In many developed countries today, people have everything they could ever want—and more—right at their fingertips. We have supermarkets, giant malls, and 24-hour online shopping; spending is, for many, a recreational activity. Yet many people are choosing to downsize their lives and finding ways to own less “stuff,” even if they have the money to buy a lot more.
Living with less is about having a simpler existence. Maybe you want to focus on the more important things in your life, such as family, work, and experiences; maybe you have a lifestyle that involves moving a lot and you’d rather not have to lug so much baggage along the way. Perhaps it’s a move to make your life more environmentally conscious. Whatever the reason, here are some tips to help you start living with less.
Buy Less
This is an obvious tip, but it can be much harder to follow through with. Even those of us who want to minimize our belongings might still love retail therapy. There’s no question that making a conscious decision to buy less stuff is a difficult one.
But it can be done. When shopping, question whether the product you want to buy is necessary. Necessities can range from vital items such as groceries and toothpaste, to the less crucial but still important items, such as meaningful gifts for a loved one. Buying something just because it’s on sale is usually not a good reason. Will this item benefit your life, or someone else’s, in a significant way? If not, reconsider.
Get Rid of Your Stuff
One place where belongings pile up fast is in the closet. Many people follow the rule that every time they buy a new article of clothing, an old one needs to go. If that doesn’t work for you, consider going through your wardrobe every few months and removing a few articles of clothing that can be passed on to someone else or donated to charity.
Of course, this tip can be taken to all other parts of the house, too. Perhaps your children are grown and you still have their toys, movies, and games stowed away. Unless these items have significant sentimental value, it may be time to let them go.
Finding enough items around the house that you’re willing to part with may give you enough to hold a garage sale. You’ll be able to get rid of unwanted stuff, pocket the cash, and donate the leftovers.
Buy High Quality Goods
When you do buy new things, if possible, get the best, most durable items that you can. It is better to have one or two good, comfortable pairs of dress shoes, than many pairs that are uncomfortable or fall apart. Yes, you’ll spend more initially, but the payoff is worth it.
This tip has emotional benefits as well. Suppose, for example, that you don’t own a lot of kitchenware, but your small amount of cutlery, dinnerware, pots and pans, and baking supplies are beautiful, high quality pieces. These are items that, unless something gets broken, will probably never need to be replaced. You’ll feel good about the things you own. These things will have more worth to you, because they’re not swimming in a sea of unused objects.
Buy Digital Goods
Are you dying to own every season of “The Office” for yourself? Skip the DVDs and buy it all on iTunes. Convert your CDs into MP3 files. Invest in a Kindle, iPad, or other e-reader and download your books digitally. Keeping the majority of your media in digital files will greatly reduce the need for space that these items would otherwise take up.
Living with less is not something that everyone can be happy with. But keep in mind that this lifestyle is not about denying ourselves pleasure. It’s about finding satisfaction and joy in life experiences and the people closest to us, as well as treasuring the items we do have, rather than focusing on how much we can accumulate.
Ursula Wheeler - Ursula Wheeler holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in writing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been ...
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