MINIMALIST LIVING

[Annie M.]

^we live in a condo and don't decorate for christmas. yung admin ng building namin puts up some decor sa public areas, and some of our neighbors hang wreaths on their doors, so festive na rin ang feeling namin as we walk towards our unit. haha

[hisana]

So true about condos. Minsan even a 1-bedroom is exacto lang sa dalawang tao. Kaya nacucurious ako dun sa mga apat sila sa isang studio or 1-bedroom. Damit pa lang, saan na ilalagay. Buti hindi sila nagaaway-away. Naisip ko lang naman, haha.

[hedonista]

I have not finished reading this thread but I come across one pin on pinterest that lead me to researching and being interested in minimalist living. Nicodemus and the other guy. They have a blog and I watched Ted Talk. Come to think of it, 2 years ago, I tried to follow KonMari method and I didnt know that it was leaning towards minimalist living.
I do not know if I can but I tried to declutter one small space at a time. It is so hard for me. even my bag is so heavy full of stiff I dont really use on my 9 hour job. I just want them handy like my cosmetics etc.

[fionaapple]

To be honest it sometimes COSTS MORE to live a minimalist life. Why? Because you don't keep anything even if it might serve a purpose in a few years to come. I.e. giving away all your baby's stuff only to have another kid and buy everything all over again.

It costs more, because you have to buy higher quality items. No more cheapie clothes (I am looking at you H&M!) you wear 2x and look really ugly already. You need like a "capsule wardrobe" with  very high quality pieces.

I agree with you, Chili1113, on a minimalist life being more costly.

[cosmochick]

I tried doing this I think 2 years ago. I was so inspired by it that I gave away most of my clothes and stuff only to end up regretting it. Why did I ever give those ZARA /Promod dresses/ blouses away?? I used them only once or twice!! pinopokpok ko sarili ko till now. Kainis.

I have a lot of stuff I admit and I do clean up my closet  2x a year to give to charities. But this minimalist thing, I don't think I can do this. not for me. I don't keep useless things anyway and I'm not the sentimental type who keep old letters and stuff. I'm just a self confessed hoarder when I really want something, I buy tons of it. Like if I find a jeans or blouse that I like, I buy 3 of it. I'm not content to have one perfume, one bag , one lipstick, one anything... kahit body wash ko, I have a lot.

I do admire those people though who can do this. I find them really simple and content with what they have. I wish I can be like them. But at least I tried, right?

[Annie M.]

I do admire those people though who can do this. I find them really simple and content with what they have. I wish I can be like them. But at least I tried, right?

baliktad tayo, sis.  ako naman, talagang suited sa personality ko yung minimalism. it takes the stress of having to make decisions off my shoulders.

halimbawa, i wear a "uniform" of blacks, whites, and grays, so all my clothes go together, which means di na ako mag-iisip sa umaga anong susuutin kasi kahit anong makuha ko na combination will work. pati bags/shoes ko tend to be in this color palette. this seems boring for others, but this really works for me.  i have to make a lot of decisions at work everyday, so pagdating sa bahay/personal na buhay i just want to simplify. ayoko na mag-isip. tamad much. 

[hedonista]

@cosmochick

I'm just a self confessed hoarder when I really want something, I buy tons of it. Like if I find a jeans or blouse that I like, I buy 3 of it. I'm not content to have one perfume, one bag , one lipstick, one anything... kahit body wash ko, I have a lot.

I do admire those people though who can do this. I find them really simple and content with what they have. I wish I can be like them. But at least I tried, right?

At least di pala ako nag iisa I am also a hoarder and get more than I need of the same kind of or different color of the same thing the fear of not being able to get it again because it wont be available is real HA HA well if i really do like the product Id hoard

GOOD JOB pa din to us sis at least we tried and we clean closet naman Im planning to give away old shoes and clothes that would not fit anymore

[bluebeads]

To be honest it sometimes COSTS MORE to live a minimalist life. Why? Because you don't keep anything even if it might serve a purpose in a few years to come.

I'd have to agree.  Sometimes the things we declare as "tambak or clutter lang" and we give away, darating bigla yung time na we need it pala.  Tapos you'll end up buying na mahal na at that point.

I guess the key here is to be smart on where we put our money.
I'd rather invest on an expensive item that would last for a long time, rather than marami pero mura at masasayang lang.

[twinbee]

i can say na im improving...
less clutter na sa house namin.. ill make it sure na everyday meron ako mag dispose na gamit.. either throw or give.. yung give items ko, mag post lang ako sa fb ko, solve na agad...
madami akong back issues of yes, good housekeeping, entrepreneurs, food magazines..
pero yung kerygma magazines ko, nakapag usap na ako sa kapitan namin
kung pwedeng ibigay sa city jail pwede naman daw.. so turn over or baka sumama ako sa kanila for a monthly visit sa kanila

next project ko, mag pintura ng nangungupas na gamit from gate to wall to cabinets..

gagawa din ako diy headboard suited for our bed..

[lovemeagain30]

In other countries, HOARDING could already considered as mental/psychological illness. You can try to watch in youtube Hoarding Buried alive US version and also Hoarders show from UK. This kind of impulsive hoarding affects the people involved and the people surrounding them like their spouses and children. Extreme cases nga lang ang pinapakita ng show but there is a hoarder in each of us.

I started minimalism November of last year. We were planning to move to a 2 bedroom flat when we started to pack our things for our 2 kids. Dun ko na realize sobrang dami ng aming gamit kasi 3 weeks na hindi parin ako matapos tapos! what i did?? tinopak ako and I purged 80% of our clothes --- ruthlessly! yeah! sabi ko sarili ko kung naiistress nako sa  pag iimpake, what more pag lipat namin sa bagong bahay, ano aayusin ko ulit ang mga kalat na to?? No way! I purged most of our things, sold some of furnitures, sold our digital items,  donated unused kitchen items, throw away toys. ang tinira nalang namin ay yung talagang kailangan and its like 20% of our remaining stuff... sa sobrang dami ng inalis namin lalo na our clothes, our things could fit now in 2 large luggage bags (for 4 people na yun) .. and it feeeelllsss greeattt!!    Sa totoo lang wala akong namiss sa mga inalis namin sa bahay.. siguro kasi nung inalis ko siya, ni let go ko narin ang mga yun.. i never looked back after that.

My husband was very upset when we did the initial purging (hard to let go kasi siya) pero nakita nya ang benefits nito pagkatapos ng lahat lalo na sakin. umaliwalas ang isipan ko! wala nako iniitindi gabundok na damit na kailangan ayusin, gamitin, labhan at tupiin. natapos narin ang parusang yun sakin! haha mga gamit na di mo lam kung san mo isisik sik. napakadaling linisin ng bahay at sobrang maaliwalas sa pakiramdam. i even like it now kapag blanko na ang shelves at cabinets namin. Bonus pa ang daling maghanap ng gamit!!  hindi katulad nuon kailangan ko pang baliktarin ang mga drawers para lang maghanap. beneficial sakin since i have kids.  dahil sobrang konti lang ng gamit namin ngayon, lahat talaga ay ginagamit namin. walang sayang.

Every day I'm trying to assess which are the things i want to keep in the house , and the things that needs to go. hindi nako sentimental at natuto rin ako makuntento. minimalist lifestyle is a journey not a destination. so hopefully by the end of the year mas bawas pa ang gamit namin.

 

[Annie M.]

^welcome to the minimalist journey, @lovemeagain30 !

did you find that minimalism also frees up your time and money? this was true for me. nawala yung desire ko to buy anik-anik, and i don't have to devote time for shopping or cleaning, so there is more time in my weekends to just relax and more money in my pocket for things i really love. 

it's certainly not for everyone, pero for those who are comptabile with it, minimalism is liberating.

[lovemeagain30]

^ I agree with you Ms Annie! ngayon mas careful nako sa mga expenditures namin. unlike before pag may sale go ra! feeling ko lahat yan kailangan ko or "kakailanganin" ko in the future. one thing i realized with myself mahilig ako sa mga 'just in case' items lalo na sa mga damit. Just in case pumayat ako, just in case may pupuntahan akong party, just in case kailangan ko magsuot ng ganitong kulay and so on and so forth... saka mahilig din ako sa mga "ok pa to, maayos ko pa yan"... yung mga sira sira ng gamit na tinatago "just in case" magka time ako at aayusin ko -- pero ang totoo, hindi talaga yun nangyayari!  natatambak lang sa tabi or sa gilid ng cabinet. lahat yun pinagtatapon ko narin.

we are living now more in the present not in the past and not too much of the future. kumbaga sakto lang. kung ano bang needs namin ngayon, yun lang dapat ang meron kami. wala naman shortage ng damit or gadgets sa  mundo so kung in the future 'just in case' kailangan namin eh saka nalang namin bibilhin! haha sa ngayon we enjoyed the simplicity of life that we have now. yung mga gamit kasi na natatambak, nagiging mental clutter. iniisip mo palagi ay "one day" magagamit ko pa pero lumilipas na ang panahon hindi mo parin nagagamit. nakakadagdag sa frustrations! kasi parang nagpapa alala eto palagi na nagsayang ka ng pera at nakakahinayang mag let go. pero sa totoo lang kahit hindi mo ibenta yan, hindi mo na maibabalik ang pera ginastos natin sa bagay na yun. may tinatawag kasi na 'sunk cost'. hindi mo na mababawi yun amount. so wala dapat paghinayangan.

pati narin sentimental items ni let go ko na. im banking on experience with the people i love rather than material things.  ang ginagawa ko pinipicturan ko yun items na may senti value sakin then saka ko tinatapon or pinamimigay!  para every time i feel i miss it, i look at my phone then move on. ganun naman dapat di ba? we should know how to let go.  the more things you own, the more it owns you.

[Serena.]

Yung mother ko ganito.. masaklap, HANGGANG NGAYON... tapos ang hirap nyang pag sabihan kasi matanda na, firm na sya sa habit nya..

Yung house namin never nagmukang home, puro clutter, may pattern yung ugali nya,

mahilig mag hoard ng more than sa kaylangan nya, dun pa lang sayang na sa pera.. (to think may financial crisis kame now)
tapos magaling bumili pero hindi sanay mag tapon ng gamit. (decluttering)

kahit sa pagkain ganun sya, bibili ng pang isang barangay na pagkain only to be eaten by 3 people, ipipilit nya pwede pa kainin bukas, pero wag ka, isang linggo nasa ref yung pagkain hanggang sa mangamoy na..

Iniinisip ko nga, di ba sya nahihiyangan sa scene na tinatapon nya yung food..
Para bang may "lagi syang mauubusan" mentality..


Hayy, im just glad, i was able to correct this habit of mine.

[DeathToMondays]

I suggest you join minimalist groups on FB, like The Minimalist Life. You can also take it a step further with zero-waste practices.

Frankly, we live in a consumerist culture that glorifies material possessions as a testament to our social viability. Nothing wrong with wanting creature comfort and luxury, but a lot of people don't understand themselves well enough to draw the line between what they want and what they need. And often, we aim to own a large house, more than one car, spend more on stuff we don't need just to show off. We do it to show off and be validated by others. That's just sad.

[Annie M.]

^This is so true.

"We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."

[ubermame]

"We're living our life depending on the space we've got rather than creating our space to fit our lives"--- Minimalism: a documentary about the important things, Netflix

...this docu is worth watching

[gwyne21]

I started minimalism November of last year. We were planning to move to a 2 bedroom flat when we started to pack our things for our 2 kids.

Every day I'm trying to assess which are the things i want to keep in the house , and the things that needs to go. hindi nako sentimental at natuto rin ako makuntento. minimalist lifestyle is a journey not a destination. so hopefully by the end of the year mas bawas pa ang gamit namin.

Hopefully magawa din namin ito since we are also planning to move/transfer house this year. Sa ibang items/area minimalist na ako pero we still have accumulated stuff na need ma-sort and ma-purge (like books and kid's toys).

[quencher]

I can say na hindi naman talaga kami maluho ng hubby ko. Pero what I want to do when I read this thread is to declutter. Feeling ko ang dami naming gamit na hindi naman talaga namin nagagamit, esp sa things ng baby ko (na mostly ay bigay). It's piling up and attracting dust lang. Isama pa ang mga damit na almost half lang naman ang nagagamit.

[DeathToMondays]

BTW, I noticed these going on in some minimalist and zero-waste groups.

If you feel you need to buy several new items for your home so you can just make it look more minimalist for Instagram. Facebook, or your blog, that's not minimalism, just pretense.

If you need to judge other aspiring minimalists for not being as minimalist as you, that's ego and insecurity at work.

If you feel pressured to buy trending items you don't really need endorsed by popular minimalists like Marie Kondo, that's just consumerism.

If you feel the need to hard-sell an expensive items to others supposedly in the name of minimalism or zero-waste (ex. pretty fabric roll-ups for utensils to go, designer tumblers, crocheted tampons, etc), that's highway robbery.

If you feel to go minimalist so you others will approve of your lifestyle, or so you can feel better about yourself in comparison to others, that's neediness.

Minimalism is about removing mental and emotional excess so you can do away with your physical excesses too, so you can focus only on what's essential in your life.

[sarsingkit]

^Correct! Ang primary mindset ko noon is tumigil sa pagbili. Period. Hehe. The only thing I bought was yung parang accordion envelope for our important documents. We used to have a filing cabinet at home. Ngayon, envelope na lang sya.