i redefine luxury as self love. A cup of tea, alone time, morning walks and being debt free. and most of all, living a simple and happy life is the best luxury for me.
Being a financial adviser, I’m always encouraging people to minimalist living. It’s helped me a lot financially, and through advising and encouraging others they’ve benefitted as well 😁
To me, luxury is being able to separate myself from consumer culture and knowing that I don't need new Jordans, the latest tech, or any other materialstic items.
This what you said was one of many reasons why I've became a minimalist. Growing up, I went to a school system that allowed the students to wear what they want, as long as it was appropriate of course. But, if they ever saw someone, "Not dressed to their standards" they treated them as an outcast. The other reason why I've became a minimalist, is because I grew up with those of the older generations raising me. Yes, you can "boomers" lol. And what was so common for them in young adulthood to even now in their age was packing their houses with all types of furniture, clothes, antiques, books, you name it. And when it's like that, it becomes so hard to move around things and to find things under so much clutter. I can say, the essentials to a place is here to stay but it doesn't have to be like, "HERE IT IS!!!!" Even with my own life. I don't need fanciness. I tell people, "I have a life to live, not a community to impress."
Luckily for my husband I have no interest in diamond or gems in general. I have a simple silver wedding band I don't wear and chose to forego an engagement ring. We put a down-payment on a house instead. No other jewelry except a watch that I've had for 9yrs. I really just enjoy simplicity.
Oh, boy, do I hope my kids will do that. I like my ring, but there's nothing quite as nice as no mortgage payments. If I could go back, I'd think differently.
This was sooo profound! This literally changes your whole thinking. Can totally see why you became a teacher. (from my perspective) You have such a great ability to explain things. Thank you for sharing this!
Sarah, My mom is a retired public school teacher. I study Education and Psychology at university. I embrace the Montessori Method; I would love to become a Montessori Directress. I do miss that you are no longer teaching. I do see how happy and alive you are as a RU-vid Instructor. Let us know if you ever return to classroom teaching! Thank you for offering courses on Minimalism; I can see your love and passion for this essential movement.
I'm currently wearing 8 diamonds, on jewellery my parents gave me about 15-20 years ago. The pieces are timeless and lovely, and I wear them quite often. It's probably not an essential, rather a luxury, but at least fine jewellery lasts longer and keeps up better than most custom jewellery. So I feel it's minimalist in a way to not having to replace cheaper jewellery all the time because it breaks or diminishes.
When I started this journey with you last year I was hardly baking and donated a lot of stuff. Now, with COVID and just wanting to make more at home, I am using a wine bottle instead of a rolling pin. It works!
That is such a great example of using what you have, Lynne! I love it! I also love that you used the opportunity of this video as a chance to relax and soak your feet!
I think Americans in general are better off than the British because the cost of an average Engagement Ring is much lower. I am 65 next month and love nice good quality things but never fallen into the trap of wanting to try and keep up with the Jones. I think I have always had minimalist ideas and habits but wouldn’t class myself as a Minimalist. I just Hate Greed and waste and showing off! I love the luxury of clean sheets when I get in bed. A glass of wine sat in the garden when it’s Sunny. A lovely meal with all my favourites. I love being with my family. That is so important and don’t we know it more than ever now we have Covid living. Keep up the good work and take care
Pam Sunderland.. How does the cost of the average engagement ring (which you are suggesting is cheaper in the US) make Americans "in general better off" than the British?... I don't see the link? .. Apart from anything else, in the US, hyper-consumerism and massive debts just to buy "stuff" is normal in the US with people putting everything on credit, whereas people tend to "live within their means" more in the UK.. With less debts... How do huge debts make people "better off"?
Rebecca Bahama hi there just picked up your message from 3 weeks ago. Sorry I didn’t explain myself properly. I actually meant that the average engagement ring in the UK was cheaper. My Son got engaged last year and got married last week. My Sister and other family live or have lived in USA and they seem to have more disposable income. Their houses on average have more square footage for their money. I hope that makes it clear what I intended to say. Many thanks for an answer to my comment. Stay Safe and Well. Love and Peace Pammy Uk
@@pamsunderland6095 I don't thing Americans have more disposable income ...many Americans have multiple jobs just to survive! They just put everything on credit cards and get more in debt... So I don't think this makes them "generally better off" . And their houses are not always cheaper.. It depends where they live.. If they are out in the sticks... Then yes, due to the size of the USA and the higher amount of cheaper more remote land available ..the houses are cheaper in more rural areas... But that is definitely not true for the big cities! Anyway.. Best wishes and stay safe
I just learned a new term! Functional fixedness. It's like being able to make crepes in a regular frying pan which I have always done 😁. I have friends who actually believe that you need to have a crepe pan to make crepes.
I have a diamond engagement ring/ wedding band set and let me tell you. I NEVER wear it. It’s always in my way for hand washing and cooking and managing house chores lol
Since becoming a minimalist I've given away a few things I regretted and had (or wanted!)to rebuy! The two that comes to mind are my electric tea kettle, which I went back to a kettle on the stove but found I missed the automatic turn off of the electric one and so I bought another. And my Portmerion Botanical tea cups were getting chipped and so I decided to use the cream colored, (more simple looking one that went with my set of dishes, I'd only kept 4 of them but they got chipped and broken and I ended up buying the whole set of Welsh Portmerion ones all over again because I have loved them for 30 years! The rest of my many declutter item, I've never regretted!
I talked at length about concept #1 with my husband when I used a chopstick as a swizzle stick because why would we have swizzle sticks since we don't drink cocktails hardy ever...he puts up with so much from me 😂 ❤️ then there's the inevitable conversations with f&fs about things like how I make a lot of keto tortillas but how could I have no desire to get a tortilla press?...because I have a rolling pin that works just fine! ;) I actually get a lot of joy out of finding creative new uses for things we already have!
Lol. When my husband proposed to me, he knew I didn't want a diamond, so he asked what some things were that I would need. I was 37 and had a house and a small business. He ended up giving me an "engagement laptop." 💻 Which we also used at our wedding reception, playing music on a digital playlist. 10 years later, we still use it to play yoga videos and music in my craft room/music studio/yoga room. ❤💕
Lourdes Vargas I’m with you. I occasionally remove my wedding ring for gardening and cleaning and without realizing it may forget to put it back on before going to work. Until I realize how differently I’m being approached!! At first I’m confused and shocked... and then I realize 🤦♀️ “ahhh, no ring!” It tends to be a nice way to signal “don’t bother” (to most men anyway🙄). Once I had someone look at my ring and say “looks like you’re well loved”. And that’s how I feel about my ring. It reminds me I’m loved and committed, and seems to help minimize being approached as available.
Over the summer, people were getting pools / jacuzzis. I filled the bath with cool water and cooled off and relaxed. No cost, no storage or complicated chemicals.
The concept of Consumer Games is so important. I have been thinking about that (although not naming it as such) with regards to the coffee phenomenon.... How did we become a society that not only accepts, but expects everyone to have a coffee in their hands at all times? Ads and marketing! If we go back 30 years, a coffee was something we had on a break from a meeting (never at the boardroom table), or at lunch/coffee break (not at our desk), or from a thermos at a picnic (not from paper cups, every day), or with a friend at a cafe (not walking down a local trailway with a take-out cup). It would have been unthinkable to see high-school students with coffee drinks in class, or to show up late to an appointment (with a drive-thru coffee in hand), or to bring a coffee into the grocery store to drink while shopping. How did we fall into this trap, as a society? Wasteful, not mindful, and increasingly unhealthy (syrups, fats, artificial flavours and sweeteners now make up 'special' coffees)... It's really mind-boggling.
I have 1 ring ; I bought it for me! One day I moved it to my left ring finger ; I don’t take it off; for me it’s a covenant between me and Jesus. And as of 2 weeks ago I started wearing my mother-in-law who is passed over , a piece of silver sterling bracelet on my left wrist. I surely do love it, the weight of it, the heavyduty 2/3 rows of a beautifully made piece of jewelry!! The matching necklace is broke or I would wear it too. Everyday! As I practice clearing out my goods to become more minimalist life style.
I love your videos. Thank you so much. I’m a teacher, too, and when I come home at the end of the chaotic work day, my home is my sanctuary! I’m trying little by little to de-clutter and let go of the stuff. Clutter stresses me out more, and your videos help me learn not to panic about letting go of things, but to realize it will be okay. :-)
So happy to see this Sarah! My house is only 420 sf so I need to make sure things are multi purposed! No diamonds for me... what a waste! Thank you and stay well!
I'm ALL about minimalism! I recently found out I have ADHD so minimalism is something that will change my life for sure. I've been obsessing over videos about how to overcome the struggles of add and this video in particular is WAY cool!! But also I can't stop fixating on the pictures in the background and how they look slightly off....🤪 ok.... Back to the video 😂
7:45 This is of such an importance and I am glad you bring this up. We are conditioned into believing this and giving value to that so much we end up conditioning ourselves, our friends and children. This is also empowering for people to come to realize since we can make ourselves conscious about this influence and actually use this power to achieve change in society. My first husband was in gemmology and we actually had a import export of preziosi and diamonds. As a consequence I had and wore a tennis bracelet, several diamond rings even especially designed for me. I was being pushed into that luxury trap but being Swedish and with my humble and minimalist origin I had to stop this ongoing train towards more money and less value. And did so when I watched the documentary about the minding in Africa and I saw nothing but blood diamonds when I looked at my tennis bracelet and rings. We separated and I sold off every diamond I owned. I never ever regretted that "decluttering". And I taught my children that marriage is not about the ring. We can become aware and reach mental clarity and thus we are able to change and enhancement ❤️🇮🇹🇸🇪
Luxury for me is having a very organized day ahead, sleeping time, eating healthy and a comfortable bed every night! Loving your videos and all your tips are so good!
My mother was an orphan. Having lost everything and all of her immediate family in the war, found comfort in buying jewelry she could pass onto us and our children and their children someday. All of my valuable jewelry has been bought and gifted to me from her. While I don’t buy expensive jewelry myself, I do like to wear what has been given to me on special occasions. You have made a great point to me. A huge, expensive, diamond ring may not be what I need to symbolize a commitment, but rather something more minimal and practical to my needs and values. Thank you for this video.
Well, this was a very interesting topic (no tongue in cheek). My husband and I use diamonds in many ways (adornment being one of them) and investment being another. The value of gemstones, and diamonds in particular, is market-driven of course. To me the beauty of them in the really high-quality stones, are precious. Just knowing how much energy it took for Mother Earth to make them and the extreme beauty is mind-boggling. And in an exquisite setting, they become true art that lasts for millenniums. Truly sustainable in other words. We invest in gold too, and other precious metals. Nobody needs either of them (gemstones/precious metals) to survive! But with the uncertain time we live in, where a total collapse of the dollar and/or stock market is more than theory, owning both it is one way to prepare for whatever the future may be.
@@AbundantlyMinimal So does your channel. I appreciate what you do, and I always find that there something valuable in the choices you have made, it makes me see what I can improve. That is why I subscribe to your channel. Thanks for all your content.
I been getting rid of things and starting minimalist living. From food that we sometimes buy and are not healthy to one bath soap and one lotion. No more expensive bath and body works. I’m basically debt free and it feels amazing. Inner peace and peace of mind is priceless
I really enjoyed this video. It's so satisfying to use what we have before shopping. If you wait before buying something, half the time you'll realize you don't need it at all. I love being creative! I use pizza cutters to cut all sorts of foods for my young son who needs little pieces. I repurposed some small ceramic bakeware my mom no longer wanted into organizing containers. I regularly cut old shirts into handkerchiefs and rags. I received a mug that had a tea strainer portion, but the holes are too big for my loose leaf teas, so I use it to hold little binder clips, which I now use as chip clips. I've relocated my organizers dozens of times for different tasks. My idea of luxury is a really tasty coffee, sleeping in in the morning, using a face mask that my skin loves, eating a particularly tasty meal, or giving myself special care during my hygiene routine. A nice, long hug. A fireplace. A back yard big enough for a child to play. Having time to myself. Being able to step outside in the middle of the day and enjoy fresh air and nice weather. A car feels like an irresponsible luxury in my life, but I didn't want to take a newborn on the bus (and couldn't have with a c-section) and now I work too far away. Fortunately, telework has meant less commuting! So I can feel less guilty. (Owning one doesn't align with my values, but is extremely convenient.) One day I would love to pay someone to clean my home for me... 😳 That's a major luxury to me. Less stress and more time. I don't love diamonds. I own one that was a gift from my grandparents. I don't have many gifts from them and it's a cute little heart, so I keep it and it gives me warm fuzzies. My husband and I still aren't "married" 10 years and a baby in. 🙃 No ring! All the love.
Your point 3, realising that a lot of things are all about a company getting a sale is very helpful and something that has 'saved' me spending lots of times. My engagement ring my husband found many years ago on a beach, so when we got engaged it became mine. We had no inclination to spend lots of money on that or our wedding rings. I wore it for about 8 years before ago a stone fell out I had it replaced, a sapphire. It was a gulp moment when realised how much-enough that we could go and stay in a posh hotel that I liked! When another stone fell out the other year I thought I really don't care and I've left the ring in a draw since then.
I love the idea of defining what luxury means to you. I never thought about it like that before and it’s something that I definitely want to take the time to sit and think about/journal about in the future!
Thank you for your video. Last year, I've moved 3 times because of work and all I have is my car and my essential things. Everything fits and it's easy to just go anywhere.
Thanks Sarah, another encouraging, practical video! Your suggestion on object fixedness helps against give-away regret - a big guilt-point! The luxury suggestion creates an atmosphere of thankfulness for the multiple luxuries we have, but take for granted. The diamond story was interesting and thought-provoking. You do such a nice job of keeping your videos simple enough to digest and put into practice and interesting enough to be satisfying to watch. Keep up the great work and thanks again!
Sarah I really liked this different twist on minimalism. Twenty years ago when we got engaged RJ did buy me a small diamond ring. If we were to get engaged today there would not be a diamond. RJ has made me a stainless steel ring for every day wear.❤
That is so cool that RJ made you that stainless steel ring!
3 года назад
I love the first one, I use a glass bottle that I store oil in as a rolling pin and I use a teapot for watering my plants. I love to water them with this beautiful little teapot 😊
At the beginning of this year, both Cadillac and Lincoln SUVs had these commercials, Cadillac focused on going out with lots of friends and Lincoln on using the vehicle to get away into nature/solitude. My husband is not a “brand” or car-guy said, “oh, I’d really like to have one of those, they are beautiful.” I think it really surprised him when I said, “Well, their marketing departments are doing a great job, they even got you into believing you need them.” With our introverted ways and our busy lives, these car makers made him believe that he was lacking. Lacking friends, lacking experiences. Even minimalists fall into thinking we are not enough with these constant marketing messages.
There should be a book or a class which takes the best 100 thousand minimalist ideas then finds the best 5% and tells you them. Anyway here are some minimalist ideas I have, maybe you can share: 1.) To save toilet paper get a bidet attachment on amazon/ebay, or even a portable bidet (which is just a squeeze bottle...). 2.) If you are overweight or want to maintain your weight get caspian sea yogurt, its a room-temperature yogurt and it only requires you to take a tablespoon of yogurt per cup of milk to turn into more yogurt endlessly. You can even freeze the yogurt in case you leave the yogurt out too much and damage your yogurt. 4 cents per ounce & 3 second preparation time (no you don't have to stir, and instead of using a cloth you can just not shut the lid tightly). To make the yogurt thicker you can add spices, milk powder, gelatin, other fibres. 3.) Try fasting for about 1 week as the hardest days of a fast are day 1-3. Instead of drinking water on a fast, drink extracts, cocoa powder, black coffee, lemon juice & vinegar-water mixed with baking soda, spice water, and tea (if you have a hot water dispenser) to reduce hunger & make sure you don't leach minerals by drinking water. Rosemary & Ginger are pretty good teas, and sometimes Parsley is as well. You can make tea in a microwave, but you might have to lower the power level so that when the timer goes off the tea is done. 4.) Max out your 401k and get a roth IRA account so that it invests your money in index funds automatically. Exponential growth is wicked: 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1k 2k 4k 8k 16k 32k 64k 128k 256k 512k 1 million, and its how you maximise the amount of non-work related time you have in your life. 5.) Clean milk containers or other jugs and fill them with tap water and leave them out to remove the chlorine for cheap drinking water.
I never find diamonds interesting, my husband bought an Emerald gold simple ring (I'm allergic to any other metal) and our wedding bands are simple gold rings... But looking back I would liked to look for a used gold ring instead...
I really enjoyed this video, Sarah! I definitely feel like the word "luxury" is taking on a lot of different meanings now, especially with the turn of sustainable/ethical fashion. There's this one vegan designer brand that I follow (called Angela Roi), and I've bought a couple of their items that I love and have used. Thanks for sharing! :)
When we got married In 1990, we bought plain white gold bands. Later I wanted a gold band with channelled diamonds. Found one at a pawn shop for $40. It has teeny tiny diamonds but I didn't care! I also have a gold band with larger fake diamonds that I wear to company functions etc. Looks expensive and I won't cry if it gets lost or stolen. But mostly I just wear the white gold band for every day.
Omg... You know there exists a happy middleground too? Perhaps a small diamond or no diamond but gold as the metal. Slim sleek minimalist in design... Here in Sweden people might spend the equivalent of 4-500 dollars on a ring! Perhaps twice as much for the splurgers or those who have a bit larger budget. When me and my ex got married we had gold jewellry hand me downs from female family members that we turned into our new rings. We could afford bying it ourselves but we did it out of low waste/eco consious reasons. We only paid for the work/hand labor. Refuse & reuse right? And the history/nostalia of family ties.
Of course there is a middle ground...as is true with pretty much any concept discussed on the channel! I like to refer to it as the minimalist continuum. That is interesting to hear about how it works in Sweden. Love the fact that you repurposed jewelry from other family members!
I don't have a problem thinking like a minimalist. I have a problem buying things. I try to avoid contracts and loans. I've always paid cash for my used vehicles. I've never owned a new vehicle. The only thing o make payments on is my mortgage. I only buy very cheap items and I feel guilty buying higher priced items, for example my Dyson vacuum. I've always wanted a cordless vacuum.
One helpful mindset shift could be if you buy a cheaper item, it could be lower quality, and not last you as long. Some items, such as a Dyson vacuum, like you mentioned, can last much longer, so they become a better value in the long run!
@@AbundantlyMinimal I agree with the quality being the thing to focus on. I know some of us have a mindset based on our childhood upbringing that sets us up for feeling like we must always go the cheapest route possible. My dad could not spend money. He tried to save every penny. I was told "no" for a lot of stuff most kids took for granted. I too had a hard time to spend money. I got a lot of anxiety over it. Finally, i learned about quality being improtant too and that sometimes we need to free ourselves from that cheapskate mindset. My parents were raised during the depression, so they feared everything. They were hoarders and left a mess to clean out. They also could not throw anything away coz they might need it later. Yeah.... right... not!! They also left a hefty sum of $$. Unfortunately, because i did not know how to spend money, I made some really stupid decisions and along with the economy crash of 2008 and several job losses, I no longer have the nestegg they left to me. I was so afraid following in their footsteps of living a sort of shabby life and then leaving all my wealth behind. Even though they were happy to leave it to me, I feel a little guilty now. I just finally wanted to take a chance, have some of the nicer things, and so I got a little careless. So, now I am a minimalist both by choice and default, having come full circle.
my diamond ring came from a pawn shop. We bought matching koa wood rings when we lived in Hawaii (my happy place!) amd I bought a mood ring at a gift shop when we lived in The Netherlands. I rotate between the 3
Amen to everything! And yes having windows open in the brief time of the year when we can, IS a luxury! I wish it lasted longer and it never takes up space in my home. : )
Sarah, Did you know diamonds are not ethical? I watched a news item regarding diamonds on television with my Mom years ago. If I ever wear a wedding ring, I will not be wearing one with diamonds; I love how your wedding band is stainless steel!
Hi Jennifer Ann! There is still more I need to learn about diamonds, but yes, I am aware of many of the issues and violence that is associated with them...definitely another reason to avoid them!
My last marriage I didn't get a ring with a diamond, but instead a ring with a blue topaz. I have rings I don't wear from a previous marriage that have diamonds.
I've always planned to marry someone who is okay with buying rings at a pawn shop (and driving used cars). Especially because I want to marry another female someday, so rings could get expensive if you let them, lol! I recently learned, though, that Quakers used to give wedding thimbles, since they couldn't wear jewelry and it was a necessary tool. I will ask my future spouse for one of those, a vintage one.
I love my diamonds so much ...... I would have married my husband a hundred times without ever having a ring but I couldn't give mine up now that I've got it it has so much fire in it....... it's sparkles so brightly that it catches people's eye when I'm walking down the street🤗🤗😍
Great story of your wedding bands❤️....makes me realize we don’t need these material things in our lives....it’s not the wedding rings we cherish it’s the marriage itself that is important!
Love this! Simple pleasures, I would like to a nice yard without mud, and maybe one day experience a pedicure! LoL it's too easy to get caught up in what the media says is luxurious. Never been caught up in the "diamonds" but it is easy to look at what others have and want it!
Growing up in the ghetto in l.a, jewelry is considered an asset, thats why people buy expensive gold chains and so on because it is also easier to keep around and carry with u when u get arrested, its harder if your assets are frozen but jewelry is can be used for bail. Money is easily stolen and lost also its easier not to leave a paper trail so that your income isn't tracked through the bank. Isn't that a bit crazy there is a whole other world not to many ppl talk about lol?
Amazing, I see diamonds in a whole new light now. I generally like sparkly and shinny things, so it's more towards the way it looks vs the meaning behind it. But thanks!! it's definitely given me some perspective❤❤
Hi Sarah, great to watch another one of your thoughtful, interesting videos. It certainly makes me look at things differently thinking about what you said. 👍💕xx
So true with the rings. I now have my grandmothers diamond engagement ring and great great grandmothers so had never thought about not having one as for generations my family had them. Though I only wear a plain band now with diamonds in it not the engagement ring.
Your narrative is powerful and evocative; similar to a book that was powerful in its evocation. "The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Living Guide" by Matthew Cove
So agree.. I didn't want an engagement ring.. I inherited the engagement ring from my grandmother, which I loved and I told my boyfriend that is what I wanted to use because I love it and always wear it..he said OK.. But then bought me a diamond engagement ring for Christmas the year we got engaged... I hated it. It wasn't my style etc.. But felt I had to wear it.. It was a waste of money and I just didn't like the design.. Naja.. Now I have divorced him after 18 years in a miserable marriage ... Maybe I should have taken that engagement ring discussion as "a sign".. Live and learn I guess!.. I will sell it when I find the time and save the money for my kids eg for driving lessons etc
I don't own a lot, but what I do own is high end & quality. Personally, I dislike clutter and I dislike having to repurchase bad quality items all the time.
HI Sarah, one of my luxuries is good coffee. I never liked diamonds and am not really a jewelry gal. We have gold bands, very simple. I have my jewelry from high school! Some of that has been given to the granddaughters. They love it!!!
Recently, I didn’t have a rolling pin available so worked out could use the soy sauce glass bottle. I didn’t have containers to put food in so used pasta sauce jars.
I'm slowly on the minimalist journey, it's been hard one but it's getting easier....no diamond here either not a fan of expensive jewellery. I have a simple sliver ring with cz. We plan to get a stainless steel or titanium set with cz.
I'm so glad that you love it! One thing I wish I would have done better with this video is given other examples of consumer games rather than just diamonds, because there are many!
Functional fixedness... The opposite of Marie Kondo when she decluttered her hammer and then used a FRYING PAN to bang in a nail! Then you gave to buy a hammer AND a new frying pan, so think carefully before trying to get a tool to multifunction.
My and my husband also have stainless steel wedding bands. I thought I was the only one in the world 🤣 Ours were about 20 € each though. We bought fancy ones 😅
This is funny, I asked my husband if I could sell the diamond necklace/earring set he bought me because I never wear it. I did love the ring he picked me but like you I’ve lost weight ... and one day it fell off on my way home. I’ve been sad about it for a really long time, but I still have him.
