Hope this isn't too late. Our carpet in our home had started to look shabby. There really isn't much wrong with it, but I "wanted" hard floors instead of carpet. So we saved up money to replace it. We have been slowly going minimalist and in my mind I felt that hard floors were more "minimalist". But, after seeing today's vlog, I decided that to throw out okay carpeting was very wasteful. So instead of $9500 for new flooring, I called to see what having it steam cleaned would cost. Can you believe $265!!! It is better than I expected. Now I have cleaned like new carpet and cash in my pocket that has no commitment. My husband has always wanted to go the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. We now have the funds to invest in memories over things. Thank you so much for being brave about challenging your viewership with no new purchases. This has been a great lessen in minimalism that required virtually MINIMAL work on my part. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! You are braver than you know.
I really wanted to reply to your comment so I’ve been scrolling to find it! Wow, that is so cool! And what an investment saved! Since carpets will eventually deteriorate, maybe you could save the money and look for a second hand flooring to invest in in another 10 years or so! Time gives us so much more ability to be sustainable, and your comment really proves that! When we have abundant time, making the “right” choice becomes easy ❤️❤️❤️
I call my ethos 'elegant simplicity '. This is how I explain my house to people when they visit because they find my minimalism confusing! 🙂 Also, many people think of minimalism as an aesthetic that they don't like and are turned off, as you mentioned so I find that elegant simplicity can engage people in the conversation about consumerism and how we are being brain washed to waste our lives shopping x
I'm from Belgium and my mother tongue is Dutch. A couple of years ago, we made (up) a new word: consuMINDER (the capital letters are important). Because consuming in Dutch is consuMEER. Now in Dutch more = meer and less = minder. A nice play of words. It's in fact a description of/for people that don't stop spending/consuming, but go for a far more conscious approach when buying stuff. So, no fast fashion etc. and thinking twice before buying something (or even deciding not to buy) It's not minimalism, but still a great way to stop overconsumption and just living to consume.
I heard a word for the disease "affluenza", the NEED to buy because you have the money to do so. It is a big problem for me personally. There have been extremely tight money times in my life, so now I think I "deserve" the skrap I want. I am seeing that minimalism is a better way of looking at things and believe that consuMINDER in GREAT way to put it into words.
I use a variant of the 30-day list. If I want something that isn't an absolute survival purchase, it goes on my 30-day list. If it is above $50 it goes into my 60-day list and above $100 goes into the 90-day list. You'd be surprised at how many things gets dropped off the list. In addition it gives you time to figure a way to do it so you don't need the item or find something cheaper or free to take care of it. When shopping I only buy what's on my list. If I see something else I like, it gets added to the next trip's list ( most of these get dropped by the time I make the new list as well).
I do similar by putting items that I think I need in the basket (online). Sometimes I buy an item months later, but often I later remove items from the basket. I rarely buy them online. I use the basket like a wish list.
I appreciate, as always, your observations. I think what you said about worthiness is important and I'm not sure what the answer is to that. Big advertising sells us false versions of freedom through consumption and attaching value- in ourselves and in judging others - to the superficial. But what is even more difficult is the strong tendency in us, as pack animals, to want to fit in with those around us: mimetic desire. It takes a lot to be counter-cultural and to swim against the social tide. I'm at a stage in life where I am established in my work and, in social relationships, can chose to associate with people who - generally speaking - share my spiritual values. To pick one example you gave, I can therefore see clothes as tools (and again it is easier as a man). I do, though, keep one suit and pair of formal shoes for those (now very rare) occasions where I would be professionally ineffective without that particular 'tool'. So I have not fully escaped that societal conditioning, I suppose. But I do view that tool from a state of non-attachment: it is simply like a socket wrench, it allows me to achieve certain necessary tasks. Even as society becomes more casual, though, I generally see status signified in different ways. In the past, it may have been through the perfectly cut bespoke suit and gold fountain pen. Now it may be through the dressed down casual, perfectly curated clothes and the expensive diving watch. I am not sure I see a sea change in favour of voluntary simplicity. Do you think the sort of minimalism you spoke about will ever become a non-counter-cultural option (in Western countries)? The dog at the end ... 😂
Thank you so much Alec, I always really value your comments :) I try to look at my clothes in the same way - however, I find non attachment a lot more difficult, but I work on it! And you're absolutely right about status. I once heard the idea that "what if status was showing off your ethical decisions". So instead of wearing the latest brand clothing, we would look up to people who wore ethical brands/mended clothing/broken items etc. How interesting and beneficial would that be! I for sure hope so, but I don't know if I see it happening unless we move away from consumerism and capitalism! Haha, I've always said I never wanted a dog (having grown up with dogs my entire life), and my statement stays even more true after that day!
It’s epidemic. I have stopped accumulating stuff for quite a while. However, now I have a new job that for some reason send me swag all the time! Water bottles, T shirts, candy, phone holders, hats, notebooks journals, stress balls, the list goes on …..
A game changer! Normally, one is lead to believe that to switch over to a minimalist surround, one has to throw out the existing "stuff"- and buy new, streamlined goods in currently fashionable materials- such as sleek flooring, bamboo furnishings, simple design linens and decor, art that is modern and streamlined... on and on. Lots to buy- and gives me a great excitement at the thought of running our and buying a whole new environment. This video changes all that for me- I will never look at the minimalist impetus the same way. Tack, tack ska ni ha!
I've had this attitude for years without ever fully thinking it through and putting it into words. Thank you! I almost always buy used, or see if my mom has it!
@@SagaJohanna I forgot to say, one problem I have is getting gifts from people--I don't really want them (usually!). How do you handle that? Do you talk it over with friends and family before birthdays of holidays, or just say thank you and then deal with it? Thanks!
@@winamortenson9125 Yes, I have talked it over with friends, and offer them alternatives and show them alternatives. So for their birthdays I will give them a dinner or a date together, and then ask they do the same. For my family it's a bit less formal so I'll just ask for money if they want to give me anything haha :D
@@SagaJohanna For a few Christmases, my extended family has been having a gift exchange of used, homemade, or a charitable donation in your name (that's the gift my mom wants). Plus, we draw names, so each person only gets one present. Now I need to think about how our immediate family handles gifts. Thanks for your reply!
This is your best minimalism video, Saga. And I love all your minimalism videos! I’m going to share this with everyone I know. No one can argue with any point you made. Also, I’m practically rolling in the floor laughing at the bloopers at the end. 🤣😂😅
You have such a sweet and genuine way about you that is so endearing and lovely. I have just subscribed and look forward to catching up to your past videos and learning more from you. The last part of this video made me laugh, as it did you. Life. :)
I've just recently starting watching your videos and they are great and so informative. I've just come across this video and I do declutter gradually and your video is a game changer. I'm going to save it to rewatch because it's really, really good. I find it hard not to buy new stuff but this video is so inspiring and true.
I go by "use what I have" these days. I'm still a minimalist, but I've realised that decluttering some items just to replace them for a perhaps more eco friendly same thing, well, right now I feel that's unnecessary. It could also be because I have so many health issues so my quest for decluttering has temporarily put on ice. And having to take care of my very old and sick parents takes time and I'm always tired. Positive side is that I don't buy anything. Always look at the bright side! Right! Hihihi! But, looking forward to spring and hoping for better health. Inspiring video! Thanks! ♥️🌹♥️🌹
Not continue shopping is a good idea. But using torn broken and stained items isn't a good idea as sooner or later you'll feel depressed... We are aiming for simple intentional living not live live like a beggar. Discard worn out items and take out similar items already stored at home
This is all so very true! Thank you so much, for this chance to hear this, other than in my own head! LOL Oh, and that bit at the end... ahahahahahaha 😄
Another great video, and the ending is the cherry on the top. The New Zealand accent and the Australian accents really make me think twice about visiting ;) 😂🤦♀ not sure I could cope 🙄 Aspergers quirk! Many thanks again for an excellent video - and I do love the photos/interiors at the beginning!! 💕
Ahh the ending, I was just about done with the noise then but that made me laugh haha - couldn't do anything else! Luckily I'm married to an accent like that (perhaps not as strong though..... 😂) so I'm used to it. Oh, the photos are from Dezeen, which is my favorite resource for interior design/architecture.
@@SagaJohanna - I love Dezeen! I'm an online subscriber. Many of their interiors are my cup of tea - especially the Japanese minimalist ones. Your husband's accent (which I've heard of course), is music to my ears compared to most!! Very bearable :) !
I'm all for not buying things you don't need, but I don't get the appeal of refusing to buy things that really will save you a headache. Intentionally making your life harder sounds like a recipe for burning out and giving up on the lifestyle. To give an example: most of what I buy is for my dogs, because I spend most of my free time doing things with my dogs. Many in the dog community buy decorative dog collars with different patterns and colors, but I'm happy to just have one functional, well-fitting collar per dog. (And no, a rope can't do the same job, because it doesn't distribute pressure as well as my 5cm wide collars, which reduce the risk of neck injuries. "Saving money" by using a less safe item would cost more in the long term, if I have to take the dog to the vet with a collapsed trachea.) While I only have one collar per dog, I do have multiple leashes though. Each leash is a different length. I need my 30m leash if I want to let my dog run around and play, but if I were to try taking her to the vet on a 30 meter long leash, I'd have a hard time. Even when it's rolled up, that's too much leash to easily be held in one hand. So I have bought different leashes for different occasions. I won't buy more until the ones I have can't be used anymore, but I did have to make that investment in the beginning. Another comment mentioned keeping their carpet flooring and paying several hundred $ to have it professionally cleaned, instead of replacing it with hardwood floors, which would have cost thousands. That's less money and hassle in the short term, but in the long term, they now have flooring that they can't properly clean without hiring a stranger and paying several 100s every time they want to have a clean floor. As opposed to hardwood floors, which can easily be cleaned with a mop and bucket. Sure, it would still take several years (even if they only want a clean floor once a month) to rack up the same monetary sum as a hardwood floor would have cost, but energy is a valuable currency as well. I know I wouldn't want the hassle and stress of hiring a stranger every time I want a clean floor. I too, have clothes with holes in them, which I still wear. Sometimes though, you NEED clothes that look presentable, otherwise you simply won't get hired (and then you have no money for food either).
I have a question for you - if a family member or a friend or someone is wanting to get you a gift, say for a holiday or something like that, what would you ask for?😊
@@ziggymarleymarley7 I found it warm enough for winter in Southern Sweden, with a layer underneath! But they do a thicker version as well. I just love it! :D
My mother raised us with her mothers phrase. Use it up, west it out, make it do, or do without. I’m not a “minimalist”. I do often have no buy weeks (nothing but gas for work). I shop my pantry for groceries. When I do buy, I look at secondhand/thrift first. Angela at #parkrosepermaculture introduced me to visible mending. It speaks to my artistic personality.
