Skip to Content

How to Become a Minimalist |32 Tips to Live With Less

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Minimalism is a lifestyle that has gained popularity in recent years, and for good reason. By simplifying our lives and focusing on what truly matters, we can experience greater joy, clarity, and freedom. Read on for tips on how to become a minimalist and embrace a more intentional life!

A cozy, rustic living room with a stone fireplace that is uncluttered and minimalistic while still maintaining its homey feel

While I don’t technically consider myself a minimalist, I do try to simplify and reduce clutter so we can live our lives more fully. But, I didn’t always feel that way. And when I started to consider embracing a more minimalist point of view… I had no idea where to begin.

We’re all busy, we homeschool, we homestead, and I didn’t think we could ever reduce a lot of our stuff because we would need it, right? I’m also frugal and holding on to things so that I don’t have to turn around and buy what I donated again in two months is important to me… or so it seemed.

But, while all of those things, the homeschooling, homesteading, three dogs, three kids, lots of farm animals, and gardening and canning stuff is a lot… I was tired of all of the stuff, even the things I deemed essential, taking up hours, days, and weeks of my life to organize.

So, I figured out how to make minimalism work for me. While a lot of people think of it as having nothing, it doesn’t have to be. Minimalism isn’t really about what you own, or how much of it you own. It’s more about why it’s there taking up space and time in your life in the first place.

If you’re wondering how to embrace a more intentional, simplistic lifestyle of less stuff, read on because I’ve got plenty of tips to help you become a minimalist, no matter what lifestyle you embrace.

How to Become a Minimalist

While a lot of people think getting started with minimalism means decluttering, it doesn’t. While having less clutter is a part of the bigger picture, it’s not the whole story. These tips will help you learn how to become a minimalist, and declutter!

1 Find Your Why

The first step in embracing a minimalist lifestyle is figuring out why you want to do this in the first place. Saying you want to declutter, become a minimalist, and get more organized is much like most New Year’s resolutions… you start with good intentions like wanting to be more healthy… then you peter out and you fall off the wagon before you ever really begin.

So, finding your why, and looking into the benefits of minimalism can help you gain a minimalist mindset and guide you on your minimalist journey to living with less.

2 Start Small

When it comes to decluttering or just embracing the mindset, start small. Declutter one shelf, practice a no-spend weekend instead of a week or month… make it manageable, break it down into chunks, and celebrate each small goal that you reach.

This not only helps you from getting overwhelmed, it will help you stay motivated enough to continue. Throwing out all your stuff and going through every nook and cranny of your house in a weekend is a surefire way to get burnt out, quit, and continue living with a consumerism mindset.

3 Determine Necessities

All that stuff… do we need it? A minimalist home is full of things that make us feel good and have less stress because there isn’t so much Again, don’t go overboard and declutter the entire house and think you only need one coffee mug. Instead, sit down space by space and think about what you need in your everyday life. Try to keep your emotions out of it.

I recommend starting with something like the dining room table because it often becomes a catch all of various things and it’s a quick, easy way to start going through things, determining what is necessary, and living with fewer things.

4 Stop Shopping

Okay, we all have to go shopping at some point. But, that doesn’t mean we need to buy all of the things. Make sure you’re asking yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Think about the hours of your life it is going to require.

To do this, you can consider the initial cost of the item and how many hours you had to work to gain that much money and then you can take into consideration how much time it’s going to take to keep it maintained. If it’s a trinket, think about the time spent dusting it, moving it to dust around it, etc.

5 Donate and Sell Items You No Longer Need

Have a bunch of socks winding up with mysterious holes in them, but for some reason, they keep winding up in your dresser? Clothes that haven’t fit you in 4 years that you kept for someday?

Go at your own pace, figure out what you need, and donate or sell the items that are no longer serving you. I know it can be hard to let go of things you are keeping around for a long time, but keeping them around is costing you, too.

6 Consider a Capsule Wardrobe

A rustic closet with minimalist design

Fashion has never really been a thing for me. A few jeans and T-shirts, a couple of dresses and I’m good.

However, a capsule wardrobe is a great idea because it provides you with versatile pieces that mix and match well while keeping things simple. Why is this a good idea? Because let’s face it, when we are dressed like we care about ourselves… it boosts our mood. Walking around in yoga pants or torn-up clothes all day never boosted anyone’s mood or confidence.

7 Go Digital

I had a rough time with this. Not so much bills and receipts, but things like movies and books. I am a person who loves to hold a book in my hand, flip through the pages, dog ear important pages, and just feel a book.

I also prefer to have copies of movies that we enjoy watching. Before a few years ago, streaming wasn’t even a remote possibility where we live so having hard copies was important or we wouldn’t have anything to watch (don’t subscribe to cable or satellite!).

But, now we can stream, and while I keep a collection of DVDs and BluRay discs in some simple cases like these, and I do have some of my favorite books on a shelf and regularly use the local library, I’ve embraced streaming one streaming service at a time and using a Kindle paperwhite which is surprisingly close to looking at a printed book, despite the fact it’s plastic.

8 Make Experiences a Priority

The things we do, the memories we make, the time we spend with people we love… those are the best in our lives. Nothing can replace it.

Going on vacation, feeling the sand beneath your toes, watching your toddler walk along the beach… seeing your teenager hike up a mountain alongside you, or just watching your kid’s face light up as you drive around and look at holiday light displays.

What we do with our free time is a big part of our life… spending it on experiences with a family member or friend instead of needing to reorganize clutter is a big part of the minimalist lifestyle.

9 When You Do Buy… Purchase Quality

And save up for it! We’ve been renovating our home to get it ready for sale and even though we’re going to be handing the keys over to someone else in a few months, we’re using cash (no home equity loan or credit cards) and buying quality while still maintaining a budget.

But whether you’re renovating or just buying new things for your kitchen… saving up and buying quality over quantity is so important. Maybe you can only afford two nice knives instead of a whole block of cheap ones… just do that and save up for more later.

10 Shop Secondhand

Just because you’re a minimalist doesn’t mean you don’t buy things. We all buy things and need things to live our everyday lives and sometimes just because a certain thing makes us happy.

Purchasing quality, secondhand items instead of new things is a great idea. We love shopping estate sales and flea markets to find quality items that have already lasted generations and will likely last generations more, this helps us reduce our consumerism and save money.

11 Use it Up

We will often buy bulk items at places like Costco, but even then I try my best to use up what we have before we purchase more. Yes, I will buy 10 cans of tomato sauce at one time, but then I won’t buy more until I actually need it.

This is also true for many things in our daily lives from consumables like food and hygiene products to other things like clothing (if you have three sweaters that work, you probably don’t need four more), storage containers, and the like.

12 Practice Gratitude

Something my mother used to say all the time is “Be thankful for what you have, and no what you have not.” And I repeat the same mantra to my children even today.

Being grateful and practicing gratitude for all you do have, materialistic or otherwise, is a huge part of minimalism and embracing a life of less.

13 Create a Focused Budget

One of the benefits of minimalism is the effect it has on your bank account. When you’re buying less stuff, it eases the strain on your pocketbook and can help you get out of debt.

Creating a minimalist budget can not only help you get out of debt, but it can also help you prioritize those experiences when you’re settling your budget. Whether it be something simple like a few tickets to the local zoo or fuel money for a drive to the beach, putting money aside to afford those experiences will help.

These experiences don’t have to cost money, to be sure, but even budgeting for the fuel to drive there or maybe some special food to make a picnic or a rare treat of eating out is important. If you prioritize these things in your budget, you’re far more likely to actually embrace them and not spend your money on non-essentials that will just add clutter and overwhelm your life.

14 Adopt Mindfulness

Minimalism isn’t just about your physical space, it is also about all that mental and emotional clutter we all carry around. Mental health is a huge part of the minimalist lifestyle, not just because of the benefits of fewer possessions, but also because it affects all aspects of your life.

Finding a daily mindful practice will help you stay calm and content. Overwhelm causes us to make rash decisions and do things that don’t serve us. Learning how to be more mindful and intentional can help you reduce the clutter in your mind and life.

15 Simplify Your Beauty Routine

Beauty products can create a lot of clutter. Simplifying that to utilize more multipurpose items and finding a great morning routine to get you going is a great way to live with fewer items.

Using tallow balm to moisturize your whole body, including your face, using charcoal soap to wash your whole body. Keeping a very simple makeup pallet, can help reduce the clutter in your home and simplify your routine.

16 Meal Plan

A beautiful, tidy kitchen

Meal planning helps in so many ways. It can reduce food waste by implementing the use of leftovers, and it simplifies our lives by reducing mental clutter.

When we meal plan, there’s no wondering what’s for dinner. It’s just a little bit of your time once a week, or twice a month or however you choose to do it, and then glancing at it each evening before you go to bed so you can be sure you’ve got what you need thawed and ready to use.

17 Become More Eco Friendly

Single-use plastic and I do not get along… at all. In fact, I have an entire article on how to reduce your plastic use if you’re looking for ideas.

Finding reusable, recycled items to use instead of disposable items is a huge help not only in reducing your personal clutter (no more piles of plastic cups in your cupboards), but also the planet’s clutter as you are one family not throwing “away” so much stuff.

18 Reduce Screen Time and Digital Clutter

Screen time is proven to reduce mood… especially when that screen time involves social media use. We live in an era of sharing all of the good, edited things while omitting the crap in our lives (unless we love to stir up drama).

When we see these things, we often compare ourselves even though we’re only getting a portion of the story and have no idea what chapter they’re on (we may be on chapter one in comparison to their experience). That comparison creates mental clutter… mental clutter creates problems.

Reducing our screen time and getting rid of all that digital clutter (like the 200 emails I just deleted one by one so I could ‘unsubscribe’ to virtually all of them) helps immensely for so many reasons.

19 Learn to Say No

Full, cluttered calendars are just as bad as a full, cluttered home. Learn how to prioritize what’s important to you on your calendar and say no to less important items that you simply don’t have time for.

Spending time at home with your family, spending time to decompress and just enjoy life and relax is so beneficial and reduces so much mental clutter. So, just learn how to politely decline some of those extras instead of scheduling your calendar so full you don’t have a moment to breathe.

20 Live, Love, and Let Go

Find what brings you joy and do more of that. Let go of all the other stuff. Did you add a book club to your calendar but it isn’t a good fit for you… let it go.

Did you purchase a new item you thought you would love and it isn’t serving you or bringing you joy? Let it go.

This can also include people… sometimes letting go of negative people in your life that aren’t serving you and have nothing constructive is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

21 Decorate with Purpose

Our homes should be a refuge that allows us to destress and rejuvenate. If it isn’t… what’s there that isn’t serving you?

And I get it… going down the decor aisles or just browsing your local Target, there are so. many. options. And it’s overwhelming and you love it all, so you bring it home and you stash it on your walls and on your surfaces, and then… it’s cluttered, overwhelming, and has no purpose.

It’s a mix match of things that you bought because you could, and it probably felt good at the time! But, when we decorate with purpose, we use things we love, make each space have a purpose and allow it to invoke a feeling of joy that we want everyone else to see.

22 Purchase things that Align with Your Values

Keep your personal values in mind while shopping. This will help you make a conscious decision and make a positive impact.

So what does this mean? It means considering the impact beyond your own needs and wants. How will this purchase affect others in your family, how about the community, the world? Was it made in a sweatshop? Does this align with your beliefs… ask questions and think about the grand scope instead of just the immediate.

23 Let Go of Sentimental Items…

An old beachside fair

This has a caveat, though. Letting go of sentimental items is incredibly tough. Even if it no longer serves you, even if you don’t love it and it doesn’t bring you joy… feelings of guilt often accompany it.

That said if it isn’t serving you and you don’t love it… it’s time to let it go. If you need some help on how to let go of sentimental items check this out.

24 Reduce Reliance on Convenience

Fast food, single-use, packaged foods… we all break down and utilize them sometimes. We live in the modern world after all, and we’re only human, life happens.

That said, if you find yourself resorting to these convenience items more often than not… try to find ways to reduce that use by meal planning, using more eco-friendly items, and reusable items instead of disposable, convenient things.

25 Consider Downsizing

In the 1960s the average size home was 1,500 square feet. In 2022, the average size of a new home was over 2,500 square feet. Our houses have grown alongside our appetite for consumption.

Downsizing your home will help you downsize your belongings, which can be a great thing, but it can also help you gain financial freedom… though maybe not with these interest rates.

26 Remove Distractions

Distractions clutter our mind… this could be anything from a TV in a place it need not be such as the bedroom, to your cell phone always waiting for you to pick it up.

Be sure to spend some time with your cell not next to you, with the TV off… or remove it from the bedroom if you have one in there. This can help us be more mindful and intentional.

27 Spend some Time Tech Free

To expand on the previous thought… turn off the cell phone for the weekend, or at the very least put it away in a drawer or in a place that isn’t your back pocket.

Don’t turn on the TV and spend some time playing board games as a family… this helps nurture those relationships, refresh your mind, and reduce all that mental clutter. Remember, prioritize experiences… playing a game may seem mundane… but your children will remember it, especially if it is distraction-free.

28 Practice R&R

A beautiful master bathroom that is tidy and minimal while still feeling homey

Rest and relaxation and self-care are important to our overall well-being. Put the phone away and take a bath in some lavender oil… budget for a weekend away with just you and your spouse, or schedule a camping trip for the whole family to just unplug and get away.

We live in a world where constant productivity is supposed to be the definition of success when in reality it’s the cause of burnout and feelings of emptiness. Regular rest and relaxation are important to our overall well-being and productivity.

29 Embrace Imperfection

I am a recovering perfectionist. I’ve always wanted everything to be just right or it wasn’t good enough. Now? I’m slowly embracing the imperfections in life.

Many are beautiful, many are necessary and perfectionism is really just procrastination wrapped up in a prettier package. So, let go of your ideas of how everything can be perfect and embrace the beauty of the imperfect.

30 Live in the Present

Dwelling on the past won’t help, and looking too forward to the future doesn’t help. Be in the moment. Life is incredibly short in the grand scheme of things and spending that short time constantly thinking about a different point in time is futile and a waste of the precious time we do have.

31 Let go of Material Attachment

It’s easy to become attached to material possessions but these things are all replaceable. Instead, let go of that attachment and spend more time with the people you love making memories and doing things you enjoy. This will be a process, but so worth it in the long run.

32 Find a Balance

It’s easy to look at minimalism as a “get rid of everything” type of lifestyle and go overboard with decreasing clutter, but that’s not really what it’s about at all, and what I consider minimalism and you consider minimalism is likely to be very different.

So, you must find your balance… what works best for you. Maybe having certain things is important to you for one reason or another, maybe using paper plates during a move or tough time is non-negotiable for you, and that’s fine. You find your balance and learn that it’s not an all-or-nothing scenario.

More Ideas on How to Become a Minimalist

Did you find this list helpful on your journey to become a minimalist? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! If you want more recipe inspiration, make sure to follow me on Facebook or Pinterest!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

chad

Tuesday 30th of November 2021

really good advice thanks

Danielle McCoy

Thursday 2nd of December 2021

Glad you appreciate it!

Lynne Clark

Saturday 23rd of October 2021

Great ideas and several I need to work on. And clutter is bad for your mental health.

I often read "Give up cable and use Netflix", but how do you access Netflix if you don't have cable? Or is "everyone" just referring to cable TV?

Danielle McCoy

Tuesday 26th of October 2021

Just referring to cable TV. Netflix is a good alternative to subscribing to overly expensive cable/satellite providers. Personally, we have an antenna and DVDs and rarely watch TV. We have streaming available through amazon prime and Disney+, but don't use much of it, even with three children. More important things to do ;).

Pat

Friday 15th of October 2021

Quality vs. Quantity. I dettached myself from things. If I dont use something regularily, I sell it or donate it. I sold 80% of what I had, and donated 15% to charity. I KEPT only the bare minimum I needed, about 5%. I even got rid of cable, internet, TV, .... started walking more, sleeping better, cook at home, I lost weight, ... and rarely eat out. I got rid of sugar, salt, red meats, cola, tea, coffee, sweets, no more packaged or canned food, I only drink water, ..... & I look & feel great. Years ago I sold all my jewelry, donated all books, even old photos of people or relatives who dont even care about me. I dont care to impress others, I enjoy helping others, care about my health, ... Less things, more time, I wiped out debts, saved money, ... best of all: I dont go crazy looking for things, it's all organized, easy to find. If we only buy what we need, we would have vleaner air, water, less inflation, financial freedom, and most of all a MUCH BETTER PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH.

Lexi McGuire

Monday 29th of March 2021

Your whole blog is incredibly inspiring. I made your cranberry pork chops today, have your no knead bread resting on the counter to be baked tomorrow and now I'm about to throw out my excess clothes! Lol!

Barbara K

Tuesday 16th of February 2021

Clothes are a difficult area for me because I don't own a washer/dryer. Any advice?

Danielle McCoy

Friday 19th of February 2021

I would only keep things you love that will last long enough to get you through to the next wash day in that case.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.