I am moving in the near future. Actually I will be moving twice. My family who I live with is planning on moving soon and after that, I plan on moving in the first quarter of the coming year because of my job. I have been moving quite a fair bit these last 3 years. Moving between student houses, my parents’ house, and now this – I just hate moving. It’s just so much effort to do something that is often stressful in the first place. But it also reminds me of how much stuff I own and how I make the most stupid purchases when I’m not thinking. Maybe it’s not the moving – maybe it’s the cleaning up, whatever. Today I just wanted to share with you my experiences with owning too many things and my approach to minimalism.
So back in 2019, I moved out of the student house I lived at for four years. In those four years, we had a great time. Lived with some of the homies, had some great parties, and overall accumulated a lot of stuff. When I think back to my old place, why did I buy so many posters? Why did I own so many random anime figures? I guess, at the time it seemed cool and a great way to touch up my weab room but still – moving could have been made a lot easier. And the clothes, don’t get me started on the clothes. So much of my identity when I was in undergrad was my fashion sense. I dress well, I have for the past while now but damn, I should have bought less clothes. Save your money folks, no matter how much clothes you have, chances are you have enough. I used to just buy shit on a whim because it was on sale and because I thought it looked cool. Now with my family home (the one we’ve been living in since I was 12) there is so much shit accumulated that I honestly don’t know how I’m going to handle it.
When I left that student house in 2019, that was when I first started to understand the importance of minimalism and living with purpose. I would always buy shit on a whim without thinking about the grander aspect. What was I going to do with that purchase? Did it have a purpose? Am I going to enjoy this as much a month from now, as I do now? These are all things that I think of quite frequently now before I make a purchase. I decided that minimalism was a great and sustainable method to living your life. As a Canadian, I live in excess and this new approach on life changed my outlook on everything. Instead of buying a bunch of things on a whim that don’t matter, I started paying more money on fewer things that served a purpose. So for instance, instead of buying three blank shirts for $10 a pop, I would buy one blank shirt worth about 20 or 30 dollars assuming that the shirt would last in the wash longer. Instead of buying a bunch of snacks, I would buy rice, potatoes, ground meat – things that I knew that were more cost effective and would satiate me for longer.
This is not me saying that you shouldn’t buy things that you like. I have Jordan’s and Yeezy’s as well and those are not shoes that I need. However, whenever you make a purchase I would suggest thinking about that thing you’re buying and how it will place in your life. Jordan’s and Yeezy’s are super cool shoes for me, it’s like wearing art. But I wouldn’t buy a normal pair of Reeboks even if I liked how they looked because I already own enough shoes and these would not change anything in my world, besides the fact that I just own more stuff. Actually, I’ve gotten so deep into this minimalism shit that you could probably offer Reeboks to me for free and I still wouldn’t want them (no shade to ‘Bok Boys). It just so happens that for myself and at this stage of my life that minimalism is a great method to be more mindful of sustainability, my needs, my financial wealth, and ease of life. And I really do think that it is something that anyone (even you) could learn from if you’re not already practicing it.
