My unpopular minimalist opinions

I've seen lots of videos and blog posts where people talk about their unpopular opinions, so I thought it would be fun if I gave it a try. So here are my unpopular minimalist opinions that will probably cause some backlash.

Before I get started, though, I want to add in a disclaimer, since cancel culture is such a big thing. I'm not writing this to attack anyone or change anyone's mind. I'm doing it because I'm lucky enough to live in a country that allows freedom of speech, so I'm going to exercise that right.

If you feel attacked by what I say, consider why that might be. I don't know you, so there's no way that I could know your opinions and try to attack them or change them. Therefore, this is likely an internal battle you're having, and you'll have to decide how to work that out within yourself. Also, my opinions are based on some minimalists. Not most or all of them; I did say they are unpopular. So if this opinion doesn't apply to you, then great! And if you don't agree with it, fine! You're entitled to an opinion just as much as I am.

If you have any unpopular minimalist opinions of your own to share, feel free! And now for a sneak peek into what this article holds.

1. It's un-minimalist to promote a minimalist brand on social media

2. Celebrating religious or cultural holidays in a typically commercial way isn't minimalist

3. All eco-minimalists should practice a plant-based diet

4. The average non-minimalist is addicted to consuming

5. Minimalism practiced by low-income people can still be a choice

Are you still there? LOL. If you've made it this far, thank you for your interest. Now, I'll go into more detail.

1. It's un-minimalist to promote a minimalist brand on social media

Shortly before I decided to shut down all my social media accounts (yes, I did that!), I was looking at the accounts of other minimalists that I follow. Social media has become such a competitive place, and from what I understand, the internet algorithms tend to work in conjunction with social media presence. So to keep up with their peers, minimalists resort to frequent, if not daily posts, spending tons of time responding to comments, and even paying for advertising to get their brand noticed.

I'm sure some of them have volunteers or paid social media experts to handle their accounts, so maybe they're not doing participating themselves. But does that really matter, when they're still using a place FILLED with consumerist ads and time-wasting, brain-numbing propaganda to promote their brand?

How can people focus on what's most important when they're spending so much time on social? Maybe minimalists think that they have to be on there to get recognition and promote their lifestyles. But just by using those platforms, they are not leading by example.

You may have also noticed that I didn't put a Pinterest picture at the beginning of this post and ask you to pin it. That's because even though Pinterest claims to *not* be a social media platform, they are starting to behave like one more and more. I decided that using them is no longer in line with my minimalist lifestyle, and takes up time that I'd rather spend enjoying my life.

Buh-bye, Pinterest.

If someone's non-minimalist work or personal life makes social media easier or more enjoyable, then I don't take issue with that. I just don't think it's a minimalist endeavor, regardless of whatever reasons excuses people give.

2. Celebrating religious or cultural holidays in a typically commercial way isn't minimalist

So much spending and waste are created by many of the American holidays. There are flimsy decorations, buying presents, special dishes, uneaten food, and special clothing, and going into debt. I'm not trying to knock religious tradition here, but from what I can see, many of the previously designated religious holidays have turned into opportunities for marketing agencies and retail companies to rake in the cash from the average person. 

A few examples come to mind of the trash generated and money spent in large amounts when Americans celebrate common holidays: 

• fireworks on New Year's Eve and Independence Day/Fourth of July
• throw-away decorations specific to a holiday that have to be re-purchased every year
• new "Easter baskets" and plastic eggs filled with candy for Easter egg hunts, some of which never get found and are left to litter the environment
• buying special decorative dishes, napkins, paper plates, etc. for a single use or for an event that only happens once or a few times per year
• buying too much food and letting it sit out too long during a party, then having to throw it away
• tossing out leftovers because people are sick of eating the same turkey/ham/whatever dish for days in a row
• carving pumpkins or keeping them whole and/or buying hay bales for Thanksgiving/fall and then throwing them away
• Halloween costumes that are only worn once as well as other holiday outfits that are only worn once per year
• going into debt to buy presents that people don't necessarily need or want
• skyrocketing electricity bills from lights and other plug-in decorations
• Christmas trees--grown on land that could be used to grow food, cut down to use for decoration, and then thrown away after the season is over

I'm sure there are still many people who honor these holidays in traditional ways, like prayer/going to their places of worship or gathering for a simple meal. But a lot of people don't anymore, or they do that plus add on a bunch of extravagance. It seems like everyone wants to do things in bigger, flashier, and more expensive ways. There are even articles about how to deal with holiday stress. Do you know how you can experience less stress during the holidays? Change how you celebrate them. I wonder if people from 100 or 200 years ago felt stressed out by holidays?

3. All eco-minimalists should practice a plant-based diet

There is overwhelming evidence that the way that we eat affects the environment. I've been reading The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall, which was first published in 2009 (I'm reading the 2012 version), and back then he was talking about the environmental effects of eating animal products. 

I also found this article in The Guardian from back in 2018 that reviews a study published in a journal called Science. At the time, it was the largest study to date and stated that "More than 80% of farmland is used for livestock but it produces just 18% of food calories and 37% of protein." It also results in more than half of the global water and air pollution.

Simply shifting toward a more plant-based diet by switching out beef for beans could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 46-74%, according to a quote from this article. Since eating animal products accounts for so much of the environmental issues we're facing, I don't see how people can truly be eco-minimalist without cutting back on them and focusing on plant foods instead.

Eating beef also creates more pollution than driving a car. So if owning a car is someone's only option for transportation, they can still help the environment by making this switch to their diet.

Lastly, beans cost way less than beef and are more easily attainable for many people than beef is, which means less pollution caused by transportation. So there are 2 more ways that changing one's diet can up their eco-minimalist game.

4. The average non-minimalist is addicted to consuming

Shopping causes a dopamine rush, which is why so many people are addicted to it. Plus, did you know that grocery stores are designed like casinos? Speaking of gambling...

Have you ever heard stories about what people do with lottery winnings? According to this article, most people waste the money, and some end up worse than before. A lot of people seem to say they wish they'd never won the money in the first place!

The issues caused by shopping, gambling, and food addictions cause just as many problems in people's lives as addictions to drugs or alcohol. It's just that Westernized society encourages this type of splurging and even falsely state that any spending of money is good for the economy. The truth is that most of our shopping dollars go to enormous corporations, and they already have enough money. They're also less likely to put that money back into the communities they serve through donations, community service, or even increasing wages or other benefits for the average employee. Instead, we hear over and over again about how the CEOs and board members of these groups give themselves raises, stock options, and bonuses, while the majority of the workforce struggles to get by. Shopping locally is helpful to the economy, but going to your local Walmart to buy what you need is not likely to change your community's well-being very much.

In the U.S. (and I'm assuming many other countries with similar socio-economic structures), we're encouraged to spend. Don't have the money? Get a credit card, a payday loan, or a personal loan with astronomical interest rates.

And it isn't just about buying too many clothes, vehicles, vacays, or electronics we can't afford. We also consume food, drinks, pills, and supplements that cause harm. It may feel good in the moment, but we'll likely pay for it later.

The marketing we are constantly faced with definitely has some responsibility for this behavior, but individual consumers must also be held accountable for their actions. In the end, we all do have a choice on how and when we spend our money. Especially if money is in short supply, people need to find ways to be more realistic about what they buy and not fall into the consumer addiction traps being thrown at us. 

5. Minimalism practiced by low-income people can still be a choice

I've heard a lot lately about how minimalism is the glamorization of poverty and that people don't see minimalism as a good option because of this stigma they've put on it.

I just looked it up, and I'm considered "poor" for my area. My income is less than 50% of the median income for where I live. If I applied, I could probably be granted some social services, like food benefits or housing subsidies.

My family didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up, either. Or I should say, there should have been enough money, but it was spent in the wrong places. So I grew up in a house that was falling apart with half-finished repair projects and broken-down cars. I had clothes to wear (sometimes they were my sibling's) and food to eat, but I thought we were poor.

Nevertheless, my life was not minimalist. My parents were both hoarders. My own room was filled with things I didn't use or need. It was only as I got older that I started to purge these items from my life during my teen years because it felt better to not have them. Then as an adult on my own, I was always conscious of my budget and not wanting to exceed it. But thanks to a complete lack of debt of any sort, I still had some discretionary funds that I chose not to "invest" into pieces that I would see as clutter.

I loved an article from the Black Minimalists website on this subject. Here's what one of the writers, Yolanda, said on the topic:

Personally, I find it a bit perplexing to say poor people lack choice and thus agency. Can you choose to be a minimalist and lack certain resources, i.e. be poor? From what I’ve read on the subject, it would seem not, but here I am, living proof.

I grew up poor and by current U.S. societal standards, I’m still poor. I’ve lived in some type of low-income housing, including a trailer park, for most of my life and have received government assistance in various forms. I also have a college degree which ironically has both elevated and further impoverished me at the same damn time.

I flirted with a middle class lifestyle while working my last full-time job five years ago. I chose to return to poverty and pursue a minimalist lifestyle after becoming disillusioned with the emotional, spiritual, and mental labor required to ascend to and maintain an average middle class life. Part of that labor also stemmed from an inability to reconcile a poverty mindset with a newly (physically) abundant one.

Additionally, I know many people in the larger minimalist movement and within the black minimalist community who have chose [sic] minimalism as a way to skirt poverty or at least maintain what they have while living the most healthy, sustainable lifestyle they can manage. 

I think she mirrored my feelings on the topic very well. 😀

One last thought I have about minimalism in general is its relationship to debt. Are you truly minimalist if regularly generate debt for items you can't afford? What about someone who can pay all their debts, but have more than they need? I'd love to know your thoughts on the subject.

Minimalist lifestyle: 5 reasons why life is easier with minimalism

Life can be easier with minimalism--if you do it right!

In our previous post, 5 Common Misconceptions about Minimalism, we revealed the negative image of minimalism. These opinions are probably why people give up trying to be minimalist, or why they don't try at all. If you believe any of these misconceptions, it would be easy to get frustrated by a minimalist lifestyle!

So if you haven't already, I recommend you read that post first, then come back and learn about 5 reasons that life can be easier with minimalism. I also give you tips on how to make changes and be more minimalist. Here's a quick preview:

1. The minimalist lifestyle can improve your finances

2. Being more minimalist can give you more time to do things you enjoy

3. Minimalism can make your relationships better (or help you start new ones)

4. It's easier to stay organized with a minimalist life

5. You can reduce your stress with a minimalist lifestyle

If you don't have time to read it now, you can pin this post for later.

1. The minimalist lifestyle can improve your finances

I've only been minimalist for a few months, but I've already noticed that my bank account isn't as empty. Being stuck inside for the past ~year led me to do a lot of online shopping and ordering takeout. I did it because at first, all the stores and restaurants were closed, then because it didn't feel safe to shop in person, and mostly because I was bored.

All those shipping fees, restaurant delivery fees, and COVID price gouging started adding up. Suddenly, a $2 bottle of hand sanitizer cost $25--what?! It's a good thing that I didn't have a commute anymore and couldn't go out to dinner with friends because I didn't have money for that after buying toilet paper and cleaning supplies. 🙄

By making a few small changes in my shopping habits, I saved a ton of money and still bought things I enjoyed.

• I waited until I met the minimum purchase for free shipping before placing an order. Sometimes, things I wanted would go out of stock while I waited, but it wasn't like I needed them. I didn't apply this rule to necessities.
• I started picking up my take-out meals and doing curbside pickup of groceries instead of getting everything delivered. I know some people make a living off delivering food, and I'm sorry to take away money from them. But I shouldn't help anyone if I can't pay my own bills.
• I paid myself first. This means I set up an automatic transfer of part of my paycheck to go directly into savings. That way, I didn't have the chance to spend the money accidentally while it was sitting in my checking account.

2. Being more minimalist can give you more time to do things you enjoy

When I first started to be more minimalist, it definitely kept me busy. Making a change takes time and energy. It can also cause a lot of stress, especially if your life is already busy. This is probably where a lot of people get frustrated and give up.

This time when we're all social distancing is a good opportunity to make those minimalist changes. Chances are that you're doing less of something right now, so you have some free time. Once you've finished the transition, you get to keep the free time you gained.

I did a few things that may sound weird to you, but give them a try if you're comfortable with them. I guarantee they will give you more time in your schedule!

• I don't do laundry more than once per week. I used to do it about twice a week for just myself, and that took a lot of time. Now I just wait. I also have fewer clothes to wash, because...
• Since I rarely go out, I, ahem, re-use my clothes. Some of them, anyway. Before you get grossed out, I don't wear my underwear more than once. And obviously, any sweaty workout clothes don't get re-used. But if I'm only wearing clothes for an hour to run a quick errand, are they really dirty? If they still look and smell clean, then I'll wear them once more before they go into the washing machine. I also have a special place in my closet so they're not touching clothes that haven't been worn. I have no idea if this makes any difference germ-wise, but I do it anyway.
• Speaking of clothes, I made myself a capsule wardrobe. I'll explain more about that in my next post. But it definitely saves me time getting dressed!
• I clean for 15 minutes per day and that's it. I even set a timer. Whatever I can't get done during this speed-cleaning session has to wait until the next day. It was tough at first because I love having everything pristine. But after a few months, it stopped bothering me. It's not like my place is dirty, it's just...normal. And obviously, I don't include emergency clean-ups in my 15 minutes. If I spill a carton of orange juice on the floor, I clean that up and still get my 15 minutes of cleaning in later in the day.
• I use apps on my phone and laptop to restrict my social media usage. I actually HATED using these apps at first, because I would be in the middle of something and get locked out. But it really does save time! And really, I wasn't doing important things. My friends all know I use the timer so if I suddenly disappear, they know why. 😁
• All my bills are paid automatically through my bank. I had this mostly set up already. But I never set up my credit cards to withdraw automatic payments, because I was scared I would overdraft my bank account. Now that my budget is more organized, I feel comfortable enough to set this up for an automatic withdrawal. I have a list of all my regular bills, when they come out, and how much they are. I just check my balance once a week to make sure there's enough money for the bills and how much is left over. It only takes about 5 minutes.
• I decided to cut back on TV watching. I used to just keep it on in the background. But now I only watch my very favorite shows, and I limit it to two hours in the evening. Then I do other things before bed that don't involve screens, like some easy yoga and reading a book.

3. Minimalism can make your relationships better (or help you start new ones)

I'm not a very outgoing person, but I do like to spend quality time with close friends. Freeing up extra time meant I could concentrate more on those relationships, even though we couldn't see each other in person the same way.

Since my gym has been closed, some of my friends and I started doing "walk dates" where we'd meet at various parks or trails and take walks with our masks on. 

We also text or call each other like we did before, but more often. I think everyone in my circle of people, including me, has felt the need to check in on each other more during this strange time. Luckily, none of us got infected so far, but we still worry about each other and need some extra support.

I've been really good at following the social distancing rules. I haven't invited anyone over, and I haven't visited anyone's house. Sometimes my place feels lonely, but I have more time to work on hobbies! I think it's good to be alone and get re-acquainted with yourself every once in a while.

I also decided to join some online groups when I wanted to learn more about minimalism, as well as some forums that talk about hobbies I'm interested in. I haven't met any of these people in person, but it's been nice chatting with like-minded individuals.

If you're hesitant to meet people in person right now (you should be!), it's relatively easy to find free online groups to join in just about any category of interest. These interactions can lead to genuine friendships based on those common interests.

4. It's easier to stay organized with a more minimalist life

This is in part because of all the recent online shopping, but my apartment started to feel very claustrophobic lately. I felt like I spent a lot more time cleaning and trying to put things away because there was so. much. stuff. 

I even ended up buying a few things that I already had, because I couldn't find them! And my apartment isn't that big, so it's pretty sad that anything got lost inside it.

Luckily, because it's such a small space, decluttering wasn't that bad. I used the methods listed in our article, How to Declutter in 5 Steps. I got it all done in 2 weekends, and bam! Life got so much easier.

It wasn't just my physical space that became more organized because of minimalism. As I mentioned, I freed up time by cutting back on things that I didn't need to do and weren't as important to my life. It's crazy how much time I was wasting, and I didn't even realize! But if you add it all up, it leaves big gaps in your schedule so you can easily organize the stuff you actually need and want to do.

5. You can reduce your stress with a minimalist lifestyle

As you read the above reasons that explain how minimalism makes life easier, you could probably guess that making these changes would reduce your stress level. 

Having more free time for friends and family, relaxing, exercise, healthier eating, or hobbies would certainly reduce stress. 

Making even small changes like these had an unexpected side effect: a shift in my mindset and perspective about life in general. I became happier in many areas of my life, and at least more content in others. Of course, we're still in the middle of a pandemic, and there are lots of problems with the economy, social issues, and lots more. So to say I'm ecstatic about life would be a stretch.

But despite everything going on, I'd say I'm reasonably happy and fulfilled. Especially compared to last year. I see now that I was trying to self-medicate with empty distractions, like mindless spending and consumption of media.

I'm definitely not perfect. I'm new to all of this minimalist stuff and have a long way to go before I'd consider myself really minimalist. But I'm sure that things are still way better for me than they would be if I hadn't become more minimalist.

These steps were fairly painless and didn't make me feel restricted at all. Maybe I'll make more cutbacks in these categories in the future, but for right now I'm good with things how they are. 

If you're thinking of making any of these changes, I suggest going slowly and taking breaks. It's important to give yourself time to adjust to anything new. That way, you're less likely to get burned out and go back to how things were before.

How to Combine Financial Minimalism With Eco-Minimalism

Out of all the types of minimalism, I think these two go hand-in-hand. In this post, we’ll discuss ways to use both financial minimalist techniques and eco-minimalism to improve your finances and take better care of the environment. Here are the topics in this article:

• A quick recap on financial minimalism (AKA frugal minimalism) and eco-minimalism, and why they go well together
• Ways to spend money that are both frugal and eco-friendly
• How to be eco-friendly (and frugal) for FREE

A quick recap on financial minimalism (AKA frugal minimalism) and eco-minimalism, and why they go well together

I wrote more complete articles on these types of minimalism, so this will be quick…especially because each description is pretty self-explanatory.

A frugal minimalist (or financial minimalist) is someone who spends as little as possible as part of their minimalist life. An example is someone who lives in a small space with only a few possessions to save money. To read more about frugal minimalism, including more in-depth tips, visit my article: What is a Frugal Minimalist?

An eco-minimalist is someone who combines minimalism with their love of the environment. They might give up their car in favor of public transportation, which cuts down both on how much stuff they have and their impact on the environment. To read more about eco-minimalism, visit my article: What is an Eco-Minimalist?

These two types of minimalism go well together because they both already have minimalist tendencies and interchangeable qualities between them. A frugal minimalist might also not own a car because public transportation, walking, or biking is cheaper. An eco-minimalist can choose to live in a smaller space to reduce their carbon footprint.

Ways to spend money that are both frugal and eco-friendly

In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its report about consumer expenditures in 2017. There are three areas of life where most people spend the most money: housing (27% of income), food (10% of income), and transportation. (13% of income) You can easily include both frugality and eco-friendly behavior in all three categories.

HOUSING

They say the three most important things about real estate are location, location, and location. But size also does matter (insert pun here if you wish). The greater the square footage of a property and/or the piece of land a building sits on, the higher the price is likely to be. And yes, location does factor into that, but if you’re talking about within a single neighborhood, you will probably see that as the size of the property goes up, so does the price. This is generally true whether you own or rent as well.

So living in a smaller space is frugal, eco-friendly, AND minimalist because

• A smaller space costs less in mortgage or rent, utility bills, and maintenance costs, making it more frugal
• Downsizing your home means utilizing less electricity/gas/oil or whatever energy source you use to run lights, heat or cool your home, and run appliances, plus less space for faucets and toilets means you will probably use less water, making it more eco-friendly
• Less space means less room to buy more things and less time spent cleaning, organizing, and maintaining what you own, making it more minimalist and also more financially minimal

Of course, not everyone can, or wants to, move to a smaller place. There are still many ways to incorporate more frugality and environmentally friendly practices into your existing space. One of them is to rent out unused rooms to better utilize your existing space from a financial perspective. But if you don’t like the idea of roommates, the Penny Hoarder recently came out with an article about reducing your utility bills. Not all of them fall into either the frugal/financial minimalist or eco-friendly categories, so I have a few to add.

1. Try to look for reusable air conditioner filters (ones that you can clean rather than throw out).
2. Buy used fans at garage sales or thrift stores to save money.
3. Wear layers, and try adding or removing clothes instead of changing your thermostat. Over time, you may find yourself acclimating to a larger range of temperatures.
4. If you can’t afford the fancy insulated curtains, use old blankets or comforters. It may not look as pretty (or maybe it will look even better!), but buying new curtains is not eco-friendly. They’re usually made of synthetic fabrics and lined with plastics, so manufacturing them is toxic. Then they’ll be off-gassing toxic fumes into your home.
5. In nice weather, consider air-drying laundry instead of putting it through the dryer. You can also set up a dryer rack or clothesline in your shower or tub to use year-round. While the dryer balls mentioned in the article will reduce drying time, they will also put more stress on the fabric of your clothes, which makes them wear out faster.
6. In general, washing and drying clothes puts stress on the fabric. Cheap clothes are also bound to fall apart more quickly, and synthetics start to disintegrate, their particles entering our water supply. If you don’t sweat a lot, smoke, or wear a bunch of fragrances or lotions, your clothes are relatively clean after wearing. Shake them out, air them out. Jeans especially can be washed infrequently if they’re not visibly dirty. Most people don't know this, but denim is made to be washed as little as monthly, quarterly, or even yearly!
7. When you’re using the oven, try to batch-bake. It wastes energy to pre-heat the oven, so you can also skip that and adjust your cooking times. If you’re not comfortable with that, prepare several dishes to cook at the same time and put them in the oven back-to-back so you only have to pre-heat once.
8. Speaking of cooking, using appliances tends to heat up the house. If it’s going to be a hot day, try to use heat-creating appliances like the washing machine, dryer, stove, and oven early in the morning or later in the evening to reduce your air conditioner needs. On cold days, using those appliances during the coldest part of the day may reduce your need to raise the thermostat on your furnace.
9. During the hottest parts of the day, make sure your shades are down. When it’s cold outside, raise the shades and open curtains when the sun is facing your windows to raise your indoor temperature.
10. Control airflow for heating and cooling. If you have an unused room, close the door and close the vents so you aren’t paying for climate control in that space. Conversely, give your AC or furnace an easier time by leaving doors open between rooms that you want to be heated or cooled.

FOOD

There are some easy ways to reduce food costs and care for the environment (and your health) while you’re doing it:

• Shop at stores closer to home that feature local, in-season produce.
• Reduce your consumption of processed foods. This includes sugar, oil, and flour, none of which are healthy or nutritionally necessary. When choosing processed or prepared food, opt for ones that come in recyclable or reusable packaging, like glass bottles.
• Eat at home or bring homemade foods with you to work, school, and social events.
• 
  
• Did you know that many theme parks will allow you to bring in outside food if you ask them in advance? I was once going to spend the day with my family at a theme park, and by perusing their restaurant menus I knew there would be nothing for me to eat. I spoke to them and told them that I have a special diet. I explained the parameters and they agreed that none of the food inside the park would match my needs. They gave me stickers to put on food containers, and the next day I arrived and they let me through with my food without a problem.  If you don't have health issues related to food, you may need to fudge a little bit about the "special diet" part, but most family-oriented places understand food allergies or dietary restrictions these days. You don't need to disclose that you're being frugal rather than doing it for health reasons!
• When eating out, visit places that allow you to bring your own take-out containers. Say no to straws, or bring your own reusable straw. Bring your own drink cup as well. Some places even give you discounts for bringing your own containers.
• Take this a step further and use cloth napkins instead of paper. I carry one in my bag for when I’m out, plus we have some at home. I got five 100% cotton cloth napkins at a thrift store for $3.
• I used to think that food cooperatives were fancy places with high-end prices that required memberships. Now that I’ve explored some, I’ve found they are great places to save money on bulk pantry items. While there’s usually a discount for members, the ones I’ve visited don’t require memberships. You can still get discounts for bringing your own containers (re-use those glass jars!). One local store also gave discounts if we wanted to do a bulk special order of something they didn't carry in stock but had access to--how great is that? Many co-ops these days also take EBT/SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) and even provide special discounts on memberships or other purchases.
• When it’s time to replace food storage containers go for ones that are multi-use. I prefer glass containers that are both microwave- and oven-safe. I cook meals in the oven with them, can store the leftovers in the fridge, then reheat them in the microwave, all in the same container. I never have to move it over to a plate so it saves on dishwashing! Also, I think restaurants are more willing to put take-out into glass dishes because they can see that they’re clean better than if you show up with an opaque plastic container.
• If fresh fruits and veggies are too pricey, opt for frozen. They’re usually flash-frozen within a few hours of being harvested, meaning they are exactly as ripe as they should be. With some experimenting, it’s also easy to cook frozen vegetables that don’t end up mushy. I put mine directly into the air fryer and roast them. My mom claims that letting them soak in hot water for a few minutes does the trick.
• If you have condiments or prepared foods you like to eat a lot, consider making them yourself. For example, an average container of hummus is $4-6 for a few servings. For that price, you can get a few pounds of dried chickpeas. Cook ‘em up, and add a few cents’ worth of spices in your food processor. That amount of dried chickpeas should yield enough hummus for a month or two. Same thing for french fries. For what it costs to buy one large order of fast-food fries or a single, large bag of frozen fries, you can buy a 5- or 10-pound bag of potatoes. They can easily be cut up and spiced as you wish.
• Invest in appliances that make your convenience foods more convenient to make at home to reduce temptation. Instant Pots may be the most well-known pressure cookers these days, but there are tons of other options out there that work just as well. You don’t have to get an electronic pressure cooker—you can opt for cheaper versions that work in the microwave or stovetop. And of course, you can always use a slow cooker if pressure cooking scares you. We also recently got this air fryer to save on utilities when cooking our oil-free fries and other baked items. I now prefer to use it over the oven.
• Plan your meals ahead and only buy what you need for about a week’s worth of meals at a time to reduce food waste.
• There was a time (just last century!) when higher-priced items like meats, desserts, and special drinks (fancy coffees, alcohol, and carbonated drinks) were not readily available to the average person on a daily basis. These items were for special occasions, if at all. And as they became more commonplace, so did “lifestyle diseases” like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Just because we have easy access now does not mean we can or should eat them every day. Not only are they expensive, but they also are not good for our health.
• Speaking of health, don’t let fad diets dictate what you buy to eat. Nearly every trendy diet plan out there makes money by suggesting packaged foods or supplements you should take to make weight loss more effective. Or just as bad, they prey on the foods we crave and claim that diets that nearly exclude a macro-nutrient like carbohydrates and over-indulge in fatty foods or proteins are somehow balanced, sustainable, and healthy. However, our bodies never evolved to properly digest all the junk that we call “food” today, and there are good reasons why the human race started out eating a range of foods that came straight from the earth. The best diet for both sustainability and health is a whole foods diet that focuses on plant foods. Eat real, whole foods now, and you won’t empty your wallet later by paying for healthcare to reverse the effects of the latest weight loss scheme.

TRANSPORTATION

When we started traveling, we sold our car and went for 2.5 years without a personal vehicle. During that time, we rented a car three times. Otherwise, we used our electric bikes, regular bikes, walking, public transportation, borrowed a car from a friend or relative, and paid for the occasional Uber to get around, without any problems. We figured out how to do this in major metropolitan areas as well as small towns across the U.S. We even walked across a bridge to Canada for a quick day trip, saving many minutes sitting in vehicle traffic, and dollars in fuel and parking fees.

But even before we gave up our car, we reduced our transportation costs wherever possible. We had an older Prius (2002) that still got ~40 miles to the gallon and had no loan payments on it. We shared a single car for 4+ years between us, despite the San Francisco Bay Area’s less than stellar public transportation systems. If Ryan needed the car, I would carpool, bike, and take the bus or ferry to my job in San Francisco. He worked closer to the house, so if I needed the car he would bus or bike. On weekends, we often biked or walked to do our grocery shopping.

Between gas, parking fees, bridge tolls, and car insurance, we saved at least $2000-$3000 per year by giving up our car. We used that money to pay off my student loans, enjoy adventures during our travels, and pad our savings accounts.

I know it isn’t realistic for everyone to be car-free. For example, a lot of my family lives in a small town that has no public transportation and no grocery store or major medical care. Access to a vehicle is a necessity. However, there are ways to still reduce your transportation costs:

• Get a card that gives you discounts or cashback bonuses on fuel, whether it’s through your bank or local grocery store loyalty card.
• Re-negotiate your auto insurance rates with your current carrier, or find a different insurance provider with better rates. Make sure they are giving you all applicable discounts on your policy and question any fees that you don’t understand.
• If you have more cars than drivers in your household, sell the extra cars. Consider ways to share one car with your family.
• Sell cars with loans and buy a cheaper car with cash. It’s better to eliminate a car loan as soon as possible because vehicles usually depreciate faster than their loan balances. Older, less expensive cars are usually cheaper to insure as well.
• Keep up on regular vehicle maintenance—cars that need repair often have increased fuel consumption.
• Drive at or below the speed limit. Avoid pressing hard on the accelerator or brakes.
• When possible, use ride-shares or carpools to work or other events.
• While running errands, plan your route for the least driving. For example, pick the store farthest away to visit first and work your way back to your house.

How to be eco-friendly (and frugal) for FREE

Now that we’re stationary we want to enjoy our space. When traveling, everything outside the RV was our backyard. These days, leaving my bed is a chore, so it’s nice to have a little yard space.

However, our lot was just rocky, uneven dirt when we arrived. Other than three camping chairs, we didn’t have any outdoor furniture. But thanks to resources like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Trash Nothing (Freecycle), and Buy Nothing, we were able to get pavers, landscaping rock, stepping stones, a few bushes, and a large propane grill, two table and chair sets, and more for FREE. Oh, and also a really fancy stationary bike for Ryan that’s in pristine condition—it’s probably worth about $1500, but the guy gave it away to us. Ryan also got an 8’x8’ resin shed to house our business inventory for only $125. And that’s a business write-off, so bonus there!

Yes, it requires sweat equity, time, and fuel to find, retrieve, and sometimes repair items before they’re exactly what you need. But if you’re short on cash, this is a great way to recycle things in your community, which also makes it eco-friendly. And minimalist, because the amount of effort required will prohibit most people from working to get more than they actually need.

It’s crazy how much people will give away, assuming they have no value. Or, they just want them gone quickly and without negotiation. Some of these people were even nice enough to help Ryan load things into the truck, and offer him water to drink, and a wheelbarrow to move them. Then when he got back, some of our helpful neighbors pitched in to unload the heavier stuff and also build the shed.

I can’t say if people are this nice everywhere, but it’s been a great experience so far in Portland. People in the community have been happy to get free labor to haul away stuff that they don't want. When we can, we try to pay it forward by doing the same and offering up our stuff for free to others.
And you'd be surprised about what's offered for free. It isn't just unwanted patio furniture. I've seen ads offering unused food (including baby formula), clothing, kids' toys, camping gear, and even cars (although they're usually not running). When we lived in the bay area, one neighbor was given a free car in working condition so he had a way to get to work from some generous soul. Another neighbor's RV was donated to him for free so he wouldn't be homeless any longer.
Anytime my family needs something that isn't an urgent necessity, we try to get it for free first. The patience required to find something for free, which usually takes several days or weeks, makes us really consider how badly we need it. It's been proven that people who do "retail therapy" get a temporary high from making purchases. I would imagine that the convenience of instantly being able to buy something at the store rather than searching for it for free only adds to that high. If so, then using our method can help create the discipline one might need to wean a person off of a shopping addiction.
One last word on free stuff--a lot of the websites and apps that offer free stuff also have a way to send notifications when the item you're searching for comes available. This is a great way to prevent you from spending all your time checking these resources to see if anything new has popped up.
That about wraps it up for this post. Thanks to all of you who have waited patiently on this one...it took me months of working for just a few minutes at a time, but I'm committed to writing more posts when I can.

What is a Frugal Minimalist?

A frugal minimalist--also called an expense or financial minimalist--is a person who consumes less with the ultimate goal of saving money. We will discuss this type of minimalism in more detail in this post, as well as ways to incorporate this type of minimalism into your life.

This post is the fifth in a series about the different types of minimalism. Here are the others:

What is an Aesthetic Minimalist?

What is an Experiential Minimalist?

What is an Essential Minimalist?

What is an Eco-Minimalist?

Before we get started, I want to say that you don’t have to be one type of minimalist, nor do you have to follow all the tenets of a minimalist lifestyle to consider yourself minimalist. Heck, don’t even use the word “minimalist” if you don’t want to. This is a guide to help you pick and choose ideas that work for you. Don’t worry about whether you’re “doing it right” or not. We are humans, not archetypes.

Features of an expense minimalist

First, let me say first that there is a difference between being frugal and being cheap. Frugality is about having as much value as possible in your life without spending unnecessarily while being cheap is simply paying the least amount of money possible on any purchase.

Therefore, a frugal or expense minimalist wants to get the most cost-effective value for any purchase while limiting their possessions to those that are most important.  Some reasons why a minimalist might also choose to be frugal include:

• Trying to reduce debt
• Wanting to build up savings or retirement account
• Wanting the freedom to live a simpler life that costs less money so they can work less

There is a movement called FIRE: Financial Independence / Retire Early.  These are people mostly in their 20s and 30s who are working toward a goal of retiring as soon as possible.  They save as much of their income as they can and put it toward investments with the plan to live off the interest.  For a period of time, they work as much as they can, whether it’s grabbing overtime, working multiple jobs, or starting a side gig. Of course, it helps to increase your income, but that is not necessarily a feasible goal for everyone.  A more obvious choice is to reduce expenses as much as possible and live a frugal lifestyle. Many of these people may (accidentally or on purpose) end up also being minimalist.

Another example is someone who is temporarily living this lifestyle as a way to achieve other goals. What comes to mind is someone who rents out a room or moves into a tiny house or RV so they can reduce debt or save money to buy a conventional home. We did something similar when we combined our existing minimalism with more frugality. We left the expensive San Francisco Bay Area in our RV and traveled to cheaper places in our old motorhome. It was actually cheaper for us to travel full-time than to live in an RV park near San Francisco. So much cheaper, in fact, that we paid off over $30k in student loans within just a few years, plus saved up money to buy a newer, smaller RV.

Behind the scenes of a financial minimalist

Financial minimalists have a plan for their lives. They're more likely to have a strict budget which they refer to often. They are willing to take the time to find the best value for any purchase they make, including doing lots of research, clipping coupons, or waiting for sales.

They're likely also fans of things given to them for free. They are willing to accept hand-me-down clothing, furniture, and other household items in order to avoid the expense of buying something themselves. They may be experts at updating existing pieces or learning how to repair things themselves. Or, they may also be willing to accept things as they are, concerned only with their function rather than how they look.

Financial minimalists will hold on to quality pieces as long as possible.  The potential conflict between frugality and minimalism occurs when a frugal person wants to hold on to things that they aren't using, just in case they're needed in the future. The minimalist side of the equation is to of course rid themselves of anything unnecessary. A financial minimalist must find the balance between these potentially opposing ideas.

As with all lifestyles, just be careful to not push yourself so far that you feel deprived. This will not lead to sustainable habits. Leave room in your budget to spend money on things that you really cherish and add value to your life.

Ways to incorporate expense minimalism into your life

As with an eco-minimalist who is new to both, I think it's easier to start off with either being more frugal or more minimalist at first, but not trying to take on both simultaneously. You can pick from the suggestions below to see which interests you most.

• If you don't have one already, create a budget. Examine ways that you can reduce any excess expenses. For ideas about this, see my post: 13 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money.
• Try using a purchase pause, especially when you are thinking about making a big or expensive purchase.  A purchase pause simply means waiting to buy an item for a certain amount of time to make sure that you really want it or need it. You can pause for 24 hours, a week, 30 days, or longer. I like to wait at least a month, and I find that usually by the end of that month I no longer have an urge to buy what I thought was so important before. While you are pausing, consider how the purchase will affect your finances in the long term. Think about how many hours you will have to work to pay for this item. Think about how much interest you will have to pay to buy it (if you are using credit). Ask yourself how making this purchase will affect your goals in other areas of your life, such as taking a vacation, buying food, or retiring.
• Look at items that you have not used in at least six to twelve months. Is it realistic that you will need them anytime in the future? How easy and cost-effective would it be to replace this item should you need it? Is it likely that someone else out there could put your possession to use immediately, instead of it collecting dust at your house?
• When deciding on things to buy, weigh the current cost against their future value. Sometimes, it is more frugal to spend some extra money now than to save money now but pay again later. The cost of living is only likely to go up. Therefore, your dollars go further today than tomorrow.
• When grocery shopping, look to buy items in bulk. Most grocery store tags show the cost of an item by weight.  Most of the time, buying a 20 lb bag of rice will be cheaper than buying 10 two-pound bags of rice. This will save you money, but only if you eat a lot of rice. We go through rice like crazy in our house, so this makes a lot of sense for us. If you don’t eat a lot of any particular food, then it’s best to focus only on buying quantities of what you will consume within the next week.
• Try various apps and websites to save money on everything that you buy. some examples are Ibotta, Ebates, coupons.com, and RetailMeNot. Just don't fall into the trap of buying something just because it comes with a discount. Oftentimes, these products still cost more than other brands or generic/store brands.
• Buy now only what you need right now. Things change, and you aren’t likely to recover the cost of something you buy but never use.
• For some people, being either frugal or minimalist is not a choice, but a necessity. If your financial situation prevents you from over-owning or overspending, consider this a blessing. You are gaining valuable skills in how to live with less and appreciate everything that you have. If you were previously in this situation and now find yourself with more income and buying freedom, it may be tempting to spend more freely and fill up your house with the things that you didn't have before. Try to measure your choices against impulse. Use reason and logic to decide where your money goes and how your space is used rather than making emotional buying choices that may harm you in the future or leave you with buyer's remorse.
• Consider the sunk cost fallacy. This is where a person continues to hold on to something because they fear that by letting go of it, they're losing money. The fallacy behind this idea lies in that you can recover the cost you paid by continuing to own something. Generally, everyday items have an unrecoverable cost. You have spent the money, it is gone, and keeping something that you already paid for does not change that fact.

Instead of seeing frugality and minimalism as in opposition to each other, see them as two concepts, each of which can empower the other. Someone who is mindful of their expenses is less likely to purchase items that they don't need. And someone who wants to live with only the things that add more value to their life can easily save money.

How to Sell Your Stuff for Cash

If you have too much stuff and not enough money, there’s a solution for that. Sell you extra stuff for a profit! In this article, I’ll discuss the different ways you can sell your stuff for cash.

Here’s an outline of the methods we’ll discuss:

• Local, in-person sales
• Free listings on the internet
• Paid/auction sites
• Selling through peer-to-peer apps

In each category, we’ll review the most popular ways to sell your stuff and make some money. But first, I want to put in a disclaimer here about the emotional attachment to items, or deciding what something is worth without doing any research into the reality of the situation.

I know it’s tough, but you can’t put a price on items based on what’s in your heart. They may have been special to you, but that doesn’t mean the market will support the emotional value you place on them. And just because you paid a lot of money for something doesn’t mean it’s worth anything as a used item.

Ironically, some things are worth more than they were new. So you want to make certain you don’t underprice items, either. Also, the price tag you attach to them will vary based on which method you use to sell them and how quickly you want them sold.

I could write a whole book or course (and I’m planning to, at some point), on how to properly price items for sale. So for the purposes of brevity, I suggest you look for the used value of your items in the following places:

• Thrift store price
• Craigslist price
• Amazon price
• eBay price (check the recently sold listings)
• Professional appraisals (for vintage, antiques, and collectibles)

In the end, it’s still an educated guess, and you may need to adjust the price over time or be willing to negotiate. But it’s better to do your research so when people try to bargain you down, you have evidence to back up your choice.

To further reinforce your price, always take excellent, clear pictures for your ad. Use good lighting, eliminate distracting clutter from the pictures, and take shots from many different angles. Be honest about any damage or visible wear that a buyer is sure to notice when they see it in person. If it's in less than like-new condition, adjust your price accordingly, and let potential buyers know in the listing why you are giving a discount. Take pictures so they can see what they’re getting into before they arrive, otherwise you’re wasting everybody’s time.

The last thing you want is to spend all your time negotiating with a buyer, only to have them back out of the deal at the last minute because they feel you hid something from them. Don't assume that nobody will notice the same flaws that you can see.

Local, in-person sales

A garage sale can be easy. You put some flyers up or a free ad in the paper, and then you spend your weekend outside haggling with customers. Oh, wait, that isn’t easy. That’s annoying.

My husband loves talking to people so he doesn’t mind doing it. I hide indoors when he does sales.

You could also just put a sign outside your house that lists items for sale and then your phone number or “inquire inside.”

The third option is to bring items to auction houses, pawnshops, or consignment stores. Just be aware that they will take a cut out of your profits, but it keeps you from having to deal with customers.

Free listings on the internet

Free classified websites are a great way to increase your potential customer base without spending any extra money. However, there are also some downsides to free places.

First of all, buyers are more likely to be flaky. They don’t care about wasting your time or stringing you along, because they have no money invested. It doesn’t matter to them how much time and energy you spent on selling your stuff. They will make appointments with you and not show up, and you’ll never hear from them again.

They will also try to ruthlessly cut the price, sometimes making extremely low offers before even seeing something in person. Try not to be too insulted. Remember, they have no sentimental attachment to what you’re selling, and they don’t care about you. They just want the best price possible, the same as you do.

We’ve had the most luck with Craigslist. We’ve sold just about everything on there, including a truck and two RVs (update in 2019: Craigslist is now charging a fee for listing passenger vehicle ads).

Facebook Marketplace is another option; they have free groups you can add more specialized items to as well.

There are a lot of other smaller websites out there, but I prefer sticking to the larger, more reputable ones.

Paid Sites and Auction Sites

Just about everyone knows about eBay. They started off with auctions, added “Buy It Now,” and now you can put up an item for sale and sellers can counter your offer price.

You may not know this, but the majority of sales on Amazon are of products from third-party sellers. Both small and large business owners source and provide Amazon products, and either ship them to Amazon for repackaging and shipping, or ship them directly from their location when someone orders a product.

But you don’t have to run a business to sell on Amazon. You can just sell occasionally on there. Amazon is more restrictive than eBay. But there are certain items you can get better prices on as a seller on Amazon. Do some comparison between the sale price on an item between the two, and see which one will work better for you.

Like with the free sites, there are a lot of other sites you can try out. I haven’t used any of them. And while the paid sites may offer a way to transfer money between buyer and seller, I recommend making sure they use high-end encryption before giving them any financial information.

Selling Through Peer-to-Peer Apps

There are several phone apps that connect buyers with sellers. They’re either free to use, which means they’re probably supported by ads that will be sprinkled through the app, or they will take a fee from the seller like eBay or Amazon.

Even though you are working with someone through the app, the app provider typically takes no responsibility for the transaction’s outcome. So if the buyer or seller is unhappy with the payment or quality of the product, they have to work it out themselves.

Usually, the verification process to join these apps is sparse. You might have to prove your residence by uploading a driver’s license and/or utility bill. After that, buyer or seller credibility is built up based on feedback from transactions.

So those are the main ways you can make some extra money selling stuff you don’t want or need. It definitely makes it easier to let go of things and downsize when you are getting some money back from doing it.

In my next post, I’m going to discuss the emotional component of letting go, and how to address it.

Early Retirement and Minimalism

One of the top answers anyone gives when asked why they don’t do something is “I don’t have the time.” What’s the simplest way to make more time? Plan on having an early retirement, while you are still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.

Retiring early is easier said than done.

Deciding to retire early is simple, but may not be easy. But wouldn't it be worth it? Imagine retiring in your 30s or 40s. You could do so many more things than if you waited until your 60s or beyond to start spending time on what's important to you.

The future holds many uncertainties. In my own family history, I have a father who retired in his 50s but died just a few years later from cancer. My mother had to wait until she was nearly 70 to stop working, for financial reasons. She had a few years of retirement before she, too, got cancer. I'm grateful she's alive and still fighting, but her health got bad enough that she can no longer live alone. She had to give up her house and most of her stuff to move in with us. She's doing ok with it, but it was (and still is) a big adjustment for her.

Based on my family's medical history (and my own), I don't want to gamble on being 65 or 70 before I get to decide how to spend the majority of my time.

That's why we decided to travel full-time for three years, and thank goodness we did. Because now, I'm not well enough to travel. It isn't guaranteed that I'll be better in the future, either. At the moment, I'm trying to change how we earn an income so that we are financially independent within the next 10 years. I'll be about 50 then, which is not too bad. But if you're younger than I am, I suggest you get started on your retirement now.

Don't wait to plan your retirement.

When I was younger, I took a lot of jobs that didn't include retirement accounts as part of the benefits package. I also didn't save a lot of money, thinking I couldn't (because I lived paycheck to paycheck). I figured I could worry about it later.

Now I realize what a colossal mistake that was, and I have to play catch-up. This is especially true because I know there is no way social security retirement benefits will cover my expenses. The amount just keeps going down from one generation to the next. Even though my mom worked more years than my grandmother, and she earned more income than my grandma, mom's social security benefit is only $500 per month, while my grandmother got about $600. Since the cost of living keeps going up, I doubt Ryan and I will get what we need from social security alone (if there's anything left at all).

So that leaves it up to us, as is true with many U.S. citizens these days. We do have retirement accounts that we contributed to over the years, but it won't be enough for us to retire on at the rate we are going.

In planning retirement, the first thing you need to do is understand your current budget, and what kind of expenses you will have in the future. Then you need to figure out how money much you need to put away (including estimated increases in the cost of living), and how much interest it needs to accrue, for you to retire. Look up "retirement calculator" and plug in your numbers to get a general idea of this.

The key to retiring early

The key to saving for early retirement is to spend less than you earn, and save as aggressively as possible. There are three ways to do that:

1. Reduce your expenses;
2. Increase your income;
3. Do a combination of both

But no matter what, you need to have money left over each month to put into your retirement account.

I know it's hard if you already feel like you're barely making enough to get by. As I said before, it won't be easy. You will have to sacrifice now so you can get what you want faster.

If you have a hard time imagining making more money than you do now, my post about things to stop buying to save money may help ease the burden. Then when you have more breathing room, maybe you can revisit ways to make more income.

I also watched a great video on YouTube recently about a guy who retired at age 31 -- he goes by Mr. Money Mustache or Peter Adeney. One thing in his presentation that really stuck with me, is that money spent on things that don't make you happy, is money wasted. Unfortunately, most of us waste a lot of money.

Happiness is everyone's goal in life. The question is how you create happiness for yourself while still saving for retirement.

Mr. Money Mustache made another valid point about the separation between work and money. The purpose of working should not be to make money. It should be (as with all else) to make you happy. Whether your happiness comes from creating artwork or saving lives or teaching, the goal of your work is to fulfill a purpose other than earning money to pay bills.

The purpose of making money should just be to make money. And it should be evaluated separately from your work. Once you retire, you can still work. But you won't have to do it for money so you will gain more enjoyment from your job, or contribute to the world in a meaningful way (which can also bring fulfillment).

I'm probably paraphrasing too much here; I think it will make more sense if you watch the video: https://youtu.be/FEBe7ZEfORc.

Things I recommend against if you want to retire early

First and foremost, don't ever cut back on spending related to your health. So keep buying healthy food, stay on the medications you need to manage medical conditions, and get enough exercise. However, that doesn't mean you can't rethink your budget on these items and look for more frugal ways to be healthy.

Don't use the time that should be spent sleeping on a side hustle; make sure you get enough rest. You may be able to handle the lack of sleep for a while, but it will catch up with you eventually. Then your productivity will go down, and so will your resolve. Instead of being sleep-deprived, cut something else out of your day, like watching TV.

Make sure you have enough free time so that you don't lose touch with your support system. Trying to retire early is going to be a lot of work, so make sure you have people who believe in your goals and are there to encourage you. Take some time to update friends and family; their positivity will help you keep moving forward.

Conversely, don't hang around people who think your frugality is silly, or that trying to retire early is a waste of time. The people who want to drag you along with them on the path to debt and being a slave to a job are not people who care about you. Even if they don't agree, they should at least respect you enough to let you make your own decisions.

Lastly, don't forget to pace yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint! If you can get it done faster than expected, then great. But just don't do it at the expense of your health, your relationships, or your ability to keep your current income source(s) and a place to live.

What I'm doing so I can retire early

First of all, I cut way back on our expenses, and I intend to do that even further wherever possible.

I also do a "purchase pause" before spending money; I keep waiting until I'm sure we really need to buy something. Often, months go by, and we still haven't needed the item in question. A lot of things we thought we wanted or needed are left unpurchased because we didn't need to buy them after all.

Then there is the issue of making more money. We already have a few income streams going. If we have to in the future, one or both of us will go back to being employees. But it isn't our first choice; neither one of us has had much luck enjoying employment.

So in the meanwhile, we are focusing on more types of income. One thing I'm doing is learning more about investing. Then I'm going to take our retirement accounts and evaluate things we can change to increase our earnings. I will also start investing money in diverse types of stocks, bonds, etc. Update: I took money from my former employer's retirement account and changed the portfolio. It went from losing money the way my employer set it up, to giving me a nice annual return with just a few simple changes!

I also will continue to keep a budget and monitor it regularly. It's important to keep tabs on where your money is going.

Lastly, I really focus on clear goals for the future. I think about what I want to do with my life once I'm retired. How will my work change? Where will I live? What kinds of volunteer work can I do? I have lots of ideas and goals, and I keep them in the forefront of my mind to inspire me to keep going.

What would you do if you could retire early?