How A Minimalist Lifestyle Can Save You Money
While being a minimalist with a handful of kids around at all times is well next to impossible I really admire my friends that have moved on to the next stage of life and are finding the joys and the benefits of being minimalistic. One such benefit I have seen is just how much money being minimalistic can save.
Stop impulse purchases
Oftentimes, people find that when they go to the store they see things they don’t really need, they just buy them because they are available. Choosing to live a minimalist lifestyle gives you a strong reason to say no to these purchases. If you learn to say no to everything that catches your attention, you can save a substantial amount of money. Even small nick-nacks here and there can add up to a lot of wasteful spending over the course of the year.
Many people do not realize just how much money we spend on a regular basis on these little impulse buys. For some people like my husband with ADHD the impulse buys can get completely out of hand if left unchecked. It is so easy to grab this or that when it catches your eye without doing the math on how much you are truly spending when it all adds up.
Put an end to frivolous spending
Impulse buys aren’t the only thing we waste our money on. Spending money on things we don’t need and won’t even use is often seen as frivolous. Random nick nacks and key chains, as well as souvenirs, are ways we waste money on a regular basis. Intentionally avoiding these temptations will help you save money when you choose minimalism. When it comes to designing a minimalistic home, you don’t want a lot of extraneous items taking up space and draining your budget.
There’s a danger when you see something on sale and you want it, but you don’t necessarily need it. There are a lot of ways that stores get you to part with your money and fill up your home with things you don’t even need.
Focusing on needs vs wants
It is important to learn what is actually a need and what is merely a desire if you wish to become a minimalist. When we learn to move away from purchases that are only wants in favor of necessities. Some people find this lesson hard to learn and it is almost forced upon them when they have to decide what to keep in their homes and lives. You can use this journey to find your way through this important growth process.
Discover things you don’t actually need
If you take the time to minimize your life, you will learn so much about yourself and what you spend your money on that you do not need. Is that whole skincare routine really necessary? My friend Andrea manages to save $110 a month on just this area of her life.
Why do we have so many cleaning products? Odds are you can just buy a couple of your favorites and use them for everything.
Most likely, you do not need to use as many items as you think you do, and living a minimalist lifestyle can help you realize this.
No need to pay for storing items
By storing things you don’t need in your home you use up space that could be used to store things you do need. Many people have excess stuff they do not need, and pay for bigger homes or storage units just to have a place to store things that are not needed or used regularly. Cut back on your possessions to the minimum necessary. By letting go of the what if I need it attitude, you can easily downsize and stop wasting money on storage.
If you are paying to store stuff you do not use that is not solely for the reason that the items are seasonal then you need to take a good look at how much stuff you have and clear things out.
Profit from your journey
Making your transition into a minimalist lifestyle make money for you is one way to save money. Getting rid of the clutter in your life will allow you to sell items that are still good but no longer needed in your life. When you have money to spend on things you need, you can purchase items of higher quality. When you have this money to spare, invest it in better quality items so you can save more in the long run.
You can invest in better quality items
Minimalism allows you to save money by not buying things you do not need. Therefore, you will have more money to invest in better quality items the first time around. It allows you to avoid having to replace an item soon because it wore out by buying an item that will last longer. A common mistake people without a lot of money make is to buy the cheaper item when they know they will have to replace it in a few months.
