all?
Or am I confusing it with being thrifty?

Naisip ko din to recently. Iba yung frugal sa "cheap". Lagi akong bumili nung mga tig 2 for php399 na sapatos sa sm. Lagi nasisira. Pinapagalitan ako ng asawa ko, dapat daw bumili na lang ako ng good quality loafers sa pabder or sebago. Tutal di naman ako gumagamit ng madaming shoes at a time. 1 pair of each type of shoes at a time lang ako.

[nicola_juliano]

Tama ka sis. Napansin din yan ng hubby ko dati na lagi ako bumibili ng bagong bag, kasi lagi nasisira. He suggested I should bought a bag worth 1K instead of sale items in SM which is almost 500 pesos. Tutal ganun din naman daw, I will buy another one.  I bought a 1K bag and hey, mag 6 months na sya and it is still in good condition other than the bags na binili ko na nababakbak ang bag.

Sometimes buying cheap will keep you save less and spend more. Kasi sira agad. Sometimes, same thing happens sa mga gadgets and appliances out there. So it is better to research first bago bumili lalo na at medyo malaki ang bibilhin.