Frugal and sustainable minimalist home decoration

Welcome to my final post in my minimalist moving series! For now, anyway. 😉 In this article, I'm going to discuss all the budget-friendly and sustainable methods we used to furnish our new apartment.

In case you missed the first two posts, the recap is that a while back, I moved in with my partner to the house that they owned. We had 2 sets of everything. Their style of furniture wasn't really my style, and my furniture was not my style either.

So when we decided to sell their house, we also decided to sell or donate most, if not all, of our existing furniture and downsize the rest of our belongings so that we could start fresh together.

If you want more details, the 2 previous posts are:

Is it minimalist to move to a new home?

4 frugal minimalist tips for moving

As for what's in this post, the information is going to fall into a few categories.

1. Why we moved and where we're living now
2. How we downsized 2 households into 1
3. Budget-friendly and sustainable furnishing of a new home
4. Overall costs of furnishing a new home from scratch

1. Why we moved and where we're living now

My partner scrimped and saved every penny starting as a teenager to put a down payment on a house. At age 21, they bought a place they were barely able to afford. They had a roommate to help pay the mortgage at first, but that person unfortunately left and was never replaced, leaving my partner to work 6-7 days per week to make ends meet.

The house is older and had never been updated, which meant that esthetically, it was very dated and worn, as well as mechanically/structurally, it had things that were going to need fixing or replacing very soon. Some things were already in disrepair and were out of my partner's budget to address. 

When I moved in, that eased up my partner's finances a bit and with time and a LOT of money, we could have fixed the place up. However, given that it was an attached house (shared wall on 1 side with a neighbor) in a neighborhood that we weren't fond of, it didn't make a lot of sense to do it. Especially when we checked in with a realtor and it seemed like we'd be able to sell it for a modest profit to reinvest in a house that we both liked better.

Well, let's just say nothing turned out exactly as we thought, which was both good and bad. Firstly, the interest in the house was completely overwhelming. It sold for far more than we were asking, which was great.

But the downside was that even with such a large anticipated profit and both of our incomes instead of just one, the market outpaced our buying power and we were never able to find the right place to buy by the time our house sold. Ironically, we would not have been able to buy the house we were living in.

We don't regret selling it for a minute, though. It was what my partner could afford at the time, not their dream home, and it needed more from us financially than we could give it.

The house is about 1200sf and has a one-car garage. We moved into a ~800sf apartment with no garage or extra storage, and a completely different layout from the house. Lots of things had to change.

The apartment is newly renovated with only energy-efficient appliances, its own water heater, and very quiet HVAC equipment. It's nice to not have to speak louder each time the AC or furnace turns on! Each unit has a washer and dryer so we don't have to haul our laundry out to the garage like we used to in the house, or to some laundromat used by hundreds of people. 

It's a secured building, so no random strangers or salespeople knocking on our door. And the best part? If something breaks, we call maintenance and they fix it, and we don't pay anything extra to have a fully-functioning home. This is saving us potentially tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the next 12 months versus if we were to stay and tackle the needs of our previous house.

In this current economy with skyrocketing fuel prices and inflated costs for necessities like food, we are closer to my partner's work, and we have 2 reasonably-priced grocery stores within 5 minutes of the apartment.

The last reason why we moved into an apartment is that it leaves us free to make decisions without undue pressure. We found ourselves looking at houses farther and farther away from our target area. It ended up that the houses in a comfortable price range were in locations that we weren't very familiar with. The economy was not as stable and my partner would have to see about switching their job situation around, which might lead to a loss in income. Also, we were uncertain how we would feel about living there, as it was so different from our current city. 

We didn't want to make a hasty choice just to own a house because we were afraid of "wasting" money on rent, so we thankfully were able to find this apartment that we really like on short notice. The rent is comparable to our previous mortgage, but now we have no mortgage debt and more money in savings.

In my opinion, paying for housing is never a waste, whether you're renting, owning a house, living in an RV, car, a boat, or jumping from one hotel to another. Having a roof over your head is a necessity, and these days it seems to be a privilege that not everyone has access to. These financial gurus who shame people for housing choices clearly have no idea what it's like to be without a choice. Also, just because you can buy a house also doesn't mean you should. Homeownership is a large responsibility and ties a person to a location in ways that are not always easy to circumvent if you need to move.

In our case, we don't know what the future holds and if we want to be tied to a house at this moment. Our 12-month lease gives us time to regroup and decide what's next. Do we want to try again to buy something locally? Move out of the area? Or do we want to stay here and rent, either in this apartment or a different one?

Right now, I'm really liking apartment living and I definitely appreciate the convenience of our location and all the surrounding amenities. Not to mention the peace of mind of built-in repair and maintenance services. My partner grumbles occasionally about not having a garage, but oh, well. 

2. How we downsized 2 households into 1

This was a process we started when we were getting ready for me to move in with my partner. I more so than my partner, because they had their stuff already set up a certain way and didn't want to change it. I was fine with that because I had no emotional attachments to any of my furnishings; I just needed a place to do my work and crafts, which I got. This definitely doesn't work for everybody, though, and should be part of the conversation when people are deciding to move in together or to a new location.

As we planned our next move together, we looked at houses and discussed what kind of floor plan we were looking for, and determined what size house was in our budget. This helped dictate what we would keep from our existing possessions.

But then, when it looked like we might be moving several hours away, paying for a moving truck to haul everything looked very unappealing. Realistically, the houses in our budget were fixer-uppers. We would already have to set aside a renovation budget on top of a disgustingly large down payment and closing costs; did we really want to add (at minimum) a thousand dollars plus fuel costs to that? At this point, we started doing garage sales and Craigslist ads to see what we could sell, especially big items.

We also carefully went through everything we owned and decided what was in the best condition, was the most useful or practical, and was most important to us. My partner did a lot of purging of things that I never thought they would; they wanted a clean slate as well. I like to think I inspired them a bit with my minimalist habits. 😁

When we did a showing of our apartment, we knew we'd have to go even further with our possession overhaul. But that was fine because we were on a roll at that point.

On the weekend before closing, I was busy setting up our new place while my partner held one last sale at the house. They actually started giving whatever was left over away for free and posted an ad to let people know. There was only a small amount of stuff left that we had to donate once the sale was over, and we ended up with almost $3000 in our pocket from all the sales that we did.

And thank goodness we did because we still would have been hard-pressed to fit even one set of our existing furniture in our apartment. The way the space is arranged and the shape of each room is completely different from the house. 

I think the key factor that helped us to downsize was having a goal to motivate us that mattered more than holding on to what we owned. We both wanted a fresh start in a new place and the opportunity to decorate it together. And after our first garage sale brought in over $1000, I have to say my partner was hooked on the idea of selling things. 😛 They were happy to keep going with a sale every weekend until we ran out of time.

The last downsizing we did was to offload one of our cars. We're down to just a small SUV now, as my partner's pickup truck was just too gas-guzzling. Since I work from home and we're closer to public transportation, sharing a car has not been a problem.

3. Budget-friendly and sustainable furnishing of a new home

Out of everything we did to move into our new place, there was only one thing that we bought new. That was a bed. Both of our beds were not very comfortable anymore; my partner's bed was older and mine was a cheap mattress that didn't stand up to time very well. So we decided to invest some of our newfound money into a decent bed. 

We were pleased to find a company that manufactured locally. You can find eco-friendly mattress companies online, but they are usually much more expensive than non-eco companies. So this was our compromise; by buying local, we were supporting the local economy and also reducing the need for shipping long distances. This is a type of eco-friendly shopping you can incorporate into your life when overtly sustainable options are out of your price range.

Otherwise, everything we acquired for our apartment was pre-owned. Where possible, we got it for free or cheap from the community through Craigslist or local yard sales. A few items came from thrift stores that we weren't going to find easily through a Craigslist ad, like cloth placemats and a cooking utensil holder.

My one complaint about our kitchen is how narrow the drawers are. The top drawer is also so shallow that all you can realistically fit in it is a pair of scissors and a can opener. It didn't make much sense to put all our silverware in an upper or lower cabinet, so we ended up getting a free-standing cabinet that fit a silverware tray and helped us organize some other items as well.

One thing that's easy to find as a giveaway in our area is those cube storage units. You know, the open shelves that have square spaces for those fabric containers? I like them because they come in various heights and widths, so you can use them in just about every room.

We have one in our bedroom closet, a small one in the kitchen, and a large one in the bedroom that our TV sits on.

We already had a few of the fabric containers that we use to store our folded clothes in. But to better organize other stuff, we needed more cubes. Easy fix: I used a bunch of my leftover yarn scraps (and also made some "yarn" out of old clothes that were too worn out to donate) and crocheted myself some baskets. There are all sorts of free patterns on the internet for doing this; you can even coat the basket with a stiffener like corn starch to make the walls stand up better. Plus, you can customize the colors and sizes however you like. 

Most of the things we found were in decent shape and didn't need any fixing to be used straight away. However, the one struggle was with finding a dining room set. 

I wanted dark wood or shiny black finish, small (square or round), high-top, with 4 chairs. There were choices out there for like $150 used that weren't even really what I wanted. All the cheaper or free stuff was really banged up. 

But we finally found a real wood table and chairs for free. It needed some fixing to make it decent, but it's the right size and I'm happy with it.

We've been here for almost 3 months now, and I think we're pretty well finished with the setting up. I will probably do a few decorative items down the road, but for now, we need nothing else to be organized and comfortable.

4. Overall costs of furnishing a home from scratch

I consider this "from scratch" because we got all the essentials for our apartment when we moved in. The things that we brought with us (plates, utensils, cooking supplies, personal items, some art, 2 TVs) were things that we did see being offered for free or very inexpensively in the second-hand arena, so feel free to add on as much as $25 to our total if you want to be picky about it.

I'm also not including the cost of gas, because that was just too variable to keep track of. We tried our best to check ads while we were already doing something else so we wouldn't be using extra fuel. Or, we would set up a time to get something along a route we were already going to take the next day. 

OK, so onto the price breakdown. I'm betting many of you will find these details less interesting than I do, so I'll make it quick:

• New bed: $1400
• Small items from thrift stores (place mats, utensil holders, soap dispenser, spice rack): ~$40
• Cabinet with doors for kitchen, three cube storage shelves, sofa, living room TV stand, small bookcases, corner desk, desk chair: free
• Dining table and 4 chairs: free plus ~$30 in refinishing supplies
• Crocheted storage baskets: no additional cost (made from items on hand and acquired for free or bought a long time ago)

I think that's it. So as you can see, we came out well ahead after selling most of our old household stuff plus one car.

I hope the examples I gave you in this series are helpful if you have to move, downsize, or furnish a dwelling during these expensive times. See you next time!

4 frugal minimalist tips for moving

Moving is expensive. Whether you're buying, selling, or just moving from one rental to another, it costs money.

And if your journey is far, or you just broke the bank on a down payment or apartment deposit, you probably don't have much left for an expensive moving company. Let's talk about how to move on the cheap.

1. Why make your move frugal minimalist?
2. Plan ahead as far as possible
3. Minimize your possessions to maximize your savings
4. Be patient and frugal in your new place 

1. Why make your move frugal minimalist?

I think moving expenses are something many people don't budget for. Or, they can't budget for it because they need the money for other things.  Fuel prices in my area have increased a lot lately, which makes tight budgets stretch even thinner.

As discussed in the last post, the least frugal (or minimalist) thing you can do is to blindly pack up everything you own, pay to move it, and then stuff it into your new house. Unless you own a house full of priceless antiques, I'm guessing that much of your furniture is not worth the cost of moving it. 

Before you get offended, let me throw some stats at you. According to Zillow, people moving within the same city can pay an average of $475 for a local move. A 4-bedroom house costs maybe $1200 to bring across town.

Meanwhile, long-distance moves with full-service movers range from $2000 to $5000 according to the same Zillow article. 

But I think the article is either old, or the estimates are way too low. Just for kicks, I checked out what it would cost to rent from U-Haul going from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. The smallest truck (that is supposed to hold a studio or 1-bedroom apartment) would cost $3488 and that doesn't include the cheapest insurance for the truck rental, use of any dollies, moving blankets, boxes, packing materials, moving helpers, any additional miles, cost of fuel, or more than one months' storage if you need it when you arrive at your new destination. This can add several hundred dollars to your costs. A move that far would also usually mean you would need to buy food and pay for hotel rooms along the way. Even about halfway across the country (I picked Des Moines, IA) started at $2286 for the smallest truck. 

The containers that people rent and then a truck picks them up and drops them off are even more expensive, and then you still have to get any living beings (people, pets, plants) and any restricted items, personal vehicles, etc. to your new home. U-Haul seemed to have the cheapest prices I could find, so I don't know how anyone could get away with a DIY move for under $2000.

These high costs are exactly why using frugal minimalist techniques to relocate is to your advantage,

One goal with a frugal minimalist move is to bring as few items as possible. Lots of stuff means either a bigger truck or many trips, and either way, you'll be spending more on gas.

I also read recently on the news that not only are thieves stealing gas from people's cars and trucks, but they are also stealing moving trucks. This is leading to reduced availability when you're trying to rent a truck. I'm sure the cost of those losses is also passed on to the consumer by the company. And losing everything you own when someone steals your moving truck is not good.

So the solution is to cut back and then cut back some more until you have only the barest essentials and maybe some personal items to bring with you.

At this point, you're probably thinking that if you bring hardly anything with you, you'll need to spend money to replace it when you get to your new place. Don't worry, I've got you covered with ideas to keep your move frugal even after you've moved in.

The traditional way of moving does not typically line up with frugality or minimalism, so there will be some tweaks to that method. It may feel uncomfortable doing things differently. But if being frugal is your goal or necessity, then these tips will help you.

2. Plan ahead as far as possible

Taking your time and planning are best, but don't worry. I'll give you some ideas you can do quickly to make your move frugal and minimalist as well. Bear with me as some of this information may be old news to experienced home buyers, sellers, and renters. I'm trying to list as many things as possible that people should plan for.

We just finished selling a home and also tried to buy one simultaneously. I can tell you that doing just one of those takes a lot of effort. There is so much paperwork, so many appointments, and a lot of stress as you wait and hope that everything will line up. There's less of that with renting, but even so, the time goes quickly from when you commit to moving to a new place until it actually happens.

I know some people ask for a "rentback" (where you rent the home from the new owners after you sell it), a very long closing period, or ask to have the sale conditional upon finding a new home. Those weren't good options for us, but they could be for other people.

Deciding to plan ahead means that you do as much of the work as you can long before you move. There are lots of free websites and online calculators that you can use to estimate how much a move would cost. Research the type of homes in the area you're looking at and see how much they go for. If you're looking to rent, don't accept the rental prices listed at face value--I've called many apartments that never updated the rents online, and the place cost way more than I thought it would.

It's important as well to think of all the hidden costs that come with moving. For an apartment rental, that usually means application fees, security deposits, and first and last month's rent. 

For a first-time home buyer, if you want to apply for grants, you may have to pay to take seminars to get financial assistance. If you've never bought a house before or it's been more than three years since you've owned a home, you are typically considered a first-time home buyer and can be eligible for special programs that may be available at the federal, state, and local levels. Paying a small fee to be eligible for these programs can save you thousands of dollars, so not doing it is like leaving money on the table.

Here in the U.S., generally, lenders require an appraisal at a minimum, which the buyer has to pay for out of pocket (Yes, I know that during the recent house-buying craze, people were waiving appraisals and inspections. That's an exception to the rule and something I'd never recommend). 

Home inspections are also generally important to get and must be paid for in advance. If issues come up that need repair during the inspection, then the buyer must decide whether they can afford to pay for those themselves or ask the seller to fix them. 

Regardless of which route you choose, likely, the house will still have repairs come up after you buy it. I've heard this from many people; inspectors simply don't find every fault in a house, no matter how meticulous they are. There can be intermittent issues that aren't happening at the time of inspection, the inspector can't access something because there's something in the way, or they simply miss it. 

Also, a deal may fall through. This can happen if buyers and sellers can't come to an agreement about repairs, or if the appraisal doesn't match the selling price of the house and one or both parties can't or won't adjust for the difference. Sometimes, a buyer or seller simply backs out for various reasons. If you're a buyer who already put money toward the house to have inspections or repairs done and then you suddenly can't buy it, you're out this money. Depending on the situation, there is no recourse and no refund for any services already rendered. And you will have to pay for them again for the next house.

As a buyer, your lender may also require you to have certain documents notarized as part of your loan application. This is probably one of the least expensive parts of home-buying. Some banks or insurance companies offer notary services for free to their clients. Other places charge, and it can be $5-10 per signature or more, plus additional expenses if you have a notary come to you.

Then there's the travel required to buy a house. Unless you're buying a house sight-unseen, there will be travel expenses involved, and you will probably spend time looking at several properties before you buy. If you're not buying within your same city, those expenses may increase to include meals, lodging, and more.

As a seller, your realtor may recommend taking certain steps to get your house ready for sale. This could be remodeling, repairs, renting furnishing for staging, or putting items in storage. Then as mentioned above, the buyer may ask you to pay for repairs after the inspection. You must also decide whether big-ticket items, such as a refrigerator, washer, and dryer, will stay with the house or come with you. These are heavy and take up space in a moving truck. But they are also some of the most expensive items to furnish a new place with (if you buy them new). If the buyer doesn't want them and you don't want to bring them, you can sell them and hopefully find buyers who are willing to coordinate their pickup with your moving.

There are also sometimes less common items a seller may need to pay for. For example during the inspection period, a buyer may ask for proof that work was done to code and permitted; records from the county may come with fees.

When we were ready to list our house, we decided we wanted to make it available for showings over a single weekend, starting on Friday until Sunday evening. We thought it would be stressful to be gone for 10-12 hours each day then come home just to sleep and have to put everything back in show-worthy condition again. So we decided to take a short trip and stay in a hotel for the weekend. It was nothing fancy for sure, just something to distract us. A more frugal option, if you have it, is to stay with family or friends.

It was still a stressful situation because hotels are never as comfortable as sleeping in your own bed, plus all the driving wore us out. But, we had probably close to 40 buyers come through over that weekend. The house was relatively unscathed, but some people were less respectful than others. It felt...icky to come home and know people had been messing around with some of our stuff. No personal items were disturbed, but other things happened. Strangely, someone wanted to investigate the inside of our furnace and didn't know how to replace the cover. Curtains were pulled aside in weird ways. Leaves and dirt were tracked inside from the back door, despite us providing THREE mats back there for people to wipe their feet on. There is definitely an emotional cost to having strangers roaming through your home. I'm just glad we were gone for the weekend. Otherwise, we might have had to experience that discomfort 3 times in a row instead of just one. I'm also glad we were able to sell our house through the offers made that weekend and didn't have to do more showings!

Depending on the state, buyers and sellers each pay various portions of the realtors' fees, and certain areas also require the services of a real estate attorney. Other costs that happen at the end of the sale are closing costs, which typically include fees for the title company (title insurance), recording fees, (optionally) points to pay down the interest rate, prorated payment of utilities, and prepayment of homeowner's insurance and property taxes. Sometimes, a buyer or seller will ask for a credit of closing costs to help cover some expenses, either during their offer or as a re-negotiation if repairs are needed. A seller may also offer (or a buyer may ask for) an extended home warranty for older houses or homes that have fixtures nearing the end of their lifespan.

Regardless of whether you rent or buy, there may be additional fees to transfer or turn on utilities. You might be required to rent or buy a new router for internet or pay a service fee for someone to come out and activate it. There will likely be an overlap between your first utility bills at your new place and your last bill at your old place. Also, if your wireless service doesn't have good coverage in your new location, you will probably have to switch providers, get a new SIM card, and maybe even a new phone.

If the climate is really different when you relocate, changing tires, updating vehicle maintenance (like switching out antifreeze), or even buying a different car might be in order. 

If you use public transportation, you will need to buy new transit passes. Changing your address also has fees involved. At the very least, you have mail forwarding with the post office (costs $1.10 online) and changing your info with the DMV. If you want your address to be correct on your ID, most places make you pay to change it. Or if you move states, you need a different ID or driver's license.

Then there's the cost of all the paperwork, passports, and visas if you're traveling to a new country.

These are all financial possibilities that my partner and I or people we know have encountered in renting, buying, and selling. I'm sure that I'm missing some, and of course, I don't know how things work in every state and in other countries. If you know of more, please comment below.

Now, if you can't plan ahead--trust me, I've been there. Storytime. You may remember I spoke a while back about living in my first apartment with a roommate? Well, she turned out to be a nightmare to live with. She did a lot of upsetting things, including having screaming matches late at night with her boyfriend, moving her sister in with us, and then having loud fights with her as well. Then she and the sister started yelling at me.

My roommate would also often have trouble paying her share of the rent, leaving it up to me by myself to keep us current. She would always pay me back later, thankfully. But it showed me that I could pay more in rent if I managed my money carefully, and that planted a seed. 

I'd already been secretly looking around for another apartment when I had a huge blow-up with first the big sister, who then drove off in her car, then the little sister, who started threatening me with physical violence. I was done for good at that point.

I called up my family and asked if I could stay with them temporarily. Then I contacted all my friends and asked them if they could help me move. Within a few hours, I was out of that apartment. 

I found a new apartment very quickly. My friends once again kindly lent their vehicles (and themselves) to move my stuff. It wasn't a lot to move, but it was nice to have help.

Here are the advantages that allowed me to move quickly and easily:

• I had almost nothing to move. Nearly everything in the kitchen and all of the living room/dining room furniture belonged to my roommate. As far as furniture, I had a dresser, a desk, a bed, a small bookcase, and I think one bedside table. Everything I owned fit in a 10x12 bedroom.
• Most of my stuff was lightweight and easy to transport in regular cars. My bed at the time was a futon. The mattress folded in half easily, and the frame was easy to disassemble the frame. The rest of the items were clothes, books, toiletries, and other small random things.
• I was very lucky to have good friends who showed up for me in a pinch. It was also great that I had free a place to stay while I transitioned.

If I didn't have my relative's house to stay in, I would have rented the cheapest hotel room I could find. I would have taken the bare minimum with me and either tried to go back later to get the rest or just let it go. It's just stuff, after all.

If I didn't have my own car or any friends to help me and really wanted/needed to bring all my things with me, I would probably have taken public transport to the nearest U-Haul and rented the cheapest truck available. They have this deal where a one-way rental comes with a free month in a storage unit. A one-way rental typically just means you don't return your truck to the same city, so that storage unit can help buy you some time to try to find a new place.

On the other hand, if I had a week or more, I would have sold everything I could to get as much cash as possible. 

Being frugal can get uncomfortable, depending on how far you push it. But when you're in a jam, it gets the job done. And for me, it ended up leading to a safer and happier living arrangement.

3. Minimize your possessions to maximize your savings

Here it comes--becoming more minimalist so you can move frugally. If you're cringing about the thought of doing this to your entire dwelling, don't worry. There are tons of free resources out there on the web, including some right on this blog.

How to Declutter in 5 Steps

How to Get Rid of Your Stuff (And Why It's So Hard)

As we got ready to move, we found it was helpful to run out of things on purpose. This may be scary in a time of shortages, so obviously don't apply this to necessities such as required medications.

But for anything else, you'll find it saves you a lot of money to use up all of what you have before you buy any more (and not buy large quantities when you go to replace them).

There are 3 categories of consumable goods that we downsized:

1. Cleaning supplies: My partner had various supplies laying around when I moved in. They are items that I wouldn't buy because they have a bunch of chemicals that worry me, and I haven't used any of them (and neither has my partner) once I explained my concerns. We also don't want to pass them along to anyone we know, throw them in the trash, or pour them down the drain. So we collected them to bring to our local waste disposal center. As for the cleaners we do use, they are just simple vinegar and baking soda. They don't take up a lot of space and were easy to transport safely.
2. Cosmetics and personal hygiene: I'm someone who likes to always have a backup of things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. But for moving purposes, I was really careful to not buy replacements too soon so we didn't have extras sitting around. Some cosmetics sat unused for years. I made the decision to throw some away (I hate causing waste) because they were expired and I was never going to use them. Other items, I'm forcing myself to use when I can remember just so I'm not putting them in the landfill. I will not be buying any replacement make-up.
3. Food: We did a good job of clearing out our fridge and freezer. Both fresh and frozen foods cannot be at 40-140 degrees (Fahrenheit) for more than 2 hours or they should be thrown out. This danger zone is where bacteria accumulate and can make people sick. Just to minimize risk, we reduced our food way down. It was the last thing we packed and the first we unpacked (only a 30-minute trip for our move). In our pantry storage, we did not buy any more jarred or canned goods until we moved, as they are the heaviest items. We actively searched out recipes to use up any and all food that we had left while only minimally supplementing with grocery store items like fresh produce. 

Besides that, we took a hard look at all our stuff. Our sofas were not worth bringing with us, so they were sold. We have (my partner's) end tables and a coffee table that are heavy and might break during moving; they sold. My partner had an older, very heavy TV that didn't make the journey with us. My old bedroom furniture from my childhood did not come either, and random things that my partner's former roommate left behind were also rehomed before moving. We had 2 sets of dishes; the larger set did not move with us. 

One thing I'm particularly happy about is that my partner has decided that they have too many knick-knacks and decorative items. They sold a lot of them online. Fragile pieces like these need more packing materials to protect them. So even though they are mostly small and light, they will use up the volume in transport space.

If you want to know the best ways to sell off your possessions before moving, check out our article, How to Sell Your Stuff for Cash.

There were a few things that we stocked up on and didn't declutter during this time. We saved up old clothing, towels, and rags to use as packing material. Same with junk mail, especially those throwaway newspaper ads that get put into every mailbox. Lastly, we saved boxes and packing from items that were shipped to us, and asked our local grocery store for apple and banana boxes. We noticed that lots of people give away bunches of used shipping boxes and packing materials on Craigslist as well, which you can use as a resource if needed. Possessions that we don't need right now but are definitely bringing (like off-season clothes) were packed up and labeled far in advance, so we had a better idea of how many more boxes and how much packing material we still needed.

We ended up moving everything in our personal vehicles (a smaller pick-up and small SUV) with only a small U-Haul trailer. It only took 2 trips, which I was super happy about.

4. Be patient and frugal in your new place

So you've gotten rid of almost everything that you own to save on moving costs. But after you move, you still need things, right? If you buy a bunch of replacement items right after you move, then all that money you saved was for nothing.

Being patient is the key here. Don't just make up a list of everything you used to have and buy new ones. You're in a different space now, and that means different needs. Sit with the bare minimum at your place and see what you really need. For example, is it really necessary to have that 12-person dining set when you have a family of 4 and never have more than 2 people over to visit?

How about a coffee table? Do you really need one AND end tables? Do you just think you should get them because you've always had them? Or do you want one because you think it looks good, but it ends up just being a place to collect clutter?

If this is your first place, you might simply have no furniture to bring with you. After you're done paying to move in, maybe you don't have any money left to buy brand-new stuff.

We're going to use a lot of tips mentioned in my predecessor's article about furnishing a house for free. All the ideas are already there, so I won't repeat them in this post. The difference is that instead of collecting items beforehand, we'll wait until we get into the new place and keep it empty until we find what we want.

This does mean that for a while, we may have some things still in boxes while we find appropriate storage for them. But that's OK with us because we have all the basic clothes, toiletries, and kitchen stuff easily accessible.

Moving is expensive enough. Why make it worse? This is a time to really resist the temptation to follow what everyone else does and burn your savings or max out credit to get all-new stuff. Don't let the pressure to be materialist, and compete for who looks like they have the best toys, make you fall into a financial black hole.

In an upcoming post, I'll give you more info about why we moved, where we moved to, and how we furnished our new place on a really tight budget. I will wait until we're done furnishing, so other topics will be covered in between.

Is it minimalist to move to a new home?

Why do people move? And can you become more minimalist by moving to a new place? Let's examine the concept of moving as a minimalist.

1. Why do people move?
2. How does minimalism help with moving?
3. Can you become more minimalist by moving to a new place?

Why do people move?

Setting aside our current and unusual situation, there are some evergreen reasons for moving. According to an article published by American Van Lines in 2021, the most common reasons people move are for work-related reasons, due to marriage or the needs of a family member, to buy a house, for a change of climate, personal or children's education, to get more space, or to retire.

I have some ideas to add to that. Sometimes, your surroundings change, or your perspective changes, and where you live no longer suits you. For example, the city where I grew up was already noisy and busy when I lived there. It's gotten even worse since I left, and is extremely expensive. The median home price, according to one website, is $1.9 million, and it costs over $2000/month for a studio apartment. I would never want to move back there, even if I could afford it.

I can think of other places where an area was quiet and peaceful until developers bought up some of the lands. Then suddenly a serene rural area had a bunch of tract homes, a busy road, and lots of businesses. If you like rural living, then this would probably cause you to move.

Sometimes, you have no choice. In that same city where I grew up, a neighborhood was taken over by eminent domain and the city/county tore down the houses and built what they wanted there. 

My relatives also rented a house at one point that belonged to an elderly lady in a nursing home. When she passed away, her children wanted to sell the house and told my family that they had to move out.

The one big reason for moving that I think the article forgot to mention is the financial hardships or shortages. I guess it makes sense that this topic wouldn't come up in the statistics for a moving company. 

Changes in a financial situation can be from involuntary unemployment or underemployment, health issues necessitating reduced work hours or stopping work altogether, or, as we've seen with "the great resignation," some people are simply quitting their jobs with no replacement income. They are either going to try to start a new career, go back to school, become a stay-at-home parent, start a business...the list is endless. But if plans don't work out as expected, they could end up needing to relocate to a less expensive dwelling, stay with family or friends, or sadly, maybe end up without a home at all.

People who move because they don't have enough money to live in their current residence are not going to be able to pay for an expensive mover. They will probably rent something like a U-Haul truck, or maybe even use their own vehicle or ask friends and family to help them with their cars. The people in particularly bad shape might even just sell, give away, or leave a lot of their belongings behind because they have no space to move them to, negating the unaffordable cost of moving out. 

How does minimalism help with moving?

If a move is unexpected and happens quickly, minimalist practices can be a big help with moving. A person willing to sell all but the necessities will be in a better financial situation and have an easier (and likely cheaper) time transferring their belongings to a different location.

But if you're planning to move and have some time to plan, minimalism can have an even bigger impact. You'll be able to evaluate everything you own and downsize considerably, while hopefully adding some money in the process. Additionally, you can start streamlining your finances to save up for moving. Besides the cost of relocating possessions, there will probably also be either deposits and application fees for a rental, or down payments, inspections, agent fees, and closing costs for a home purchase.

Minimalism can also lower the stress associated with a move. If you are clear about what's most important to you in looking for a new place to live, you can focus on those goals and worry less about extraneous things. 

Here's what I mean. In this extremely competitive housing market, it's quite possible that many people will not be able to get the first place that they apply to rent/place an offer to buy. If you get emotionally attached to each place that you look at, it's going to be tough going. 

But if you use the minimalist principle of lessening attachments to inanimate objects like a dwelling, then you can be more objective about fluid situations such as a home search. You can be OK with finding a place to live that doesn't fit the dining room table you've had for 10 years or doesn't have a walk-in closet in the bedroom. You can worry less about having granite countertops and care more about your 10-minute commute to work or that you can look at the mountains from your back porch.

Can you become more minimalist by moving to a new place?

When I think about minimalism and moving, the first thing I think about is how every time I move, I go through all my things and purge a bunch. Even when I had just done basically a whole-apartment makeover, I still had stuff I got rid of before moving in with my partner.

How about you, do you do a declutter and purge before you move? I see posts on Craigslist all the time with the title "moving sale," so it must be a thing people do. It's funny how you can think you don't own very much until you have to pack and unpack it.

But there are other ways that moving can make someone more minimalist.

• Moving to a smaller living space can encourage less consumerism.
• An energy-efficient home (more efficient appliances/climate control, better insulation, etc.) results in lower energy use and saves money.
• A more temperate climate reduces energy consumption.
• Living closer to frequently-used services reduces transportation waste and expenses; might be able to also switch to more minimalist modes of transportation.
• Downsizing from a larger house to a smaller apartment reduces the time and money required for the maintenance of the home.
• Moving to a location with longer leases (1-2 years versus month-to-month) or from renting to owning may stabilize potential increases in lodging expenses, thereby freeing up income for other uses over the long term.
• Smaller space = fewer cleaning supplies used, less heat or cold needed to keep the space comfortable, less furniture, and fewer decorations needed to buy, and items are less likely to get lost, forcing you to accidentally buy a duplicate.

There are also ways that moving to a larger place can be minimalist. For example, a home that has solar-powered electricity and/or heated water, a rain collection system, room for a greywater filtration system, space to grow one's own food and create compost, and more peace and quiet due to a larger plot of land are all ways that one can achieve minimalism while expanding their living space.

And if you're looking for the pure feeling of minimalism--focusing on what's most important while letting go of the less important--I can think of a few examples where this applies and has nothing to do with downsizing, how many possessions one owns, how much money they spend, etc. I love to follow along with stories about people such as this.

1. The Ghost Town Living YouTube channel. Brent, along with some investors, bought a ghost town called Cerro Gordo in California. He lives in the ghost town, which frequently means he is without running water, has no easy access to services, and does a lot of manual labor in his efforts to restore the town. It's clear he loves every minute of it even though it's a difficult life.
2. Someone saves up the money to buy acreage and start a homestead, which may or may not include building a home on raw land. Sometimes, to get land they can afford, people choose places that don't have municipal utilities available and have to devise their own sources of energy and water collection.
3. People buy larger plots of land with a house and move their businesses onto them so they don't have to commute away from their homes or families to earn a living. 
4. A part-time nomad who has a home base (their soft place to land) and travels at whim--either in an RV, a boat or by hopping from one Airbnb to another. Or all of the above.
5. Buying older homes and restoring them as historically accurate as possible.
6. Creating a sanctuary, affordable housing community, artist cooperative, etc. on a large piece of land where people with similar needs can live together in one place.

We always say it on this blog, but there are many ways to be minimalist. There are also many ways to move to a new home and be minimalist, even if it doesn't involve downsizing.

If you like the concept of minimalist moves, I have more thoughts coming up, including minimalist tips for selling or buying a house. Stay tuned!

Eco-minimalist grocery shopping on a budget

How do you buy groceries in an eco-minimalist and budget-friendly way? I'm about to tell you. But first, let me get this out of the way. This is not about "zero waste" shopping.

In case you didn't know, zero waste was a term developed for industrial purposes in the 1970s specifically an electronics company. It's since been adopted by other businesses and consumers, but in reality, no consumer can be zero waste. By virtue, a consumer will create waste due to their consumption because each item they buy comes from an organization that produces waste. Also, zero waste is a term I've seen influencers and brands use incorrectly for what they were actually doing. For example, someone did a zero waste "grocery haul" but then bought several of food products that I know for a fact are not compostable or recyclable. That isn't zero waste!

I also want to add that if you're in a food desert or food-insecure, please check out this link for the U.S., this link for Canada, this website for the UK. For any different countries, try searching for food banks in ____ (enter country or city).

Anyway, here's the index for this article.

1. Resources
2. Origins
3. Time of year
4. Beyond the packaging

1. Resources

Here in the U.S., Litterless has a zero-waste grocery guide by state. Check on the "nationwide" link for companies that ship to the U.S. if there's nothing local on the list. If possible, find out which of these companies use carbon-neutral/carbon-negative shipping, or buy your own carbon offsets.

However, I have a few problems with the Litterless resource. For example, not every state is listed. I noticed right away that Idaho doesn't have a link. Then as I mentioned, there's the whole zero-waste thing. If a company doesn't want to be associated with that term or feel (maybe incorrectly) that they don't meet the requirements, then they won't be on the list. But that doesn't mean that at least some of their business practices are not low-waste or eco-minimalist. I think you can work with just about any store out there to limit your waste when shopping.

For example, I like to shop at a place called Winco. They have low prices and a great bulk food section, but you're supposedly not allowed to bring your own containers. For nut butter and some liquids, they have plastic containers that are probably new plastic and the tops are not recyclable. For everything else in bulk, they offer plastic bags that they say are recyclable, but it's sometimes difficult to find a place to do that. They are also made from new plastic. I've snuck in my reusable produce bags for things like pasta and rice in bulk, and the cashiers never say anything to me. They already don't subtract the weight of the containers, so I don't see that I'm really losing any money by doing this. A quick comparison tells me that the bulk prices are often cheaper than the prices of pre-packaged options. Bulk foods are not waste-free, but the volume of food to the ratio of packaging is different than buying individual packages.

One thing I don't like about Winco is that they don't compost their food waste or seem to have any arrangements to give stock to food banks or shelters. I feel like this is something that every business in the foodservice industry should be doing in this day and age. 

Another issue I have is how around Thanksgiving, Winco gives a "free" turkey to anyone who purchases at least $100 worth of groceries. We don't eat turkey, we asked if they could donate it to a food bank instead. Nope. Well, could we get a free large bag of rice or potatoes instead? Nope--even though these things are probably cheaper than a turkey. Not very inclusive. It's nice for some people, but not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving or even eats turkey.  It also makes me wonder how many of those frozen turkeys get thrown in the dumpster every year because people don't spend $100 per visit and/or don't buy them.

Some estimates are that food waste composes as much as 50% of the waste that goes into the landfill. There's a misconception that it will just compost in a landfill, which it doesn't. It breaks down in a way that releases methane gas into the atmosphere, which is the last thing we need more of. 

Businesses that sell food certainly create a large portion of this food waste, but what households produce adds up in a collective way. There are simple and free things you can do at home to reduce your food waste:

• Know what you have on hand before you shop and when it will expire
• Plan out your meals and create a list so that you only buy what you need
• Learn the best way to store items to keep them from going bad
• Freeze foods before they rot if you know you won't have time to eat them first
• Find out how to arrange your refrigerator to keep food fresh
• Buy only exactly what you need 95% of the time. For example, did you know that cooking with oil is generally not necessary? It's also expensive and usually, the containers are very wasteful, I use vegetable broth, a little water with spices, or nothing to cook my food, and it comes out just as well. Growing crops that result in cooking oils can lead to soil erosion, endangering native plants with pesticides, adding more toxic residues to your diet, high water usage, and native forest/plant/rainforest deforestation.  Also, farmers from both this country and developing countries are often mistreated and under-compensated in general, but oil production is big business. So mistreatment is more likely to happen in farmers aligned with agro-corps like cooking oil usually is.
• For more tips, I found this blog post that includes tips about a 5-minute meal plan, composting, food prep, and more. She even has links to tips about composting when you live in an apartment.

Speaking of composting, that's something I recently started doing. I didn't do it in my apartment, because I didn't know how to work with my lack of outdoor space. But since I moved into my partner's house, we got a scrap container for the kitchen (thrifted) and one of those tumbler composters (free from Craigslist!). Since we eat plant-based, all our food scraps go in there and I'm proud to say that we no longer put any food into the landfill. We also buy some products that have home-compostable packaging and put that into our composter as well. We're still learning, but so far it's been really easy to maintain composting as a part of our routine.

While we're on the topic of home waste, think about the non-food waste left by any products you buy, and make sure you're clear about how to dispose of them. Don't be a wishcycler!

Other options for eco-minimalist groceries are: 

• imperfect food boxes, where they deliver you perfectly good food that doesn't look pretty enough to go to the store
• shopping for clearance items if you know you'll eat something soon or can freeze it--this stuff often gets thrown away
• restaurant supply stores open to the public, which sometimes have bulk foods at lower prices
• farm co-ops and farmer's markets
• mom & pop stores that want to please their customers by catering to people who care about the environment

If you have any other resources, please comment down below so other people can use them as well!

Origins

Find out where your food is coming from. If you live in the far northern hemisphere and you're buying something that originated in the far southern hemisphere, that food is probably going to be more expensive, not as fresh, and have created a lot of pollution to get to you. Even if it's a banana with no packaging, that doesn't mean it's the most eco-minimalist choice. If your store doesn't have clear labeling about the origins of the food they sell, then ask. While you're at it, try to advocate for a systemic mandate for your area.

I'm sure many people are balking at the thought of giving up a beloved food because it came from the opposite side of the world. But I can tell you from personal experience that people are creatures of habit. I have switched out items that I really liked for ones that I liked less, whether for health reasons or due to food shortages. I just kept eating it and with time, found that I had a new habit of liking that food! Give yourself credit for having the discipline to change your food habits, and reserve less sustainable foods for rare occasions. You got this!

Time of year

People talk about eating in-season, but I doubt many actually follow through on this. A quick internet search should tell you what's actually ripe and fresh for your area and time of year.

I've seen and heard about some weird things even at farmer's markets, like farms selling things way outside of the normal growing season. In states warmer than mine, I guess there aren't really "seasons" and some things are grown year-round, even though they probably don't taste as good. For example, I read that ruby red grapefruit is supposed to be in season from October to May. It's November right now, and the ones at my local store are pale and have weird spots on them--not ruby-colored at all! But to be fair, I doubt grapefruits grow well where I live anyway. What was my point? Don't rely on your stores or farmer's markets to provide in-season foods. They're going to sell what makes them money. Do your research.

Beyond the packaging

Most packaged foods have websites these days. I don't just care about the packaging, I care about the business practices of the company. If the website doesn't have a page outlining their sustainability practices, I email them and ask them why and request they send me that info. I believe every business with a website should discuss its sustainability efforts. This shouldn't even be optional any longer, because at this point it's critical that everyone and every company is thinking about how their actions impact the planet's future.

It's important that a company is transparent about the entire supply chain involved in every product, not just the packaging it ends up in. They should also be using eco-conscious vendors as well as incorporating sustainable practices in places like their offices and break rooms.

But of course, they could be lying about how sustainable things really are. At least a few of the larger companies have been caught out on that. They put out statements that say "our goal is to do X by 2020" but don't explain how. Then 2020 ends and they never update their website to report that they've actually done X.

This is why I try to avoid packaging as much as possible. It's just easier than trying to research a million different items to try to find the best option. That way, I can focus on just a few brands that I know are doing a good job.

I also try to make things myself as much as possible. This is easier than it sounds because I do things that only take a few minutes but go a long way toward making my meals filling and healthy. I use a pressure cooker, so making rice takes less than 60 seconds of my time. Beans take about 2 minutes (because of soaking), or maybe 10 minutes if I want to puree them (e.g. hummus or not-refried beans). The pressure cooker does the bulk of the work for me and they come out perfectly cooked every time. I use this same tool to make potatoes in bulk, cook ears of corn, artichokes, or spaghetti squash. I think this is a great option for people who either don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or are intimidated by cooking from scratch.

In conclusion, you don't have to go to fancy stores like Whole Foods to be an eco-minimalist grocery shopper. You can do it on a budget and without spending all your time working on food-related issues.

When minimalists and non-minimalists live together

As you may know, I recently moved in with my partner. This was my first time living with a romantic partner. To complicate the issue, they don't consider themselves minimalist at all. So how do we reconcile this? I'll give you all my tips for a harmonious home that includes minimalists and non-minimalists.

1. Planning
2. Finances
3. Resources
4. Back to basics

1. Planning

Whether you already live with non-minimalists (NMs from here on out) or are expecting you will in the future, it's important to think ahead about what issues you may encounter. I think it's actually easier to transition to minimalism while you're already in a home with NMs, because you know what to expect. I have to admit that even though I spent lots of time with my partner and saw what their home was like before moving in, it was still jarring and somewhat cringe-y to watch their NM habits in action as part of their household.

By planning, I mean to think about yourself in various situations with the NM, such as food shopping, or if someone wants to bring a piece of furniture into the house. How will these items be handled? Can you come to an agreement about what you will do as a household, or will these things be handled separately to avoid disagreements?

Keep in mind I also moved into my partner's home, which not only was already completely furnished to their tastes but is also a place that they own, not rent. My partner has been very welcoming, but a lot of my furniture ended up in the second bedroom and/or garage while we figured out what to do. If you end up moving into a home already occupied by an NM like I did, I recommend discussing what will go where ahead of time. There should really be some compromise if things are important to you and require the NM to make space for them. It shouldn't be like you're a guest in someone else's home with your things in storage. 

Ultimately, we will probably sell off or give away a lot of my furniture, except for what fits in the other bedroom. That will be my own little space for my crafts and working. Maybe later we will choose different furniture together, but it isn't really important right now. 

2. Finances

Wait a minute, you say. How is it fair for me to get rid of everything I own and the NM keeps their stuff? Well obviously, I'm not getting rid of any of my crafting supplies or paintings. Anything that's important to me stays. But if you've read my budget bedroom or living room makeovers, you know that most of my furniture is either stuff that is from my childhood, second-hand, or free. I'm not really attached to any of it, and I even question why I chose some of the items from my childhood home in the first place. But hey, I was 12, so I guess my preferences changed.

My partner's furniture and decorations are not necessarily to my taste, but they were bought new just a few years ago when they bought their house, and at least it all matches and fits the space. So it makes more sense to hold on to it than to keep mine from a financial perspective as well.

The longer you are minimalist, the more likely you are to look at objects from a common-sense point of view and not from a place of emotions. If you're not there yet, you can always get a storage unit for things you don't have space for. But I'm betting that in time, you'll decide that your money can be best served elsewhere.

In regards to household in general, whether you choose to combine your money or keep it separate is a personal decision. However, it's a good time to advocate for more minimalist spending habits when you're having this discussion. Because you're living together, your financial future is at least a little bit tied to other people in your household. If they make risky decisions with money, then it may affect you, and vice-versa. Minimalist financial practices are good for everyone's bank accounts. Even if your housemates don't agree with every idea you have, it's in everyone's best interests to make choices that keep you all from becoming unhoused.

3. Resources

When talking to your current or future housemates about how you would like to integrate minimalism into your household, don't expect them to take your word for it. It helps to have inspirational stories from others. Here are a few, for your reference:

• My predecessor's story about how minimalism made her a better person
• Becoming Minimalist's article: Ten Ways Minimalism Will Improve Your Life
• Money Under 30's post about the financial benefits of minimalism

However, be prepared to compromise. This article from realtor.com has some thoughts about how to do that (although suggesting that the NM people in your life are "pack rats" seems like a bad start to the conversation). 

4. Back to basics

It's entirely possible that all the planning, conversations, and compromise still don't result in your preferred home life. So what do you do then? Move out? End relationships? Feel like you're the one giving up everything?

If you're at your wits' end, it's important to remember that you started caring about these NMs for a reason. They are more than their stuff, just as you've discovered you are more than yours. Recall all the things that you like about them, and hold onto those thoughts when you get frustrated.

Also, remember that you got into minimalism so you could focus on what matters most. That's the people, not the things. That's time and freedom to do what you want, not so you can start a crusade (and arguments) to try to convert everyone to your way of thinking. Maybe this is a chance to work more on yourself. Spend time alone with enjoyable projects and reduce some of your stress.

Of course, if this person is just a roommate you met through Craiglist and they insist upon relentlessly trashing your home and the planet, running up debt, and having loud parties when you're trying to sleep, feel free to move out and run in the other direction as quickly as possible. 😁

How eco-minimalism can save the holidays

Here in the U.S., I keep hearing and reading about supply chain issues and how people had better start their holiday shopping early. But if you celebrate the holidays in an eco-minimalist way, then buying new things is never an issue.

In this article, I'll give you some tips for making this season more eco-minimalist so that shortages don't affect your holidays. Here are the topics in this article:

Why are there supply chain shortages?

Be a conscientious objector to frivolous consumerist practices

Be open-minded about what's available

Break stereotypes

Manage expectations 

Gratitude 

 

Why are there supply chain shortages?

In case you haven't heard about this issue, I'm going to give you some bullet points so you have an idea of what I'm talking about. 

• truck driver shortages
• empty shipping containers on trucks with no place to go
• freight ships anchored outside of port waiting to offload
• average fuel prices are $1 more per gallon than last year
• inflation
• port restrictions/closures overseas

From what the experts say, this isn't just about the 'Rona. It's been going on for a while, and factors keep adding up to make things worse. Since it's a systemic problem, there aren't any easy fixes, and more issues are coming up that can complicate things further, like the upcoming expiration of the Longshoreman's contract in 2022.

So instead of getting frustrated and letting this disrupt your life, why not find ways around it? The following sections are tips that I use successfully to make my life less stressful while living in a consumerist society like the United States. If you're not in the U.S. but live within a similar culture, these tips can easily be applied where you are as well. And even though this is about holidays, you can also translate it to use the rest of the year.

And don't we all want to have fewer of our purchases sitting on a ship somewhere, with an unknown arrival date?

Be a conscientious objector to frivolous consumerist practices

I've talked about how wasteful I believe a lot of American holidays are in my Unpopular Minimalist Opinions article. One of my least favorite holiday "traditions" in the workplace is Secret Santa, or "White Elephant" party, which is used to make the idea less mainstream Christian. Regardless of what it's called, I still feel it's exclusionary, and the pressure to participate is ridiculous. If you're someone who doesn't participate in traditions that include gift exchanges, then it can be an uncomfortable and alienating experience.

Not to mention how wasteful it is to buy some cheap gift for an unknown person! To me, the whole point of giving a gift is to put thought into what they might want and give them something that they need, or at least will give them pleasure or improve their life. It's pretty much impossible to do that with these blind gift exchanges, so people end up getting gag gifts, which are usually cheaply-made and probably end up getting thrown away.

It's been (thankfully) a few years since I've worked somewhere that foisted one of these parties on its employees. However, if it were to happen to me this year, I would probably discuss with both my coworkers and my boss that participating in these parties goes against my beliefs. 

For me, minimalism, and especially eco-minimalism, are part of my belief system and something I plan on incorporating into my lifestyle permanently. Therefore, I feel that this should be honored in the same way as a religion by my employer. Just like I don't think that people who are Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventist, Jewish, Pagan/Wicca, etc. should be forced to participate in a "Christmas" gift exchange if they don't want to, I feel I should also be exempt from participating due to my beliefs. 

As an alternative, I might suggest we instead do a non-denominational potluck (not a "holiday party"). Because who doesn't love food?? If the goal is to have employees socialize, I think eating is way more fun than getting a singing Justin Bieber toothbrush. Yep, that was actually someone's gift at the last White Elephant I participated in. The guy who received it was not happy. 

Be open-minded about what's available

Maybe you have traditions for the holidays where you buy certain foods, wear certain clothes, get a new decoration, etc. If those items aren't available, you may feel like that's going to negatively affect your holiday. But your good memories of past holidays aren't about the objects that were there. They were about the people you were with, the actions you took, and the feelings you felt.

So if things don't turn out exactly the way you anticipated, try to let go of those expectations. Try instead to focus on the important things: people, actions, feelings. The objects are just window dressing.

Break stereotypes

I know some adults (and their children) who would never go along with a second-hand Halloween costume, or wear the same costume as the year before if it still fits.  And buying the costume from a thrift store? Forget it, that's for poor people.

This elitist behavior is not just hurtful for socioeconomic reasons. It's hurtful to the planet. It encourages stores and manufacturers to continue to pump out cheaply-made, high-priced costumes that may not even last through a single Halloween. They're usually made of unsustainable fabrics and end up in the garbage. Some people try to donate them, but if they're damaged then the thrift store will probably throw them away as well.

Here's a challenge for you: try to find a way to enjoy Halloween without buying a bunch of individually-wrapped candies. Teach children that this is a tradition that doesn't need to continue due to its lack of eco-friendliness. 

This puppy's upcycling a cloth napkin for his Halloween costume.

As for gift-giving, let's start some new traditions where gifts don't have to be shiny and new. They can be re-gifted, homemade, upcycled, and more. A few years ago my predecessor wrote a gift guide for minimalists that you can use for more ideas. There are some timeless gifts there that are still valid options today.

Also, if the holidays seem to be too stressful and complicated for you, we have an article with some unique tips for having a quiet, simple holiday season.

Lastly, if you haven't checked it out yet, take a look at our post about why Black Friday isn't what it appears to be. My personal favorite thing to do on the day after Thanksgiving is going grocery shopping for the week. The store is always so quiet and I get in and out quicker than any other day of the year!

Manage expectations

If you want things to go smoothly, it's best to talk out your feelings and wishes with everyone that you may have plans with during a holiday. In advance. Don't spring it on them at the last minute, or make a dramatic announcement when you show up for an event. Give everyone a chance to adjust to anything different you want to do. For example, if you don't want to be part of holiday gift exchanges, now is a good time to speak up! 

However, it's also important to recognize that not everyone you encounter will want to go along with whatever changes you have in mind. I've told people that I don't want to exchange gifts on birthdays and holidays, but some of them still want to give me things. Then I asked if they could make charitable donations instead, but some people thought that was too impersonal. 

I'm respecting their wishes and will accept any gifts they give gracefully because it's something they feel like they have to do. It's not my job to convince everyone to be an eco-minimalist, and it's more important to have peace than to argue about my principles. Maybe next year they'll be more open to my way of thinking. However, I won't feel bad if they give me something that I don't need and I secretly give it away to someone who needs/wants it more than I do (a trick I learned here)!

Gratitude

I think one of the easiest ways to not worry about what you can't have/do/spend during the holidays is to be thankful for all the things that can and will happen. I'm so grateful to spend this time with my partner and to be in a relationship with someone who thinks similarly to me so that we can enjoy the time we spend together.

I also feel so lucky and privileged to have the choice to spend (or not spend) money during all the upcoming holidays. I focus on simple treats that feel extravagant, like making my own version of hot apple cider (100% apple juice heated up with a cinnamon stick--so much better than that powdered stuff). I love watching the leaves change and then scooping them up to add to our compost after they've fallen to the ground. And since I'm more of a cool-weather type of person, I've enjoyed switching out to warmer clothes and walking in the nice, crisp air.

Opportunities for gratitude are everywhere, and they're easy to find if you let yourself be open to them.

Nomadic minimalism: Could you live on a sailboat?

A young couple sold everything they own, and with virtually no experience, bought a sailboat and started traveling. This type of nomadic minimalism fascinates me. Could you do it?

I'm talking about the book I just finished, called Bumfuzzle - Just Out Looking for Pirates by Patrick Schulte. Here's what's coming up in this post:

1. The story of Bumfuzzle
2. Aspects of nomadic minimalism
3. Risk factors
4. How nomadic minimalists transform over time
5. Sailboat life

1. The story of Bumfuzzle

"Bumfuzzled" means confused or perplexed. Ali and Pat Schulte named their sailboat Bumfuzzle in reflection of their inexperience as sailors. 

Before circumnavigating the world, they were living in a condo in Chicago. They took a single, short, sailing class (on a lake, with a training boat). After selling everything, they moved onto a used boat in Florida. With barely any practice sails, they set off on their journey.

I should also mention that they rarely cooked--they basically lived off of fast food in Chicago. That's fine when you're staying at a port. But 21 days at sea? That's not going to work. Let's just say there were a lot of repetitive meals and burned food when there were no restaurants around.

Despite all this, they made it through over 4 years of sailing. They didn't sink their boat, get attacked by pirates (that's still a thing!), or die of malnutrition.  

In the end, their journey was successful, but once they were done with the trip, it seemed like they were pretty much done with boat life. However, during their trip, they had all of their possessions on a relatively small boat. So whether by choice or as a side effect, they were minimalists during their nomadic time.

I should also mention that they started this journey before social media was really around, and I liked how it felt like they were just living their lives and not contriving media-worthy situations that they could share on the internet. They frequently mentioned being bored or repetitive tasks as a large part of their day, and I think that's very realistic when you're in the ocean without a view of anything but water.

2. Aspects of nomadic minimalism

Previously in this blog, we've discussed experiential minimalism, and travel, or a nomadic existence, was featured in that post. Nomadic minimalism can be seen as a subset of experiential minimalism, where travel/being nomadic is the experience of focus.

But many people are "accidental minimalists" as a result of their preference for an experience like being a nomad. They don't say "I want to be a minimalist, so I'm going to start traveling," but rather "I want to travel, and I ended up adopting minimalism as a result."

I follow a lot of nomads because I think the idea of it is so cool. I'm always curious what people choose to bring when they travel the world living out of a backpack, or what goes inside a boat, car, or RV when that's your only home.

From watching videos about cities around the world that attract foreigners, it seems there are many rentals out there that come fully furnished. You can literally show up with your clothes and toothbrush and start a new life in a new city. When you want to move elsewhere, you just find another furnished abode in a different city or country. Houses for sale even come fully furnished. There are also many comments about how easy it is to move about these places, due to the abundance of public transportation, or walkability with access to local resources. 

I've heard that in the U.S., selling a home furnished is somewhat frowned upon in real estate contracts and has to be done under the radar, and "fully furnished" rentals in the States usually are missing things, like linens and maybe dishes. They assume you're moving from another place within the country and already have the basics. 

And while it's not always true, it looks like there are many beautiful places to visit that are much, much cheaper to live in than in the United States. So being an international minimalist nomad is not only viable for the long-term, but it can also be very cost-effective.

According to Statista, the average apartment in the U.S. costs $1124 per month. These are some monthly rentals for under $1000 per month in Europe I found on Airbnb.

A few posts ago when I talked about my unpopular minimalist opinions, and I mentioned that I don't believe that people with a low income are forced to be minimalist and that minimalism is not simply a glamorization of poverty. While some people choose to live a nomadic life and are also minimalist, the 2 are not mutually exclusive. When I lived in a bigger city, I encountered a lot of unhoused people, and not by choice. They lived in tents, cars, or RVs, and many of them had WAY more than the essentials. It wasn't uncommon to see items spilling out everywhere out of their vehicle, with it being so full that they had to move things to get in and out, stuff strapped to the roof, and windows obscured from objects piled high.

And this isn't just a symptom of homeless persons, either. I've walked past run-down apartment buildings that had units no more than maybe 1000 square feet and seen tenants holding sales of their possessions. The amount of stuff was staggering and made me wonder how much was still left inside if they considered what they were selling the excess.

In short, I've known and seen many people who were nomads but not necessarily minimalist when it came to how much they owned. But as you probably know, there is more to minimalism than an inventory of materials. It's also a mindset. I think people who choose to live out of a small space, either for financial or experiential reasons, don't automatically qualify as minimalists. I'll explain that a bit more in a bit.

3. Risk factors

There are some obvious risks to living on a boat that made a global crossing, especially back around the early 2000s. While reading the book, I tried to picture how I would feel being the only person (or one of 2 people) around for maybe hundreds of miles. To not see another boat, plane, or any landmass for days at a time. The thought of pirates coming by and being defenseless is terrifying. So is somebody getting really sick, or damage to the boat that can't be fixed in the middle of a large body of water.

Oops!

You can apply these risks to any type of travel that takes you into remote areas of land. Because of course, not all travelers choose only well-developed cities as their destinations of choice. I've seen documentation of people who travel so they can climb mountains, do through-hiking, or visit a place with an extreme climate, just to say they survived it. I think that there may be a connection between experiential minimalism, nomadic minimalism, and being more comfortable with uncertainty. 

There are definitely risks inherent to a nomadic lifestyle that are different from a stationary life. For example, being in an unfamiliar place means that you don't know where things are. If something bad happens, more research is needed to find out how to access resources. There are also different laws and cultural norms to contend with--things that might seem completely harmless in your native country are illegal elsewhere, or grounds for being banned from the country.

I've also heard that there's a tendency toward decision fatigue for many nomads--although this could be more a problem for newly-minted travelers. In a stationary life, we tend to create habits. We buy the same groceries in the same stores, take the same route to work, and try to keep with a routine. It's all part of adulting, right? But if you're in a new place every day, week, or month, then you will have to re-choose all of those habits. The brain will take time to adapt to this newness. I think being a nomad definitely lends to neuroplasticity!

4. How nomadic minimalists transform over time

Some people probably thrive on this lifestyle, which is why they spend years or decades never settling down in one place. There's a YouTuber named Bob Wells who runs the channel Cheap RV Living. He started living in a vehicle because he became homeless and that's the reason he also started his channel. From what I can tell, he lived in a van and recently bought an ambulance to convert into a living space.

These days, it's rumored that he's a millionaire (thanks to YouTube), but he still lives in a vehicle, mostly on public lands. When asked what he would do when he can no longer drive around, he said he will buy an RV and live in an RV park. So it seems like a minimalist lifestyle is his preferred way of living, whether it's nomadic or stationary.

Ali and Pat never mentioned the word "minimalist" in the book that I can remember. But I think they were, whether they realized it or not. They were not really working while they traveled (it was implied they were living off their savings). They focused completely on sailing, relaxing, reading, and exploring each place they visited. It wasn't about the "boat life" either. It was about travel because they didn't hesitate to rent a hotel room to give themselves a break and explore a country more thoroughly. The boat was just a means to an end, and in fact, they didn't seem particularly attached to anything they owned.

I've also researched other long-term nomads. Some end up buying houses but keep their adventure vehicle. Others move from RVs to boats and then maybe have a camper van for land travel. 

However, many people eventually stop being nomads. I guess they decided they had their adventure, and now they're ready to go back to a default way of living. It seems others build a brand around being nomadic, and use that brand to build up money and a business. Then, once they have enough money, they buy a house and shut down or change their brand.

While they're nomads, they are probably cramming a lot of events into their lives. I spoke with one couple who were van lifers for a few years while they were amid their travels. They drove for several hours per day, trying to always find a scenic place to film and take pictures. Then there were hours of editing so they could post on their YouTube channel, plus blog posts and their Instagram account. During all of this, they also did consult and some other stuff to make money. Each night, they would usually have to find someplace covert to sleep, and sometimes get a knock on their van in the middle of the night by police, telling them to move. It sounded exhausting.

After 2-3 years, they bought a house with a shop on the property so they could design and build van conversions. 

I think they fall into the temporary minimalist category as far as possessions. Outside of possessions, I believe they had a minimalist mindset because all of their attention was focused on what mattered most to them--working toward their goal of settling down so they could have a business and start a family. So while their schedule was crowded, the events were very singular in their intent.

However, minimalism is a very complex and personal experience, and I can only look at what's happening from the outside and give my opinion. If I were to be a minimalist nomad, it would look different from how they did it, and probably how you were to do it as well. 

5. Sailboat life

So could you live on a sailboat? Have you done it already? 

I haven't, but growing up, my mom had a friend who lived on one. It was a wooden boat with real brass everywhere, and she didn't travel anywhere, she just stayed in the same spot. Each year there was this competition at the marina where she stayed, and we'd come to help her polish up the brass and all the wood.

A friend's mom also had a sailboat, but it was the newer fiberglass kind. They parked it at their house, which was by the water. She told me B.O.A.T. is an acronym for "Break Out Another Thousand."

From what I understand, sailboats make global travel more accessible, because you can only carry so much fuel with you on any boat. If you have 1000 miles before the next island, then it's good to have the sails to keep you going. Boats that don't have sails (powerboats) tend to have bigger motors. If it's anything like with cars, then the bigger motor would consume fuel faster than a smaller one.

This is an example of a liveaboard powerboat

However, there's more to understand about operating a sailboat than other motorized boats. Ali and Pat mentioned in their book that they had one sail that they never used, and I seem to recall they weren't even sure what it was for. Sailboats also require a level of physical capability as you have to move around the deck, potentially ducking under horizontal poles, and running the sails up and down the vertical poles. There were a few times when the sails got stuck, and Pat had to climb up the pole to fix things (Sorry, I'm definitely not an expert in all the technical terms about boating).

It seems like, on average, sailboats are cheaper than powerboats. This probably again has to do with the size of the motor and the overall length of the boat. 

I would say that just about anybody who knows how to drive a car could get into a powerboat and figure out how to get it moving, while a sailboat needs more training. Stopping a boat, and maneuvering it in tight spaces, is certainly different than a car. A sailboat without a motor would need several people with oars to do this--something that they conveniently never show in movies and TV. The boat is just magically docked without a scratch on it.

Whether sailing or powerboating, traveling across oceans is a 24/7 job. Meaning someone has to be awake at all times, even if you have cruise control. You have to watch out for other vessels, weather changes, and mechanical issues. There usually won't be any place to anchor, so you just have to keep going and sleep in shifts.

Another interesting note from the book--Ali and Pat were usually the youngest people they met who were also "cruisers." They were told they were "moving too quickly" because others had taken 10 years to circle the globe in their boats, while Ali and Pat were done in about 4 years. However, Pat was quick to point out that these critics often took time off from their journeys, leaving their boat somewhere for months at a time while they went home to a house somewhere. They only lived on their boats part-time. Others stopped for a year or more in one port to live in a marina like my mom's friend.

Given all this, I think it takes a specific type of personality to be a circumnavigating sailboat dweller. Not only that but to be sailboat dwellers like Ali and Pat and not the people they spoke to, who still had a house and all their belongings. This distinction is the difference between a minimalist nomad and an experiential minimalist.

I had a lot of fun researching and writing this post. It's fascinating to peek into the lifestyles of people who travel, and their relationship to minimalism. I hope you enjoyed it!