Minimalism Means More Money http://www.minimalistmeeples.com/money/ Minimalism is a lifestyle of choosing to own less, consume less, and live without excess. When we have and want less material possessions, less clutter, less appliances, less subscriptions, less of the unhealthy and unnecessary, we will naturally have more time and more money.
There are many minimalist ways that are actually money-saving hacks:
Go clothes shopping only once a year, or less Never pay for haircuts again Have only one handbag in your life Downgrade your mobile plan Skip Cable TV Skip the gym subscription. Find other free / less expensive options like doing yoga at home, or running at the park with a friend Stop buying coffee and food on a regular basis Create a food plan and cook your own food as much as possible Walk or ride a bike when you can Move to a smaller home
Here are more easy-level items, so you can start trying minimalism and saving money today:
Take care of your stuff so you don’t have to keep replacing them Skip TV commercials and avoid ads. This can reduce your craving for consumption Give yourself 72 hours to think about a purchase before making the purchase Create a to-buy list when grocery shopping Do grocery shopping only once a week, or less Stop buying junk foods and unhealthy snacks Skip most cleaning products. Research on using vinegar and baking soda Bring eco bags when grocery shopping or when you need to buy something
A final money-saving hack: Focus on happiness, and not pleasure. Pleasure is a positive feeling that comes from something external–like eating good steak, buying a new pair of shoes, or getting a new iPhone case. Pleasurable experiences can bring us happiness, but the problem is that pleasure is a momentary, fleeting feeling. This is why we need to keep on seeking the pleasurable experiences in order to feel happiness. This is also why many people waste so much money everyday. On the other hand, true happiness is reliable and does not depend on external events and experiences. A person could have nothing and experience the worst days, but can still genuinely feel happy. Based on the longest study on happiness, the key to keeping us happier and healthier is simply good relationships. And good relationships don’t have to be expensive. In this study about money and
happiness, they also found that for most of us, giving money away makes us happier than spending it on ourselves; and experiences–not possessions–bring lasting joy. We should all stop wasting our money, no matter how “little” we are spending on unnecessary stuff. This is especially important for people who are currently in any sort of debt. You’d be surprised how much the little purchases can accumulate; or how much you can save from avoiding them, especially if you just use that money for investments like an index fund. If you don’t need extra money for yourself, you can always use it to help people in need. As a bonus, when you give your money away for someone in need, you might feel a certain joy that no new pair of jeans can ever give you.