Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
This week we hear from Frugal Minimalist, who tells us how minimalism helped her pay off a huge amount of debt and enjoy new freedom in life. Visit her blog to learn more.
Frugal Minimalist writes:
My name is Charis. A few years ago, I was tens of thousands of dollars in debt, bought clothes out of stress or boredom, and had a house full of stuff I didn’t know I owned.
Today, I’m debt free, haven’t bought new clothes in who knows how long, and live in a 600 sq ft apartment.
When I first learned about minimalism, I thought the purpose was to declutter – and at first, it is. I probably threw away over 20 garbage bags of junk and many random pieces of furniture. But I realized minimalism isn’t just about decluttering, but about being content with what I have. It doesn’t mean I live in an empty apartment, but it does mean maybe I don’t need that extra dress just because it’s on sale.
Becoming a minimalist changed my mindset to stop consuming things I didn’t need. It’s this mindset that allowed me to pay off almost $50,000 of debt. How can minimalism do this? Here are three ways it helped me:
- Each purchase I made was purposeful. After spending weeks decluttering, the last thing I wanted was to bring more clutter in again. Inadvertently, this allowed me to save money by not purchasing unnecessarily.
- I no longer bought things to relieve stress or because I was bored. After becoming a minimalist, I stopped making empty purchases just because I liked the feeling of buying something new. Instead, I was satisfied knowing I have more than enough.
- It granted me the freedom to be content. I went from feeling like I could never have enough, to understanding that I have everything I could ever need.
Minimalism completely changed my lifestyle from constantly consuming to mindful spending. It granted my husband and I the freedom to move across the country with only what could fit in our two cars. It allowed us the ability to get rid of a car, and live only with one. It provided a means for us to downsize our apartment without needing for more space.
It’s freeing to not be controlled by objects and even more freeing to not be controlled by finances. Becoming a minimalist is why I wrote about How Minimalism Helped Pay Off Debt. It’s thanks to minimalism that this freedom is possible.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or joining my email list.}
We always prepare designs for our clients that are geared around intentional purchases. Good design is liberating as well!
I am so happy for you, Charis. It’s no fun living with debt, and paying off debt is freeing, like you said. Thank you for sharing your story.
Bravo, Charis!🍷
What a great story! There’s nothing better than knowing you have enough.
I’m curious, how did you move with only two cars’ worth of stuff? What about kitchen stuff? Beds? Furniture? I once lived happily in a 600 square foot apartment, but it still took a truck to move.
We pretty much sold or donated all our furniture before we moved (bed, dining table and chairs, couch, etc). We bought most of it off Craigslist so it wasn’t worth the effort to bring it with us. Since we lived in an apartment, we didn’t have to worry about having to move a fridge or microwave or anything like that either.
This is great and inspiring! Well done, Charis. Thanks for sharing your story!
“Being content with what I have”: that is the goal, indeed. And do you find that the less you own, the more meaningful become the items you do own?
Bravo! When we moved 17 years ago from our small house to our small condo, we no longer had a basement or an attic. We gave away or threw away a lot of stuff. We had used furniture then and mostly used furniture now. I recycle a big bag full of paper and plastic every day. We have one car. I own 3 pairs of everyday slacks including jeans and 2 pairs of nicer slacks. I have 6 short sleeve T shirts, 3 long sleeve T shirts and 4 dressy tops. As always, I have a chart of what goes with what and mainly wear dark solids. When I used to work in an office, I started collecting earrings. I also have pins and bracelets. They don’t take up much room.
Isn’t it amazing how much more freedom you have when you aren’t encumbered by stuff? My husband and I also moved across the country in our car (with our daughter!), and it has led to even more adventures. I look forward to checking out your blog!
Well, your blog thinks I am a bot, so you will find three attempts at commenting in your spam folder, LOL! Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post and will be back! :-)
Congratulations for being debt-free, Charis!
I was just given three garbage bags full of art supplies, magazines, etc. I am keeping one shoebox full of things I know I will use. The rest is going to other crafters, scout groups, 4H, a nursing home, and a Sunday school. Tony bits of paper and broken junk was recycled or trashed. In general, I pass on most of what I am given. One woman, who gave me rolls of wrapping paper and yards of ribbon, called to tell me she had just gone out to buy more.
Congrats on clearing all those debt. Looking forward to read more on your journey.
I was given lots of fancy paper. I just gave most of it to the library for their children’s programs. I need a few sheets to try new ideas.
I just emptied a big bookcase. I want to get a small shelf to display some pictures. My daughter threw out two big bags of recycling today. Then she got rid of some old makeup. I put some summer shirts away. My husband found some electronic gadgets to recycle.Tomorrow, my younger son is coming over
to take some stuff to his new place. It is an ongoing journey to get rid of all the things we do not need.
Hi, thanks for sharing your story and realizations. I love, “being content with what I have.” There’s so much in that and it shows me how consumerism/advertisements and cultural messages that brainwash into thinking we need “more” and to “have” and “get,” parallel Buddhist teachings I’ve heard about “passion” and “aggression.” That is: wanting and trying to push away. Sounds like you’re finding the middle way, in being content with what you have. Congratulations!