minimalism

5 Minimalist Habits To Achieve Financial Freedom

March 10, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 6 Comments

It’s impossible to ignore the financial benefits of decluttering, downsizing, and owning less. For our family, financial freedom was the single greatest gift we experienced when we chose to own less and pursue a minimalist lifestyle. Our path to minimalism began when our son was young. Over time, we’ve sought to set an example by teaching the importance of debt-free living, owning less, and being intentional with our resources, especially money. These are character traits we hope he’ll inherit from our example. Debt-Free Living The process began with a personal finance class my husband and I took together. I was motivated to declutter anything that wasn’t nailed down in our house and never buy anything ever again. Meanwhile, he was motivated to accelerate our retirement savings and reduce our spending in several areas. This led us to realize that step one was to eliminate every penny of consumer debt we had. We cut up our credit cards, closed a $45,000 home equity line of …

How Many Vases Do You Really Need?

January 27, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 6 Comments

How Many Vases Do You Really Need? Well, that depends. I love spring and summer when all the flowers are in bloom. It's a beautiful time of year and a welcome break from winter. While it's nice to display flowers in vases, I really prefer to enjoy them outside. (And so do my allergies!) During the winter I find myself drawn to candles for a hygge feel. Set a Boundary for Your Collection Over the years, I've worked in many garages, basements, and kitchens and routinely find enough extra vases to supply a large wedding reception. Vases are an item that people accumulate without much thought. Flowers arrive. Flowers die. Vases are washed and put in a cabinet. It doesn't seem to matter if its a vase you like or have room to store. The default response is to keep all the vases we've ever received and find space to store them throughout the house. And this is why I suggest setting a boundary for every category throughout your home, like dishes, books, and vases. When it came time to …

7 Easy Ways to Get Organized for Back-to-School

August 9, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 15 Comments

Summer is coming to an end and many kids are already back to school. Articles fill your feed with items to buy for back-to-school." But what if you handled it differently this year and saved money? Families want to start the year off right. Organizing your school supplies can be a great way to signal the transition from summer to school. Just keep a few things in mind before you shop. Advertising Works Advertising works because billions of marketing dollars make it happen! Ads lure you into buying 64 brand new crayons and all those cute IKEA desks you had to have during the pandemic. Let's be real for a minute. June-scissors work in August, right? Crayons and pencils might be scattered but still create art, correct? Kids are productive in different spaces, so do NOT force them into a desk. (I learned this from a homework expert years ago.) Before the ads convince you to buy, take an inventory of your supplies and consider what you really …

5 Reasons Why I Am Not a Good Minimalist

May 27, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 16 Comments

Apparently I’m not a very good minimalist. I was told, on more than one occasion, that my lifestyle is not minimalist. And yet my bio includes "minimalist' as the first descriptor. Plus, I share minimalist practices on my website and with clients. The concern comes from the size of my house, two cars, and a vacation home. So it got me thinking.Good MinimalistsWho counts as a good minimalist? Maybe Colin Wright is a real minimalist. He carries all his belongings in a backpack. Or perhaps Joshua Fields Millburn? After all, he and Ryan Nicodemus started THE Minimalists. Joshua Becker must count since he documented his family's journey at Becoming Minimalist.But what I know from reading their work is that minimalism looks different for each and every one of us. Our families are different. So are our jobs, houses, and the areas where we live. We have individual passion projects and goals. These differences are unique to our minimalist journey and yet common ground remains.As minimalists, we …

5 Effective Habits of Clutter-Free Families

May 6, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 10 Comments

Fighting clutter can feel like a losing battle. After all, there are 300,000 items in the average American home. But decluttering is more about habits than ones ability to get organized. My first piece of advice for clutter-free living is to stop shopping. Stop the inflow. Consider a Shopping Moratorium for 30 days. Experimenting with less reveals how little we really need. Living with less also creates a peaceful sanctuary in our homes. A calm environment at the end of a workday and a place where our eyes can rest, clutter-free from distractions. If you'd like to calm the chaos in your home, start with these 5 habits. Protect Flat Surfaces Flat surfaces attract clutter. And clutter attracts more clutter. The largest flat surface in your home is the floor. Don’t mistake it for storage. Adopt the habit that only furniture belongs on the floor. Pick up trash when it falls. If you have hardwood floors keep a dust mop handy for a quick sweep. Go through the mail outside by …

6 Habits to Live Like a Minimalist Family

April 28, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 5 Comments

We are a minimalist family and yet we have some stuff. But minimalism is more about habits than stuff. However, I've been told I'm not a real minimalist. I guess I missed the memo on who can join the club. And while the "average American home has over 300,000 items,” we do not. So that's a good place to start. Of course, no checklist works for everyone. But as I studied our home, there are six habits that make a difference. You will find these habits helpful as you declutter and simplify. Trash Throw away trash immediately. I’m not talking about messy stuff. I mean annoying stuff that accumulates like receipts, wrappers, mail, and packaging. We pick stuff up off the floor, immediately. I recycle as much as possible including junk mail, toner cartridges, and plastic bags. Trash will clutter a flat surface quickly. Guard your flat surfaces because clutter attracts more clutter! Don't forget about the largest flat surface in your home, the floor. Strive to store …

minimalism

Footer