Any minimalists in SoMd?

[RareBreed]

I always considered myself a minimalist because I never had a lot of stuff nor did I have clutter in any areas of my house. I have drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc that are completely empty. Very few items hang on the walls. Our fridge and pantry isn't packed to the brim. Having two weeks off over Christmas break, I decided to look around for stuff that I hadn't used in a while and figured I might find a few items that somehow got pushed to the back of a rarely used cabinet. I ended up finding a ton of stuff to the point where our trash service was probably cursing as they were throwing bag after bag after bag into the back of their truck.

 

[vraiblonde]

That's why living in the motorhome suits me - I am a minimalist by nature and not having a bunch of stuff around calms me. I'm constantly going through my closets and storage: "don't need this, don't need this..." and making trips to the Goodwill. Clutter and disorganization stresses me out.

 

[RareBreed]

That's why living in the motorhome suits me - I am a minimalist by nature and not having a bunch of stuff around calms me. I'm constantly going through my closets and storage: "don't need this, don't need this..." and making trips to the Goodwill. Clutter and disorganization stresses me out.

Going to my mom's stresses me out. She has slowly developed into a hoarder as she has gotten older. Having little helps knowing what you need. Putting together a grocery list is faster because I don't have to dig through stuff to see if I have another one on hand. Each person has two sets of bedding (one set on the bed and one set to put on the bed on wash day) and two towels/washcloths (for the same reason). I really need to go through out attic as I know we have toddler car seats and baby gates up there. My boys are 19 and 16 so won't be needing those anymore. I am sure there are other stuff as well. We do have a little bike with training wheels and some "classic" toys up there too and those will stay for future grand kids or until we move and have a yard sale. Whichever comes first.

 

[vraiblonde]

Each person has two sets of bedding (one set on the bed and one set to put on the bed on wash day)

I've always had one set of sheets. I wash them, then put them back on the bed.

We do have a little bike with training wheels and some "classic" toys up there too and those will stay for future grand kids

Hang onto those because the grands will get a kick out of playing with Daddy's old toys and your sons will enjoy the reminiscing as well. I think my 36 year old son still has his Dad's stuffed tiger, unless it finally dry rotted and fell apart.

 

[RareBreed]

I've always had one set of sheets. I wash them, then put them back on the bed.



Hang onto those because the grands will get a kick out of playing with Daddy's old toys and your sons will enjoy the reminiscing as well. I think my 36 year old son still has his Dad's stuffed tiger, unless it finally dry rotted and fell apart.

My husband had a lot of his old Hot Wheels that the boys enjoyed playing with when they were little. We saved their Hot Wheels as well so hopefully we will have a few grandsons to play with them. I thought about doing the one sheet thing but was worried that if the washer/dryer broke mid washing, we'd be screwed.

 

[frequentflier]

There is a lot of "stuff" in my house and have to admit to being a sentimental slob so it is difficult to think of getting rid of a lot of the gifts I have received or things I really like.
However my goal is to continue taking a box or so up to the SPOT Thrift shop in St Leonard that provides free spay and neuters for cats, dogs and rabbits every week.

 

[RareBreed]

There is a lot of "stuff" in my house and have to admit to being a sentimental slob so it is difficult to think of getting rid of a lot of the gifts I have received or things I really like.
However my goal is to continue taking a box or so up to the SPOT Thrift shop in St Leonard that provides free spay and neuters for cats, dogs and rabbits every week.

I am not a sentimental person so I guess that makes it easier to get rid of stuff. Receive a birthday card, read it, trash it. At least with Christmas card, I do hang onto them and display them at least until the decorations get taken down and then they are trashed. I don't get any gifts except at Christmas and then it's either "do I want it" or "this will get trashed once I get home". Geez, I sound like a horrible person. Oh well.

 

[frequentflier]

I am not a sentimental person so I guess that makes it easier to get rid of stuff. Receive a birthday card, read it, trash it. At least with Christmas card, I do hang onto them and display them at least until the decorations get taken down and then they are trashed. I don't get any gifts except at Christmas and then it's either "do I want it" or "this will get trashed once I get home". Geez, I sound like a horrible person. Oh well.

Not that I get a lot of holiday gifts but I have lived in many places and have made a lot of friends in my life. Most of my sentimental stuff are knick knacks featuring cats and dogs, pez dispensers and chotskies.

 

[RareBreed]

Not that I get a lot of holiday gifts but I have lived in many places and have made a lot of friends in my life. Most of my sentimental stuff are knick knacks featuring cats and dogs, pez dispensers and chotskies.

Understandable. I don't do chotskies. Never have. My husband is the "keeper" in the family so I have to purge his stuff little by little so he doesn't notice.

 

[vraiblonde]

"this will get trashed once I get home"

Crappy presents are the worst because you just know that the second you give it the pitch, the giver is going to go, "Hey, what happened to that (terrible thing) I gave you for Christmas last year?"

When I had the space I was a "thank you for thinking of me" person; now I'm like, "I don't want random crap and I'm not going to give you my current mailing address."

 

[RareBreed]

Crappy presents are the worst because you just know that the second you give it the pitch, the giver is going to go, "Hey, what happened to that (terrible thing) I gave you for Christmas last year?"

When I had the space I was a "thank you for thinking of me" person; now I'm like, "I don't want random crap and I'm not going to give you my current mailing address."

I had to save things from in-laws just in case they stopped by and questioned the whereabouts of items. Now that they have disowned us and wrote us out of the Will, I went around the house and chucked everything they ever gave us that I loathed.

 

[Merlin99]

Coming from a farming, midwest background, I'm a canner. That means hundreds of various sized mason jars around the house.

 

[Gilligan]

I'm a total pack rat....collect everything and save everything.

 

[wittykitty]

I always considered myself a minimalist because I never had a lot of stuff nor did I have clutter in any areas of my house. I have drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc that are completely empty. Very few items hang on the walls. Our fridge and pantry isn't packed to the brim. Having two weeks off over Christmas break, I decided to look around for stuff that I hadn't used in a while and figured I might find a few items that somehow got pushed to the back of a rarely used cabinet. I ended up finding a ton of stuff to the point where our trash service was probably cursing as they were throwing bag after bag after bag into the back of their truck.

In a single word, "minimalist" is exactly how I describe myself, and I am relieved to finally greet my kindred community! All of my possessions fit into my 288 sq ft tiny home, which I lived in until I met my boyfriend. I now live in a "normal" home with a family, and my bf buys TWO of everything, and the biggest size of everything.
I need a support group!

Minimal crap is definitely the ticket to less mess and stress.

 

[wittykitty]

Crappy presents are the worst because you just know that the second you give it the pitch, the giver is going to go, "Hey, what happened to that (terrible thing) I gave you for Christmas last year?"

When I had the space I was a "thank you for thinking of me" person; now I'm like, "I don't want random crap and I'm not going to give you my current mailing address."

Vrai, I have gone as far as requesting, "will you hang onto this for me for right now? I am so overloaded right now and if I take it home, it will get lost or thrown away."

It's my truth and totally relieves me of the guilty conscience. I'm trying to be respectful of people who spend their hard earned money. Perhaps they want the opportunity to return it,, or maybe they bought it because they like "junk" more than I do. Surely that's the real reason they purchased it, right?

 

[limblips]

I think pretty much every Amish in SOMD is a minimalist.

 

[stgislander]

I consider myself a minimalist. Now if I could just convince my wife .

 

[Gilligan]

I consider myself a minimalist. Now if I could just convince my wife .

What?..she's a minimalist. Minimizing the space left for you to do anything with....

 

[stgislander]

What?..she's a minimalist. Minimizing the space left for you to do anything with....

That's true. If I could just convince my wife to come over to my side of thinking.

 

[RareBreed]

Still purging stuff that I never realized was taking up so much room. Purged a bunch of old prescriptions and expired medicines, purged some clothes that my husband never has a prayer of fitting back into, and some stuff that had been shoved into a box years ago that was in the corner of my husband's room downstairs. Even went through old photos and got rid of the duplicates and the ones that weren't good in general. Opened up a cabinet over the fridge and found a bunch of coffee cups, some candle holders, a salad bowl and some bottles of wine (we aren't drinkers. they must have been gifts from friends). I am really finding some junk when I go looking for it.