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.

5 easy frugal minimalist life hacks

I want to put more money into savings every month, so I needed to trim my expenses. I already don't spend a lot, but I still found a few ways to live more frugally without feeling like I'm sacrificing. Here are the 5 frugal life hacks I've adopted recently to save some money. As a bonus, these hacks are also eco-minimalist. 😁 I'll explain why for each item.

1. Changing phone plans without upgrading phones
2. Ditching expensive cleaning items
3. Changing where I live
4. Meal prepping
5. Quitting workouts

You can pin this for later.

1. Changing phone plans without upgrading phones

For a long time, I paid for a Verizon plan at $70 per month (plus tax and fees) for 2 GB of data, the smallest amount of data I could get.  I wouldn't even use 2 GB each month, because I was usually connected to WiFi. I was out of contract, my phone paid off long ago. Yet even in a sizeable metro area with the "largest" network, I would still hit dead spots. Verizon hinted that my phone was old and an upgrade would help (it's a 4G phone), and with 5G available, wouldn't I want a 5G-capable phone anyway?

But I'd just paid $99 for a phone repair a year ago, and I couldn't justify buying a new phone (even on a payment plan at $0 interest per month) when I'm trying to cut back on expenses. Besides, I really like my phone and didn't want a new one.

The big wireless phone companies are some of the worst offenders when it comes to child labor, dirty mining practices, and polluting manufacturing. Not to mention how they encourage upgrades far sooner than necessary by purposely slowing down their technology and shaming customers into getting something newer and fancier with sneaky marketing tactics. Meanwhile, according to the EPA's 2018 data, in the U.S. generated 2.7 million tons in new consumer electronics, but only 1.04 million tons were collected for recycling. That's a 38.5% recovery rate, with the rest of the old electronics presumably going to landfills. As those products degrade (which takes thousands of years!!), they pollute the soil, water, air, and ocean. 

Not to mention that non-renewable resources, such as precious metals and petroleum products, get buried forever under tons of trash when they could be re-used, allowing us to stretch out their life cycle. Not only is e-waste recycling better for the environment, but it's also better for the consumer's wallet. The more we can re-use limited resources, the more cost-effective products will be.

Given all of these issues, I searched for a cheaper phone plan that would let me keep my phone. I found Mint Mobile, a pre-paid company that uses the T-Mobile network (yes, the one Ryan Reynolds owns). I now pay $15 per month (for 1 year in advance), and I get 4 GB of data and better network coverage for my area. First I tried them out for 3 months, which was $45. I decided I liked the network enough to go ahead and pay for a year. 

I still don't use up all my data, but 4 GB is the smallest plan. Since I'm saving about $65 per month, I don't really mind.

2. Ditching expensive cleaning items

I'm unhappy to say that for a long time, I thought my floor-cleaning choices were: a mop and a pail, a rag and my foot/hands, one of those old sponge mops, or a Swiffer. I went with a Swiffer because it seemed like the most sanitary option. But damn, was it expensive.

Then someone mentioned to me that there are these mops that look like Swiffers, but they have washable pads instead of the ones you throw away. The brand I found was Libman, but there are probably others as well. It still has the little bottle that sprays onto the floor as well, but you don't have to buy an expensive, chemical-laden solution to put into it. I have vinyl floors, which you can put just about any type of cleaner on. So I just use diluted vinegar.

The mop even comes with 2 pads, so if one gets too dirty in the middle of cleaning, you can switch it out for the other one.

Yes, it's still a plastic mop with a metal stick. But just like with a Swiffer, you can have it forever because they're relatively sturdy. I don't imagine the pads will fall apart that easily, either. I've heard of people attaching rags to their Swiffers, but I tried it and it didn't work too well, so I gave my Swiffer away. I like the pads because there's one that's abrasive for a good scrubbing and the other one is softer, thicker, and more absorbent. 

I don't think I need to explain why those throw-away Swiffer pads are bad for the environment. But in case you need convincing, the Washington Post reported back in 2005 that 83,000 tons of disposable wipes ended up in landfills in North America the previous year. 30% of those were from home cleaning. These cloths are made primarily of plastic products and harsh synthetic chemicals, which like electronics, are polluting to create and polluting after they're thrown out. Lastly, Swiffer is owned by Proctor & Gamble, a huge corporation that talks a good greenwashing talk but is not doing nearly enough to turn around all the damage they've done.

I spent about $20 on the mop, but I'm saving at least $10 per month by not having to buy disposable Swiffer pads. A huge bottle of white vinegar is less than $3 and will probably last me at least a year.

I've also decided to cut up an old towel to use as cleaning rags. I haven't bought any paper towels in at least a month--that's about $8 in savings. I thrifted some cloth napkins for $2, which is less than the cost of 6 months' worth of paper napkins. According to Statista, Americans use an average of 8 rolls of paper towels per month. The EPA said total paper and cardboard waste in 2018 was 67.39 million tons. In reference, it takes 17 trees and more than 20,000 gallons of water to make 1 ton of paper towels.

I was already using cloth dish rags for washing dishes, so no change there. But I did stop buying Mrs. Meyer's Toilet Bowl Cleaner (about $6 per bottle) and Surface Scrub (about $5 per container). I discovered baking soda and diluted vinegar work just as well. I can get baking soda in bulk locally at about $.50/lb, but even if that wasn't an option, it's still way cheaper than a commercially-made cleaner. I've been doing this for a while now, and I'm completely satisfied with how it works.

By the way, I thought I was doing well with Mrs. Meyer's products. But a lot of eco experts say that their products are greenwashed and could be a lot better. Additionally, the Environmental Working Group gives 80 out of 111 of their products a "D" grade. I don't want to support a brand that's putting out such toxic products.

3. Changing where I live

This was an interesting decision for me, and I know it isn't necessarily an option for everyone. As I've discussed before, I was living in an apartment alone after moving out from living with a roommate. Naturally, my rent went up, as did utilities, even though I moved to a cheaper area.

As my lease was coming to an end, my landlord informed me there would be a rent increase. From what I've heard, this has been happening to a lot of people lately. My rent was already about 50% of my net income, so naturally, I wasn't interested in paying more than that.

It really would be easier for both of us if I were to move in with my partner, who owns their home. So I did. I'm paying a flat amount to my partner to help with bills, which is about $300/month less than I was paying for rent and utilities at my old place, and cuts their lodging expenses in half. 

This is also a more sustainable way to live because 2 people in the same house use fewer resources than 2 people in separate homes (it doesn't use twice the amount of energy to heat or cool a house with 2 people in it instead of 1). Also, we're both mostly homebodies, so we'll be spending less fuel driving to see each other and will probably never go out. 😆

4. Meal prepping

I used to meal prep more when I worked in an office because I had access to a microwave at work. But I didn't have one at my apartment, and some things don't reheat well in an oven or on a stovetop. It started getting exhausting cooking every meal from scratch, which is part of why I started getting so much takeout.

But my partner has a micro, so I'm back to cooking larger quantities at once and eating more leftovers. I'm actually planning on doing a takeout boycott for an indefinite period of time for health reasons as well as money. My takeout usage varied, but I'd say I went from about $150-$200/month for food down to $75-100/month when I cut out restaurant food.

I do meal prep a little differently than I've seen other people do it, where they prep 2-5 different things at the same time, with separate meals for breakfast/lunch/dinner. I will meal prep one type of food (for example, pasta) and then eat it 2-3 times per day until it's gone. I don't mind the repetition and it's more cost-effective.

Meal prep is eco-minimalist because takeout results in a bunch of trash that you can't necessarily control. You can tell them "no utensils or napkins" but they will probably still give you some, and it's not like they won't get thrown away if you try to give them back. Plus, good luck during COVID with asking a restaurant to put your meal into a container you bring to them. Despite the evidence that surfaces carry a low risk of transferring infection, businesses are still understandably cautious. So you're going to end up with disposable containers.

Also, doing the bulk of cooking at once saves energy compared to creating a single serving at each meal. Even when you have to reheat, appliances run for less time than if you had to fully cook it. 

Lastly, I don't believe in preheating. I put food into the oven at the same time I turn it on, and I drop the pasta into the water when I turn on the burner. My food comes out cooked just the same as when I previously preheated it, with only a few extra minutes of cooking. With minimal exceptions (baked goods, which I rarely make), I think the need for preheating is a myth!

5. Quitting workouts

I haven't been to the gym since before lockdown. They closed due to mandates, and then when they re-opened, I didn't feel safe going back, but they still wanted to charge me the monthly fee. They even charged me the annual renewal fee while they were shut down!

I understand it must be hard on their business to have to be closed through no fault of their own. But when you mistreat your customers, they leave you, and then their business will be even worse. 

When I moved, there wasn't a branch of my gym within 30 minutes of my house, so it really didn't make sense to keep the membership. I'm saving $10/month plus gas.

Even before I moved, it still took 22 minutes to get to the closest gym. So exercising at home is much better for the environment! I'll admit sometimes it's a bummer to not have the expensive machines available to use. But I'm still working on my minimalist exercise routine, and when I'm happy with it, I'll share it with you.

If you add up all the changes from my frugal minimalist life hacks, I'm saving about $500 per month. This is a HUGE chunk of my income that I can now put toward savings/retirement. 

I also made a point of showing how each life hack was better for the environment because I think there are still a lot of people who believe that being more eco-friendly means spending more money. I'm in a lower income bracket, so the sustainable choices I make are going to reflect my personal budget, which means I have to focus on saving money instead of spending more! 

My minimalist living room makeover on a budget

Since my budget bedroom makeover is complete, I felt like I might as well work on the rest of my little apartment. I can't really do anything with the kitchen, so that leaves the living room and dining area (they're not really separate rooms).

I shoved a bunch of furniture from the bedroom into the dining room during my bedroom makeover. Now it's time to reorganize and do a low-key minimalist makeover of my living room and dining room!

Here's what's in store in this post:

1. My current living and dining room layout
2. Prep and decluttering
3. Choosing a theme
4. My new floor plan
5. Decorating my space

If you don't have time to read the article now, you can save it to Pinterest for later.

1. My current living and dining room layout

In case you didn't catch my last post, I took my desk, chair, and a bookcase and put them in the living/dining room. The existing furniture included a futon I use as a sofa, a TV on a TV stand, and some miscellaneous items. Here's what it looked like before I moved furniture in from the bedroom.

I'm using that app that only has one template for drawing again. which is why the upper rooms (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen) are listed as "partial." At least half of them aren't visible.

Anyway, you can see how the main area has one big window and the entry is in the bottom right corner (the brown indicates the fake wood flooring). There's a half wall at the entry that I use to rest my keys, sunglasses, etc. To the left is the living room, and to the right is the dining room.

The kitchen is open to the dining room (no separating wall) and has a 2-level countertop. One level is taller, but the part that's in the dining room is table height. I think maybe you call it a breakfast bar? I have a couple of chairs there, and it's where I eat many of my meals. I have a little tray table too, and sometimes I eat in front of the TV as well.

When I moved into this apartment, I was using the futon as my bed and I didn't have any living room or dining room furniture. I had a roommate in my first apartment, and she brought all the furniture for the common area. When we went our separate ways, I got this place. Since it had that bar area already, I decided not to spend money on a dining room table. I upgraded my bed instead, plus I bought the TV stand, a TV, and the chairs. I do lots of arts and crafts stuff, so it's more important to me to have a place to do that than it is to have a dining set.

I don't have a coffee table either, because the futon opens up into a bed and it would have to get pushed out of the way if I had a table. Sometimes I use the futon for guests, but obviously not lately. Sometimes I lay it flat just for myself to lounge on while I watch a movie.

I didn't buy end tables in the living room because the arms of the futon are wooden and they're flat, so I can set a drink or the remotes on there.

When I was younger, I guess I was really into pine with a light-colored stain, because that's what color all my furniture is. So it all looks similar. It isn't really my favorite anymore, but there's no way I'm replacing everything anytime soon. So it'll work for now.

You could say this area is already sort of minimalist. But with the addition of the desk and bookcase, I feel the need to organize things better and make my space look nicer. I also hide my workout stuff and arts/crafts stuff in my bedroom closet when people come over because it looks messy to me. But I want to keep them out and also have everything look nice.

2. Prep and decluttering

As with my bedroom makeover, I did a declutter and deep cleaning of the living/dining space. There wasn't much to declutter, but I did take down all the artwork/photos from the walls. I didn't want what was already there to influence my decisions about what would come next, so I stacked them against the wall in my bedroom.

My main issue, as I mentioned, was the stuff in the dining area. I've thought for a while that I needed better storage for everything over there. I don't like how it's all just laying on the floor in plastic containers or not in any container at all.

3. Choosing a theme

As with my bedroom, I can't paint the walls or change the flooring. But there are a few things in my favor. First, all the furniture has similar wood grain and stain, so nothing looks mismatched. It's also neutral enough in color and design that it can sort of blend into the background.

Second, the futon has a zipper cover in forest green. I can't for the life of me remember why I loved dark green and pinewood when I was younger. But I can easily change out the cover.

So that just leaves deciding on an overall theme and colors. While the blue and white theme in my bedroom is soothing, I don't think it's exactly what I was looking for in the common area. I also don't like the way the paler blues look with the pine furniture. That's why I moved it out and stuck my pine dresser in the closet.

I researched what colors go well with pine, and the recommendation was for jewel tones, especially dark green (haha). But I just kept going back to blue. Not blue like my bedroom, but I found a teal blue cotton twill futon cover for only $30. I looked everywhere, and as usual, Amazon was the cheapest. Other places I looked at had similar options for $60-$150. Other colors in jewel tones were navy blue, purple, and burgundy. Two of those looked too dark, and the third (the purple) looked kinda weird to me. More red tones than I would like. So teal it is!

Given that the futon is the only piece of upholstered furniture in these rooms, the theme became "teal and pine" or something along those lines.

The color of my new cover on a futon frame similar to mine

4. My new floor plan

Other than changing the color of my futon cover, there wasn't much to do. I just needed to arrange any new furniture brought into the room and think about decorating the walls. 

The only other issue was what to do with the mess in my dining room. While I would love to get a fancy arts and crafts organizer system from a place like Ikea or The Container Store, that's just not in the budget right now.

However, I did need a better setup in that area so I ended up adding a few pieces that I found for free on Craigslist. There were a lot of options, but I was limited to what would fit in my car and that I could carry myself. I settled on two things: 

I think this used to be a game table. I left the chairs behind for someone else.

This dresser fits all my miscellaneous crafts and exercise items.

The table isn't in the best shape, but that's fine because I'm using it as my sewing table and for art projects, so it will only get worse from here! Based on what I'm using it for, I saw no reason to search for something more aesthetically pleasing or to try to fix it up. It could be a good place to place food, and I have a white table cloth I can throw over it for when friends come by. The rest of the time, it's just me and I don't mind how the table looks.

The dresser just needed a quick cleaning and it was good to go. It's close enough in color to my existing furniture and far enough away from the other pieces that I'm satisfied with it "matching." The tall door on the right side is the perfect height to store my yoga mat and other workout equipment. Meanwhile, the drawers are great for fabric, art supplies, yarn, and whatever else I need to get creative.

After I moved things around a few times, I came up new floor plan I'm happy about. Here it is.

I emptied the contents of the storage totes into the new dresser and put them on the top shelf of my closet for now. I'll keep them for a while and give them away if I don't end up using them for something.

I'm very happy with how things are. When I'm painting, I can set up my paints on the new table (I was using the tray table before) and have plenty of room. My sewing machine now has a permanent spot on the back corner of the table (unless I'm using it) and I still have enough space to work on other things. If I need to sit down either in front of the easel or the craft table, I can grab either my balance ball chair or one of the chairs from my breakfast bar.

The futon and TV setup stayed almost the same. I just moved the futon back a little so there was better traffic flow now that the desk is there. The balance ball doesn't quite fit under the desk when it's on its stand, so when I want it completely out of the way, I can move it in front of the craft table.

I like having my desk under the window. I take more breaks from working to look outside. But I read that's better for your eyes anyway to move your eyes away from the screen when you're staring at a computer all day. I can tilt my blinds just right so I can see out but nobody can see back in, and it's nice to have the option of a breeze and some fresh air while I work too.

5. Decorating my new space

I thought about getting some throw pillows for the futon but decided I don't want to spend the money right now. Ditto for the meditation cushion I was eyeing. If/when I splurge on that, it will probably go in the top left corner of the living room, behind the futon. I probably get the purple color (I bet you thought I was going to say teal!).

I may also switch out my white table cloth for one that matches the slipcover (or coordinating color). Anything but white, because that's just asking for trouble if I put any food on it.

As for the artwork, I didn't really theme my choices. My decisions were informed more by the sizes and placement, plus what I want to look at. I put a few pics on the back wall where my bedroom door is. I decided the dining room (AKA the craft space) will be used to display past and future artwork that I make myself. I put up a few pieces and may add some more as I create them.

There are still some blank walls: the one next to the futon and the one behind the TV. I think I will leave the TV wall blank, and leave the other wall as more real estate for my own work as I make it.

In total, I spent ~$30 for the new futon cover plus whatever it cost in gas to pick up the 2 pieces of furniture.

I have some final thoughts I wanted to share about the bedroom and living/dining room makeovers. 

• None of these changes were a necessity. I just thought it would be nice to do something different, and an interesting experience to share in blog posts.
• If you're wondering why I didn't include pictures of the rooms, it's because I'm a private person, and it feels invasive to me to share pictures of my home with strangers on the internet. Also, my current phone camera is garbage when it comes to high-quality images. I tried to take pics. No matter what angles and lighting I used, I wasn't happy with the results. You probably won't see too many pictures I took myself on this blog.
• I could have done these makeovers with less money. For even cheaper makeovers, I could have gotten a bedsheet from the thrift store and used that to make my bed skirt. I could have used a thrift store-bought comforter, throw, or pillows to change the look of my futon (although $30 is pretty darn good for a cotton cover). 
• This could have been a free makeover. I could have simply moved around my furniture and/or added the free stuff I found on Craigslist. There are often decorative items for free on there too; if you're patient and persistent, you can find the right stuff.

Despite these caveats, I'm glad I did these makeovers. I think my apartment is much more functional and pleasing to the eye than how I had things before. Even though the old floor plan was fine, I didn't put much thought into it when I moved in.  Looking at everything with a critical eye after using the space for some time allowed me to come up with alternatives to what existed.

If you will do/have done your own makeover on a budget, comment below about what you changed and how you like it!

How to create a minimalist bedroom on a budget

After downsizing my clothing and creating a capsule wardrobe, I decided I wanted the rest of my bedroom to feel as organized and comfortable as my closet. So I started searching for how to create a minimalist bedroom on a budget. I'm going to share my favorite tips with you and how I used them in my bedroom.

1. Preparing the bedroom for a makeover

2. Deciding on a minimalist theme

3. Picking a furniture layout

4. Setting up and decorating my bedroom

If you don't have time to read the article now, you can save it to Pinterest for later.

I wouldn't mind that view from my bedroom!

1. Preparing the bedroom for a makeover

So you know where I started from, my bedroom initially had no particular style to it. It was just a collection of furniture that sort of matched and various pieces of artwork that I liked. The first thing I needed to do was cut down on miscellaneous items in my bedroom. I went around the room and re-homed things that didn't need to be in my bedroom, like my keys, a stack of mail, etc. 

I also wanted to do a different furniture layout (more about that later), so I figured I might as well remove everything from the walls. But before working on that, I decided to pare down my possessions further by using the steps listed in our decluttering article.

After that was done, I moved out all the furniture except for my bed and did a deep cleaning. I even washed all the walls.

This portion of the project took me all day, and I ended up sleeping with just my bed in the middle of my bedroom. I was tempted to keep just the bed and ditch all the other furniture. But I decided that was a bit extreme for now, so I went on to do research about what overall theme I wanted for the bedroom.

2. Deciding on a minimalist theme

I wanted something simple and peaceful. I'm not allowed to paint my walls, hang any window coverings, or put holes in the walls (it's a rental), so I was limited in how far I could take any theme. The walls are white-ish (let's call them off-white), the carpet is beige, the furniture is a natural pine, and I wanted to keep my blue bedding. I thought if I switched out or removed the pine furniture, I could have a blue-and-white theme.

I'm not sure if you can call this a "minimalist" theme per se. When I looked up minimalist bedroom styles, some of the suggestions I found were Japanese, Scandinavian, Zen, Boho, neutral, black-and-white, and all-white. None of those really matched my personal tastes very well.

Bohemian bedroom

But I really love the color blue and find it very relaxing. I think it pairs well with white, too. To make it more interesting, I wanted different shades of blue. So I decided to take this concept and make it minimalist. I'm not much for knick-knacks anyway, so I figured I could easily create the look I wanted without over-decorating. My color palette was inspired by this look:

3. Picking a furniture layout

My bedroom used to have my bed, a small dresser, a bookcase, my desk, and a balance ball chair in it. In case you didn't catch that, I did not have any bedside tables. My bed was against one wall in the corner with my desk next to it, so I used that as a sort of nightstand. Here's how my furniture was arranged.

The blue line above the bed indicates the window.

Pretty crowded, right? Yep, my place is small.

I didn't want my desk in my bedroom any longer, and I didn't want the bookcase in there either. During the purging and cleaning process, you may remember I had already moved out everything except for my bed from the room. So those pieces stayed out (I'll figure out what to do with them later). 

I wanted to keep the dresser, but I had this idea to put it in my closet. I got rid of so many clothes that this was easy to do. Now, most of my clothes are folded up in the dresser and the rest are hanging up on one side of the closet.

It was annoying to make the bed when it was in the corner because two sides were against the wall. Since I was taking a bunch of other furniture out, I decided to center the bed along the back wall so I could walk on both sides of it.

Next on my list was finding bedside tables (two of them, for visual balance), lamps, and something I always wanted--a chest to put at the foot of the bed. I figured if I could find a good deal, then I'd get it. If not, then it would wait.

I did a quick sketch of my bedroom and how I wanted the furniture placed so you can visualize what I'm talking about.

I should mention the drawing isn't to scale. It looks like the door might hit the chest, but there's actually a foot or two of room there. I'm using a free program to draw this, and it only makes square drawings. The room is more like a vertical rectangle. So no worries there.

Either way, it's a small room, so removing that additional furniture will help with how cramped it felt and definitely make it more minimalist.

4. Setting up and decorating my bedroom

My bed is just a simple metal frame with a memory foam mattress (and plywood to support the memory foam). I thought about getting rid of the frame and putting the mattress on the floor, but I like the look of it elevated. I think the room would be too bottom-heavy if the largest piece of furniture is low to the ground.

Putting my mattress on the floor isn't the look I want.

However, the metal frame is ugly. I didn't want to buy a new bed frame, so I looked into ideas to make it more attractive. This project looked interesting, but it felt intimidating for me to do on my own. Another suggestion was to wrap the legs and rails in overlapping ribbons, maybe with cotton batting underneath. I would have to pull the mattress and plywood off to do that, so that was a hard pass.

I wanted to try making my own pleated bed skirt. I don't want a traditional ruffly skirt--that's not my style. Except when I priced out fabric, it was going to be way more expensive to make one myself than to just buy one. So I bought this one from Bed Bath & Beyond in ivory. It has good reviews and is relatively affordable, plus I didn't have to take the whole mattress off to attach it--I just slid the mattress side to side and attached in to the plywood. The fabric quality is just okay, but it will work for now. It hides those ugly metal corners and wheels well enough.

I already have a sheet set in a soft grayish-blue, and last year I got myself a weighted blanket to see if it would improve my sleep. I chose the brand Luna because the blankets themselves are eco-friendly, but was very disappointed when the duvet covers that came with mine were 100% polyester. It took two washes to get the chemical smell to go away. However, it looks like now they have duvet covers in 100% cotton. Here's the color I got for my duvet if you want to see it. They sell their products on Amazon as well, but I bought them straight from the manufacturer's website because they have much better prices there.

Since I already had the bedding in the colors I wanted, once I added the bed skirt, my bed's makeover was complete. On to find the rest of my furniture.

First things first, I needed bedside tables. New ones were more than I wanted to spend, so I started looking at used pieces. I found two of these bar stools at a thrift store, for $5 each:

The stools are about 13" around on the top. All I need space for is a lamp, water bottle, phone, and a book. So far, everything fits. I thought that if it starts to feel too small I could add larger glass tops to increase the surface area.  I really like the minimalist aesthetic that these stools brought to the room, and they can be extra seating whenever I have people over!

I also needed small table lamps to go on each table. At first, I fell in love with a set of these:

But I'm way too frugal to spend $60 on a couple of lamps. So I decided it was time for an easy project. I bought 66 feet of fairy lights. I put one end of the lights into a mason jar I already had. A quick tip: it helps to turn them on while you're putting them in the jar to see if you have enough lights inside. Then I ran the lights up over my window (they sit on top of the blinds), down the other side, and put more lights into a second jar on top of the other table. Since the jars were free, I spent about $10 on new bedside lighting! This is similar to what my "lamps" look like.

Last on my list was a storage chest. Wow, they are expensive. I didn't find an affordable option. It isn't like I really need it. I just thought it would be a nice place to sit down while getting ready, and a place I can store my off-season clothes and extra blankets. I'll keep looking, but it's fine if I don't get one.

The last thing I wanted to do was add some artwork to the walls. I put back up some pictures of family and friends. I also used some pictures of the ocean and sky I took over the years. I printed them out on photo paper and put them in frames I already had. Here's a beach picture I took during a trip several years ago:

Oh, and here's a tip for renters who can't put nails in the walls like me: I use 3M Command Strips. In fact, I'd probably use them even if I could use a hammer and nail instead, because they allow me to place things exactly where I want. With a nail, you have to figure out where to put the hole, which is not the same place as where you want the frame to sit. This is way less complicated.

Overall, things worked out well. I started off with one design and ended with a different result, but that's OK too. I think when you have a small budget (I spent about $65 total), you have to be willing to change your plans. Also, if I'd researched furniture costs ahead of time, I might have gotten discouraged and decided it was too expensive to even try. Improvising along the way allowed me to come up with satisfying alternatives to my original ideas.

I love how airy and soothing my bedroom feels now. I have just slightly more furniture than I need (with the extra bedside table and lamp), but I like the symmetry of the two tables. 

I think this is also the first time ever that I've had a fully coordinated room where everything matched and there was a theme. I always thought something like that would be more time-consuming and take a lot more money. Another win for minimalism!

Next, I'll have to work on my living and dining room, because it's suddenly very crowded in there. But it doesn't seem so intimidating now that I've handled the bedroom. 

Minimalism and Money: 7 Minimalist Philosophies About Finances

Behind the coronavirus and the government, Gallup polls from March 2021 show that Americans consider economic issues (as a whole) the third most important problem today.

I don't have any solutions for how minimalism would help with COVID or politicians, 😏 so let's talk about minimalism and money! Here are the 7 minimalist philosophies on tap today, and how they relate to finances.

1. Time is money
2. Less is more
3. Live an intentional life
4. Be authentic
5. Focus on what you love
6. You can become rich by acquiring much or desiring little
7. Live without envy

If you don't have time to read this post right now, you can save it to Pinterest for later!

1. Time is money

In his book The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness, Morgan Housel says, "Controlling your time is the highest dividend money pays."

All of a person's time has value, and if you think about it, time can always be translated into a monetary value. Time is an opportunity to make money, keep it, spend it, or lose it. I want to be doing one of 3 things with my time:

• Something that improves my health (relaxing, sleep, exercising, cooking healthy food, etc.). I've heard that you can pay for your health now by taking care of yourself, or later by paying medical bills. Since I'd much rather not spend my later years being sick, I spend money now to try to take care of myself.
• Something fun, which may cost money, but would be an investment in my happiness. I have this as separate from improving my health because while having fun can be good for well-being, not all fun activities can be classified as healthy! 😉
• Making money--a direct path between time and money that helps both my present and future.

Anything else is just wasted time in my opinion. So if something isn't some combination of enjoyable, lucrative, and health-improving, then I probably won't be doing it. I used to be one of those people who spent too much time trying to make other people happy. I try not to be that way anymore, even if that means I have to disappoint someone else to take care of myself and my priorities. As mentioned in our previous article on this blog, it's ok to put yourself first sometimes.

2. Less is more

This saying can apply to many parts of minimalism but in general, less is more means spending less money.

Even if you spend more money on fewer things, if they are higher quality and last longer, then you will save money in the long run.

Although buying cheaply can make you spend money more often, there are still fewer things to buy if you follow the "less is more" philosophy. So in the end, you should still spend less.

Less is more can save money when it doesn't apply to shopping, too. Here are a few examples off the top of my head:

• Less junk food = more health = less money spent on health care
• Less stress = more happiness = less money spent on stress eating, impulse buying, therapy/counseling, anti-stress aids, lost wages from sick days
• Less busy = more money saved on activities and transportation
• Less debt = more money in savings, larger retirement account, higher equity in property owned
• Less mileage is driven = more money saved on repairs, maintenance, insurance, and fuel

I had more examples than I thought! 😆 

3. Live an intentional life

Have you ever heard that you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're hungry? It's because you'll be more susceptible to impulse buys, getting junk food, or buying foods that end up spoiling before you use them. 

An intentional trip to the grocery store would involve eating a meal beforehand, checking what you already have in the refrigerator and pantry, planning out your meals, and writing a list. It might also involve strategizing the best store(s) to visit based on what you want to buy, and collecting coupons.

I love to plan, so this grocery shopping outline sounds great to me (and is one that I actually follow). But I know that not everyone does this. And if they don't do it for groceries, chances are they don't do it for other parts of their life either. Imagine applying that level of intentionality to every purchase decision you make. Does that sound horrible?

No judgment if it does. The fact is that examining your life at this level can hurt, especially if you're not used to it. Nobody wants to think about how what they spend might mess with their life. And that's something you have to face when you practice intentional spending.

On the upside, getting into the habit of being more intentional becomes easier over time. It won't always be as upsetting or stressful to examine your spending, because you'll change things as you go. There will be less to get upset about. People are also adaptable, and get used to change if they're consistent with it.

4. Be authentic

It seems like what's been popular online for a while now are "hauls." Grocery hauls, online shopping hauls, luxury good hauls, makeup hauls, thrift store hauls, etc. Here's what I see happening:

• I think comparison culture has such a strong streak running through modern society that if one person does something and it's popular, then everyone wants to do it. So more and more people do their own shopping hauls.
• Viewers get inundated with these pictures, posts, and videos of the hauls, which are basically an advertisement to spend. They see things that they like and want to have them too.

What's wrong with that, you might ask? The question that comes to my mind is whether people are buying things because they actually like what they see, or if they just think they want to buy stuff because they see other people buying it. 

I've watched some of those videos and found myself wanting things that I didn't even know existed! How can you know whether you actually want or need something, if you didn't know it was an option before? Was your life empty and unfulfilled but you didn't know it until you saw this one thing and thought, "That is what I need to make me whole!"

Not everyone can live in a vacuum. But we can choose to set aside outside influences and find out who we are inside. Chances are, our authentic selves can be happy without buying what we saw in the latest shopping haul video.

5. Focus on what you love

You know that game "would you rather?" Someone asks you things like "cake or pie?" or "mountains or desert?" and you say which one you prefer. If you apply this game to your spending habits, then you start to see savings.

Buying things that you don't love is not only an ineffective use of your money, it's a way to make yourself unhappy. Imagine how much clutter you'll accumulate if you buy the sweater AND the jacket (but you don't really like the jacket).

There's an element of self-esteem and self-love to this as well. You have to be willing to not settle and to hold out for what you truly love and deserve. Spending money on things you don't care about is the equivalent of going on a date with someone you don't really like, just because you don't want to be alone. Give yourself more respect than that. Wait for the "right" one--whether it's a person or a possession!

"Spending money on things you don't care about is the equivalent of going on a date with someone you don't really like, just because you don't want to be alone."  - Minimalist Life

 

6. You can become rich by acquiring much or desiring little

The actual quote is “There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.” by Jackie French Koller.

This is a great quote to put on your wall to help keep you on track with your spending choices. It's obvious how each of these can affect your finances, and which way is more minimalist. I don't think I need to explain any further.

However, perhaps what does need explanation is how you choose one path over the other. An inspirational saying is probably not enough. If you live in any first-world country, you're likely surrounded by capitalism and the encouragement to consume. There's really no escaping it if you want to engage with society at all. Plus, hardly anyone is self-sufficient anymore. Most of us have to buy everything we own because we don't know how to make it ourselves.

I'm still learning myself, but one thing I know for sure is that a drastic change is probably not a sustainable change. Even though I love organizing and decluttering, the thought of letting go of 90% of my stuff all at once is pretty scary. I think I would have to make a lot of lists to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. 😅

I think a good first step is to change what you acquire from now on. Again, do it slowly. Focus first on stuff that you care less about. Here's a simplistic example. You buy both apples and oranges every week but only eat the apples. Stop buying oranges; you're buying them because you think you should buy them. Or you think you need them, but you're not using them and just wasting money. So it's easy to cut this out of your spending. 

The harder choice is to cut down on the apples because you like them. If you feel like you're still acquiring too much, you can work on that next. But it's always going to be easier to start with the stuff you don't care about (or don't care about as much) to create habits within your brain. It will make working on the harder stuff more palatable.

7. Live without envy

Just like there is a ton of pressure to consume, comparison culture runs rampant these days. There's even an acronym (FOMO = fear of missing out) to describe how we feel when we compare and think we're not keeping up. And from a capitalist standpoint, a lot of what is envied has to do with money.

Yes, having more money can absolutely make life easier in many ways. But more money often comes with more expenses, more responsibility, and less free time. If you have trouble managing money at $30k per year, you will still have trouble managing money at $100k per year. I think the biggest problem many people experience as their salaries go up is lifestyle creep--you make more, so you start doing more unnecessary spending.

Unless we have access to financial records, we can't know exactly what's going on with someone else's income and spending. Trying to replicate it and thinking we'll get the same results is a recipe for frustration.

There are other things that people envy, like physical attractiveness, relationships, talent, and emotional enlightenment. I know from direct interactions with experts and influencers in these categories that their lives are not as perfect as they appear, either. They have just as many self-doubts, days of sadness, fights with their significant others, and bad hair days as the rest of us.

The things we see that make us envious of others are often a highlight reel and not an accurate reflection of what it's really like to be in their shoes.

Nobody lives 100% happy and satisfied all the time. It just isn't possible, no matter how things may seem to the outside world. I'm sure you don't enjoy the struggles you deal with in your life, but just remember that everyone has them. Their problems are just as real as yours are, even if they're well-hidden.