I have downsized into 4 Pullman sized suitcases. I am 73 and the last in the family. I will continue to downsize so there won't be a huge estate to deal with. This is not meant to be a morbid exercise, just another way to declutter.
Yeah, Swedish death cleaning. It's a "thing." 😄 I'm doing the same, because I don't want to burden my daughters with too much stuff to deal with after I die. I don't think it's morbid at all! 😄😄😄
I love your willingness to explore possibilities without claiming any of them as the “ right” thing to do. Some of your options remind me of “being a poor graduate student” instead of “being a minimalist.” Forty years ago as a poor graduate student I used my sleeping bag as a duvet and for a while slept on the floor until I was able to rent a furnished apartment.
Yes, I think it is so important that we don't just assume our own ideas are the right thing for everybody else... ☺ of course if you have a very limited amount of money it can look so similar to minimalism. I think the main difference is the ability to choose ☺
Thinking more about this video, I realize that a “minimalist tip” that is useful for me is to think about is “if I had an hour to evacuate my home, what would I take with me?” (In the US either fire or hurricanes make that an actual possibility.) It helps me identify what is really most important to me. The list is really rather small: my dogs, important papers (kept together in a single folder), “go-bag” (with underwear, change of clothes, medications, hygiene supplies), my phone/ipad, my down duvet, my favorite bowl, my favorite cooking pot, my good knives, and some cutlery. If I had those things I could be “home” anywhere and replace anything else I had lost.
That is a really good question! Another similar one when thinking about the importance of an item: would I pay the same price again right now if I saw it in the store? Here we luckily don't have any things like hurricanes or tornados or anything else than a fire that would make it necessary to leave the home. But it is still a really good exercise. For me, of course, my family is most important, some sentimental items and clothes (I'd love to keep them but it wouldn't be the end of the world if they were gone) then the important papers and my expensive equipment, both not impossible to get back if they are lost but really annoying
Yes! Similarly, I always think about if our home were to go up in flames (house fire or bush fire.... we're in Australia!) what would I want to replace... what would I even REMEMBER I owned..... and this helps guide my choices around what to keep and what to pass on. But I think your process is an even better step for sure.
@@dotty1220 I understand what you are saying and very possibly would not replace it if I lost it, which is why I value it highly. I have had it for 20 years and it has allowed me to make other choices (setting heating temps lower, not using a petroleum based product) that I also value. I cannot undo whatever harm may have been done to the animals it came from, but I can value and honor them by taking care of the product they made.
Very wise advices ! Many "minimalist" seems to forget the essential : You need to be the minimalist that works for your lifestyle. So thank you for the last tips especially !!
As I listened to you talk about getting rid of a washer and drier I thought this sounded extreme and unnecessary but then I remembered how few clothes you have and so I can see it could make sense for you. Getting rid of more things can lead to getting rid of even more, in the same way as clutter attracts more clutter! X
@@renysimone3312 hi, i can honestly say i do not recall this video in any way! But it says its from 2 years ago. So i will say i wash all of my good clothes by hand. However, you cannot wash your sheets and towels by hand! You just can’t! And my bath mat? No way. Or my big comforter on my bed. I cannot see a way to do that by hand.
I love that you shared your "minimalist brainstorming" ideas with us. I also love that you gave multiple ideas eventhough they don't apply to you specifically. It shows that you are thinking about minimalism on a larger scale than just how it relates to only you. Thank you so much!
6 years ago I implemented the one plate per person in my household (Kept extras for guests in a separate cabinet) but this was life changing! My husband even keeps track of his plate now and I don't have to go searching thru the house when they wander off. My son who is now 19 and looking to move out next year have me a list to thrift items for him.... 2 plates, 2 bowls etc -proud mom moment! lol This year I'm implementing an all black wardrobe for myself, I am doing a no buy year and need a wardrobe reset. 4 months in it's been interesting. I am on the fence with my hair (I shaved my head almost a year ago and have been growing out since) trying to maintain natural curly hair without all the products is proving to rather difficult. I digress. Great video!
Faith, don’t shave your head! That’s taking this too far, I thought it was a boy in this video, I’m still not sure and I mean it. Am not being nasty, I honestly do not know. You don’t need to do this.
@@AdrienneMint Excuse me?!? No, excuse you! What I or anyone else for that matter does with their own body is no of no concern to you or anyone else. Women shave their heads for many different reasons. It's empowering as f***. You might want to try it sometime. The first time I shaved my head it was like dropping a 30 year weight of what people in society LIKE YOU expect of women. I respect you are entitled to your opinion but manners go a long way. I'll be shaving my head again when my hair is long enough to donate. Hopefully inspiring my niece and any younger females in my family to honor what is right for them and refuse to stuff themselves into a box of societal standards.
@@Emma-qz1ne if I were you I would NEVER write a comment to this person. I wrote a comment a long time ago saying just don’t shave your head and OMG did I get cursed at! This is a crazy, insane person. Just don’t write anything else to her ( or him, I am honestly not sure) and you will be better off. This person is off the wall clinically insane.
@@Emma-qz1ne multiple times over my 45 years, oils are too heavy for my curl structure, they don't absorb. Living in central Florida greasey is not so pleasant.
I like videos like this. Thinking "outside the box" flexes our mind as well as helps bring new and unique ideas to others. Thanks for sharing all of your ideas!
Yay I’ve been waiting for a video like this! There are so many minimalism videos and tips on decluttering but these people have 3 wardrobes full of clothing. I feel like I could let go of more and have been trying to find out how so thank you! Also I love love LOVE your channel, I am so inspired by how you live an extreme minimalist lifestyle while still “living” and cherishing it. Also your haircut is so inspiring and really suits you
You should definitely try using your sleeping pad and sleeping bag instead of a bed! I backpacked in the woods for 6 months with just my sleeping pad and sleeping bag and I was still just as cozy as I was in my bed. I would totally do that now that I'm back home, but I can't get my partner on board. The process of preparing your bed everynight and then packing it up in the morning was great for preparing my mind for sleep and then for living the next day. Thank you for great videos and content! :)
My husband and I sleep on the floor and love it. We have gotten rid of a lot of furniture to encourage movement and floor sitting too. I also did the one bowl/cutlery/cup thing when my children were younger because I was sick of hand washing a mountain of dishes! I had no car at my last city, but unfortunately need one where we are now. It is great to experiment with less and just see if we really need what we think we need.
In New Zealand most people have an outdoor clothes line where we peg out our laundry to dry, especially in the summer months. So the idea of not having a clothes dryer is not novel to us 😊 For years I slept on a mattress on the floor, and loved it. Right now, I live in a boarding house, and have only the one room for all my stuff, so under the bed storage space is very useful. 😄
About owning a car:))) I was always against the idea of owning a car for myself - most of my adult life I lived in a city center of St-Petersburg, Russia - and I really don't need it here! I even don't have driving license because of that. But now... I am really considering to move to Cyprus, and I realized that one thing really stopping me from moving there is the fact that you can't live there comfortably without a car (public transportation is not good there and I wouldn't bike for a long distance in a hot climate). Now I decided to move to Cyprus for at least a year (we will see, quite possible it will be for much longer). So, today I registered for a driving course! About never saying never:)) Circumstances might change. Place you live might change. I really like that you always talk in the way that each life is different and there is no one-fits-all solution! Thanks for great content!
I have tried different variations of sleeping on the floor before and they work differently depending on your floor, your energy level or laziness, etc. I slept on a yoga mat for a while and that worked when my place had carpeted floor but it's way too hard on your back for place with a regular floor. The foldable sleeping mats sink in weird places too quickly probably because they are not meant to be slept on everyday, so I don't recommend that. Japanese futon works great on floors but you have to be okay with putting it away every morning to avoid it getting moldy or damp on the bottom and you also have to be very diligent about keeping your floor clean because if you don't, you are basically sweeping your dust/hair/who knows what with your futon everyday :)
We have hard floors and I definitely couldn't sleep on the floor directly! But the sleeping pad in the picture would work, it's just a few centimeters of air ☺ I use it often (at least before the pandemic) for camping, sleeping at friends places, or in school buildings where we would attend circus conventions (I'll talk about them a bit more in the video coming on Sunday I think)
I have twin tri-fold memory foam mattress.( Amazon) I have mostly thrift store stuff and mostly free furniture so I just donate it back to the Thrift store or pass it on to another in need when I move
I ended up cutting off my long hair to about 3 cm. It was getting thin in some places and really coarse and wiry so I was always fussing with it! I was really inspired by that video where you cut your hair Lia! Now I can declutter all of the hair accessories, tools and products. I hated checking in the mirror all the time to see if my hair was tidy or any grey roots were showing! So many good ideas in this video today!
I grew up with every household having 2-4 sets of dishes. And each set has a dinner plate, salad plates and dessert plates. Originally I got down to just one full set. Then I realized that the salad plates were small enough for dessert also. But they are also large enough for dinner plates so now I only need one style and one size.
I have limited my wardrobe to a pretty standard black shirt, jeans, and either boots or sneakers depending on the weather. It has made getting dressed so much easier.
Some great ideas. I mainly liked the camping and plates I think. Versatile items are great like using camping sleep items normally. Pants that convert to shorts, tanks that work as undershirts, coats that work for different weather, clothes that make comfy pajamas, etc. can be really convenient
I have a nomad spirit, so massive declutter ing and easy-to-transport items are a necessity for my dreams to occur. 😁 Easier when I think of the life I want instead of what I have!
You are really developing as a personality, your videos becomes very smart, insightful, intelligent and full of tolerance. I think I see already some traces of asceticism in your lifestyle, or monks approach. I saw buddhist monk video about their belongings, if it doesn't fit in one box, it means you have these things let it go. Actually, many things in our life are related with our activity, if you don't do something, why do you need to keep ''just in case''? Minimalism becomes real philosophy :) Have a nice day Lia!
I have an all-black wardrobe because I like the colour and I prefer to mix textures and shades rather than have to think about colours. I also have a simple 'uniform' of trousers/ t-shirt/ hoodie and just mix them about for at least 90% of the time. I can smarten up with jackets if necessary but it doesn't happen often. Comfort and pockets over all.
I heard a lot of great things about Japanese futons! We have a "normal" mattress right now but it's harder than recommended for our weight which is great for my back because my back really doesn't like the very soft ones ☺
I would love to do this, but my husband would never be on board because he has really boney hips. But I want to get one for my son after we move. Already he'll someone's sleep on the floor in the summer!
@@ecofriendlia I need a hard mattress too, and this is great for that. It’s also very soft, and we noticed it warms up real quick when it’s cold, but when it’s warmer it feels cool. We also love it is 100% cotton. We live very small, and now we have the option to give our son his own room when he is older because we can move the futon to the livingroom.
If you do, then look for a woman named Anja on RU-vid. I just found Anja last night and I’ve been watching her a lot today and she is excellent. Gave me so many idea. I threw out tons today.
I always loved black so I have mostly black clothes. It’s pretty easy to get dressed in the morning! The problem is I now have a dog and black clothes and dog hair aren’t the perfect combination 😅
I dream one day of having a very minimalist apartment, with very few possessions. No car or garden to maintain. For now we are a family of five so it’s not possible. Thank you for your great ideas.
A really inspiring video! I'm not at the point I can boil down every bag I own to one, but it just shows this is an ongoing process. It's exciting to think one day I get there!
I am glad you liked it! Yes, for me it very much was and still is an ongoing process! We learn more about ourselves and our needs and can adjust our belongings to that ☺
I never understood the thought of beeing able to move whenever i want. I move like every 2 years and if this happens, my friends are more than wiling to help me. For me it is more important to have my most beautiful furniture than having everything moved easy every other year. BUT i swapped my couch with matts on the floor and pillows and my bed for a hammock. I did this for the reason to have it easy to clean and to have way more room!
I have dreadlocks for that reason and had a buzz cut before. I still have to do maintenance (apart from washing) about once a month, but I basically wake up and go. Also afro hair has to be washed a lot less less than Caucasian hair anyways, which I'm really grateful for
I view my long hair as my "beauty luxury" I know I dont need long hair to be beautiful but I allow myself the luxury to have it. I therefor have no need to put on make up because I dont like it (and I am Not skilled at it) I loved the Video and how you explain everything, it was super interesting and inspired me to keep going with my journey towards minimalism even though I went backwards recently :)
Most of my wardrobe is black and denim. The problem I find with black is that there are many shades (some with warm and some with cold undertones) and they DO NOT MIX well together unless they are a different texture. That's why I also use denim and some other colours.
Thank you for this video. You are inspiring and have given very good advice. I am also on the minimalism journey and I love the freedom from attachment to stuff and to what people may think of me as I go along. There is truly a sense of freedom to be found in this pursuit and it's deeply satisfying. Thank you again! You have done a lot of work in figuring out what is best in this situation.
Maybe... The other weird thing for me in Germany is that there are no handles on the outside of apartment or house doors... So you can only open them with a key and if you happen to go outside without one and close the door behind you you are locked out.. In Switzerland, we had handles on the outside and in Sweden as well as far as I remember. Oh, and a lot of Americans panic when they first try to open German windows because there is a way of opening them where the top two corners detach and open about 10cm without the window actually opening completely (bottom two corners stay attached), and people who have never seen that before feel like the window will fall on them
@@ecofriendlia we have the same opening system of windows in Poland. It's very usefull, when you want to open your window during the night (just a little bit). Also when you have a cat, it won't go outsise and you still can have a fresh air in your apartment 👌
Ich mag dich sehr 💕😍 Ich wünsche ich hätte das alles in dein alter schon gewusst 😳 . Erst jetzt mit 45 bin ich durch deine Videos dazu gekommen . Vielen Dank dafür . Liebe Grüße
Duvet v. sleeping bag - yes, but sleeping bags tend to be synthetic materials, which aren't very pleasant long-term, I find. We sleep on thin mattresses on the floor (2 each) so when the grandhildren come to stay, we just slide one of the mattresses out for them, it's very versatile for visitors, too (then we sleep somewhere else). As they are all single mattresses we can push them together and apart and they're easy to lift and turn on a regular basis (airing is important!). When they are all stackeed up we have loads of extra space. This solution came up because our bedroom has a low sloped ceiling, and really, I hate seeing how much dust accumulates under a bedframe! Do you know Miss Minimalist/Francine Jay's book 100 Essentials? That's the "one of each thing" concept.
i sleep on the floor! i have a japanese futon and tatami mat i got from amazon and it's supremely comfortable and good for my back (i have chronic back pain from scoliosis). i'm moving into a very 'quaint' studio lol and i can't imagine taking the huge full size bed from my mom's place to that 500 sq. ft. space. i know people have smaller sq. footage than what i'll have and they still keep a bed. i know mattresses aren't going away for the vast majority of people, but these are a new invention. a lot of minimalism (and for me especially digital minimalism) comes down to asking, how did people do things before we had X technology/item? how did we use to sleep? and then ask if it's feasible or good for you to go back to that or approximate it.
I am still at the start of my journey and the principle of one in ten out strikes me as a good one FOR ME. For instance I bought 2 books this week and so need to get rid of 20 items..... maybe I'd better go look now :D
What's the difference between people spending their time thinking about what not to buy, not to have, to declutter, to simlify, to organize, ... their stuff and people who spend their time thinking about what to buy, what to have, what to possess... ? Both groups spend A LOT OF TIME thinking about STUFF... (I'm not being cheeky. I'm really puzzled about minimalist's obsession with material things.)
I absolutely understand! I think the difference for me is that thinking about what I have doesn't happen that much. In these videos, it might seem this way but these 20 minutes are all of my thoughts about stuff for this week 😉 both directions can be unhealthy, whether you think about buying or decluttering the stuff is not the part that makes you happy. But by choosing intentionally what to keep we end up thinking less about the things in the long run, spend less money we don't have, save time when cleaning, etc... I think the goal is to stop thinking about stuff that much but since we live in a culture that is focused on stuff so much we have to deal with our relationship to things and our actual things first. But there might be different ways to achieve that and mine is definitely not the only one and maybe not even one that works for many people
For me, having less stuff means less time spent caring for it. So even if the time spent thinking about having less stuff vs having more stuff is the same, overall I’m saving time 🙃
@@ceepee.41 and @ecofriend. lia I guess it might be an impression I get because most minimalists on RU-vid talk about stuff instead of what they are doing with all that free time that minimalism is supposed to create for them, lol.
This is such a false equivalency. One group thinks of how to consume things. Another group thinks about how to practice non-attachment and find meaning beyond their things. It's not unlike saying what's the difference between a pharmacist and a drug dealer - I mean they both spend all their time thinking about DRUGS?
You are so right i used to use the blow dryer now i let my hair dry naturaly most of the time i have thick very wavy hair as i get older im liking it more and saves so much time for me
My wardrobe has been 90% black for years it helps with my anxiety not having to spend ages matching colours. I also suit black. I have a couple khaki green, brown, purple, greys also. Bright colors stress me out..
I love sleeping in a sleeping bag sometimes I've done it on my bed when sheets in wash cause it's just cozy and I can pretend I'm camping haha I dont know why people love soft mattresses, so bad for the back, I like my firm matress but dont have a sleeping pad atm.
I always enjoy your videos Lia, they keep me motivated. I've just considered going all black on all of my clothes except for shoes want to mix my tekkies have black and white. 😍🍃
I love black! I do like to have some colors though. For some reason I have many blue colors and I'm not sure I want that color anymore. That will probably change. I love more earthy colors with my black. I would love to be an extreme minimalist, but right now it just isn't possible. One word: menopause. Lol! My hair is easy to fix because it's a bit curly. I just wash it with shampoo and conditioner, then brush my hair and let it dry. I use Pureology. You are very creative! Inspiration and ideas! I have too many shoes, boots etc. And still, I realized that I have no shoes for the summer. Lol! So, I started to declutter shoes and jackets. And sell them. My most precious physical items I do use all the time are my cellphone and my computer. And if I had to choose between them, it would be my phone. Except for being able to call my family and friends, I use my phone for audiobooks, music and a fit/health app. Great video! Love💛🌻🧡
To french friends here, I have a podcast Enfant du Grenier where I made an episode on sleeping on the floor and I talk about minimalism in general :)))
I have a black wardrobe, or black tops and dark blue jeans. Had it for years, a long time before I found minimalism and I really love it. Black underwear and socks to. It makes laundry so easy. And since I don’t own that many clothes it also make sense to have it in one color or I would never have a full load. I would really love to not own a car. But then I would have to move to a city and I don’t want to do that
I think minimalism is based on anxiety. It's always about fear of having too much stuff to move, to look after and not being able to flee quickly and the stress of clutter. People are even getting rid of their hair and beds. I think there's some OCD in this.
First of all I am SO glad you just randomly popped up on my RU-vid. Secondly i have so questions, my mom died 10 yrs ago and I have a few things or hers. Like a couple mugs some glasses and some clothing. I don't think i could get rid of them but on the other hand there arent being used they just sit there collecting dust. What do you think I need to do. Keep them or donate.
I think there isn't a perfect solution that works for everybody, but here are some things I would consider: If these things mean a lot to you, maybe you can get used to using them. But I also understand if that somehow doesn't make sense. So another way of "using" them would be repurposing them as decorative items, make a throw pillow out of a piece of clothing, use a mug as a vase, etc. Also, you can just keep a few of the things as sentimental items if they ad value to your life by just existing in your belongings. Finally, if you feel like they aren't beneficial over the long run, you can take pictures of them (or not) and let them go. But especially with sentimental items, I recommend doing what feels right, and if you are not 100% sure you want to discard them you could try it out: you consider them decluttered and just leave them somewhere for a few months to see if you suddenly feel like it was a mistake and you really need them back. But in general, there is really no right or wrong, these items themselves are not the memories but the best thing you can do for your future is figuring out if the physical items add value or add a burden to your life. You are absolutely allowed to declutter them but also to keep them and it's totally fine if it takes months ir years to figure out what's best. Hope that helps ☺
Thank you so much. I will try the put away method first before anything else. You have eased my mind some. Thank you again for understanding where I'm coming from. Hugs from South Carolina in the US
I hang my clothes on the hanger and hang them outside on a beam that my husband drilled holes in for the hangers. Now even in high winds they stay put. Also, I use a tension rod in a doorway to hang clothes when it’s not possible to dry outside.
I'd use way more water to get my clothes really clean. I'd literally go crazy without a washing machine. Regarding clothing, I usually disagree with 80% of the minimalist youtubers. I hate a minimalist clothing style. I have a capsule wardrobe with prints and it works. I don't have a problem picking an outfit. And as a physiotherapist: for the love of God, do not sleep on the floor! Having a great quality mattress and quality, comfortable sleep are essential for your health. Minimalism is nice and all, but there are 1000 different things you can get rid of. Do not get rid of your bed and blanket. Buy good ones for more money and you'll have them for the rest of your life.
I agree with you regard to sleep. Any thing that goes to the extreme is not good sign. I am really worried that one day someone will say because I am an extreme minimalist I don’t need to eat or drink or sleep. Praying for clarify for people to find the real reason for this extreme movement
It´s kind of funny how people may have different opinions, even though they are working in the same area.. I‘m also a physiotherapist and I‘m sleeping on the floor with a very thin japanese futon.. and I Love it ! My back hurts if the matress is to soft.. a friend/ patient of mine, who was dealing with back pain, was inspired by the futon. And after buying the same and sleeping on it for several weeks..his back pain disappeared..I guess everybody is quit different.. I would recommend to try out different things for a couple of weeks.
@@LuuLollipop sure. Trying won’t hurt. But getting rid of a bed, mattress and bed sheets after watching a video I would not recommend. And we all know that people do stuff on a whim, regretting it later. Also if you have a partner or people visiting you, I don’t think it’s right to force your lifestyle on them. I would be pretty pissed of my boyfriend would expect me to sleep on a floor with him from now on. These are just aspects one should consider before going to the extreme.
