Minimalism tips
Improve your relationship with money
The best way to do this is to distinguish money fears from money problems using a solid personal finance strategy. Money problems are real financial threats (e.g. I can’t pay my rent) but money fears stem from negative self-talk (e.g. I’m a failure because I don’t make over six figures) that’s often untrue.
Consider meditation or alternatives
Meditation has proven psychological benefits, but there are other activities that have calming effects. Expand your repertoire of mindfulness tools with simple activities like journaling, breathing, and walking.
Quality over Quantity
Ever bought those dirt-cheap batteries you find in your suking tindahan? I have. I bought 4 pieces for 10 pesos. I thought it was a sweet deal. I even liked its orange color. However, less than a week after slapping two of these on our wall clock, both drained completely in the middle of the night. Not knowing the clock is frozen, I ended up being late for work the next morning and had to spend a few more minutes on my way home just to buy new (and legit) batteries. It ended up costing me a lot more than just the few pesos I saved from buying those damn knock-offs. Moral of the story? It’s not about how many you have. It’s about having a few pieces that work perfectly. Stuff that don’t fail you. One may have a dozen pair of cheap Adidas knock-off slip-ons but I’ll pick my trusty old Islander’s over those any day.
Save Time, Energy and Money
Less stuff means less things to manage. This saves you precious time, money and energy. Think about it. Here’s an example: More clothes = more dirty laundry, more closet space, more detergent and fabric conditioner needed, more water needed, more time needed to do the laundry, more electricity to consume, more clothes hangers to use—you get the idea. And no—don’t go smart aleck saying you have your laundry done at laundry shops. The bottom line is that you’ll still end up paying more. Related: How to Save More Money
Less Clutter and Distractions
You’ve probably seen an Apple Store, right? I always liked how things looked clean and bright in there. They keep a minimalist design principle. All those shiny Apple products spotlighted perfectly for maximum “come-buy-me” effect. Being a minimalist means having almost zero clutter and putting emphasis on the best stuff you have, eliminating distractions at the same time.
Check your credit reports and credit score annually
Check your credit reports from each credit bureau (there are three) annually using annualcreditreport.com. Even if your credit card company offers credit monitoring or reporting, it’s a good idea to check your actual reports through this site to get your official reports. It’s what I do and find it very easy to use. The reason you should check your credit reports annually is to verify all the information is correct, and make sure your identity hasn’t been compromised.
Use a third-party aggregator
If you manage your finances electronically, you may feel more comfortable using a third-party aggregator to get the big picture of your financial situation. Mint.com is an example of one, and I know there are more. This is ideal if you want an app on your phone and prefer using digital budgeting and net worth tracking opposed to doing it manually.
Track your net worth
Track your net worth to get the big picture of your entire financial situation. Your net worth is a snapshot of your assets and liabilities at a given time. Your net worth measures what you’re actually worth financially. It’s important to know what your net worth is if you want to build wealth. It’s not enough to only budget. You need both a budget and to track your net worth. Next steps:
- Listen to: Your Relationship With Money (podcast)
- Read: The Money Mindset That Will Get You Out Of Debt (blog post)
- Take: Money Mindset Exercises (free course)
Create a budget
Create a budget based on your monthly income and expenses. A budget is the tool that gets you to stay on track financially every month. A budget shows you exactly where your money is going so you can know whether you’re on track with your income and expenses. It’s your blueprint for achieving your financial goals. Next step:
- Take the Budgeting For Budget Haters course
Decluttering other people’s stuff
The last minimalism mistake I made was wanting to declutter other people’s stuff. You can’t force people to change. The solution is don’t touch or declutter other people’s stuff. If they ask for help, feel free to help them. But I ignored my other family members’ stuff. Other than our two children, they are still young enough where they need my help with decluttering. The best way to get others on board is to show them what you are doing. After seeing how beneficial minimalism is in your life, hopefully, they will get on board. After about a year of me decluttering our home, my husband saw the benefits of what I was doing. He got on board with our minimalism journey.