July 6, 2024

Last week I shared on the blog and YouTube the 5 areas where I consider myself a minimalist and 5 areas where I don’t. After watching my video, my husband said to me, you know, the areas where you don’t consider yourself a minimalist is still pretty minimal. That got me thinking…what does it mean to be a minimalist? it’s all very arbitrary.

There is no official definition on what makes a person a minimalist and what makes a person not. The way I define it for myself when I shared the different areas where I consider myself a minimalist and where I don’t is all about whether I feel I have just the essentials? or do I have more than the minimum? Perhaps it’s a KonMari habit that I look at things by category and not as a whole.

So let’s look at the whole picture and not by categories - you know you are a minimalist if this sounds like you.

#1 You know you are a minimalist if you value experience over things - This means when you travel, you don’t buy souvenirs but you will spend money on activities. During holiday seasons, you prefer to give and receive experience gifts from family and friends.

#2 You know you are a minimalist if you love the concept of buy it for life - In fact, you probably love the Buy it for Life subreddit on reddit. instead of non stick cookware, you learn to properly season your cast iron pans so that you will have it forever. You take great care of your items and you love items that comes with a lifetime warranty.

#3 You know you are a minimalist if you love to borrow or rent items - This can be going to the library for books, renting tools for special projects, borrow or rent special occasion clothing and sporting equipment. you dont see the need to own something if there is an option to rent or borrow it.

#4 You know you are a minimalist if you love to declutter - You are constantly evaluating and re-evaluating everything you own. Nothing is off limits. Nothing is safe. If you noticed you haven’t use something in a while, you are happy to let it go and then you give yourself a pat on the back.

#5 You know you are a minimalist if you buy quality over quantity - You don’t need options. You are happy with one quality item that will last you forever rather than having 4 lesser quality ones just to have options. You don’t care about what others will think if you wear the same pair of shoes, have one bag or be seen multiple times in the same outfit.

So, does that sound like you? Are you a minimalist?