Joshua Becker's Blog, page 45

An “Only the Best” Approach to The Things You Keep

In March 2008, my wife’s grandmother passed away. In many ways, Irene was a hero to her. Kim respected her zest for life, her love for family, and her faith. In every way, Kim looked up to her.

When she died, Kim joined the rest of her family in taking home some memories from her apartment—two cardboard boxes full of memories.

When my wife returned home from the funeral, the boxes accompanied her. And like so many other items in our home, the boxes were placed on shelves in the basement where they would remain for the next several years, until we began our pursuit of minimalism.

Years later, I found myself on a call-in show for a Canadian radio station. The format consisted of a short introduction followed by 45 minutes of live questions from callers.

“How do I part with the objects in my home associated with memories?” The question arose early—it always does.

I made my usual case for decluttering sentimental items and how owning less of them brings more value to the ones we keep. I offered some helpful thoughts and tips to get started. The phone call ended and we moved to the next.

The next caller also wanted to talk about decluttering sentimental items and began by sharing her story of minimizing them. In one sentence, the caller summed up everything I had tried to say for the previous five minutes. It is a phrase I have repeated to others (and myself) countless times since that conversation.

“When it comes to minimizing items with sentimental memories attached,” she began, “my philosophy has been to adopt an ‘Only the Best’ strategy.”

She went on to explain, “We all have people and moments in life that we desire to remember. For each of them, I have tried to keep ‘only the one best’ item that represents each memory. When my grandmother died, rather than keeping an entire box of things from her home, I decided I wanted ‘only the best, most representative piece’.”

As she spoke, I remembered our own experience years earlier, decluttering the contents of the boxes Kim brought home from her grandmother’s house. Our process was the same—an intentional decision to keep “only the best.”

While Kim and I cleared our basement, we came across those boxes of memories. It was almost a shame to see such an important box of memories covered in dust, in the basement of our 4-level home.

Kim eventually selected three items from that box—the items she found to be most representative of her grandmother’s life.

She selected a candy dish that we placed in our living room. It now proudly offers a sweet snack to anyone who enters our living room—just like her grandma used to use it for. She selected a butterfly broach to pin on her jacket—just like grandma used to wear when she would visit. And she kept her grandmother’s Bible. It now resides in our nightstand—just like, you guessed it, where her grandmother used to keep it.

In keeping fewer sentimental items, we brought greater value to the memory of her grandmother. We use the items daily and are continually reminded of that special relationship. Because we sorted out “only the best,” her legacy lives on even stronger than before.

An only the best approach to possessions is beneficial, but can still be difficult, especially for people with particularly sentimental personalities. If that is the case, here are a few tips to help you along in the difficult process.

Four Steps to Help You Move Forward with an “Only the Best” Approach

Try one-half.

Less does not necessarily mean none. Paring down your sentimental items allows you to focus on the most meaningful. If this is difficult for you, but a step you know you need to take, try limiting your sentimental physical items to half their current amount. Rather than two boxes, keep one. These self-imposed boundaries often help us quickly realize which items mean the most.

Take pictures.

Digital clutter, if organized well, is less intrusive and burdensome than physical clutter. You may find relief in archiving digital photos of items before you remove them. Your memories are not stored in the object, the memories are in you. In that way, a photo can serve the same purpose as the physical object.

Give it life again.

Recently, some of my relatives removed an antique dining room table from their basement. It was the table they grew up around celebrating countless birthdays and holidays and special occasions. Nobody in the family could bear the thought of getting rid of it.

That was, until, a need arose in their local community. A friend of a friend was in need of a table and the difficult decision was made. The table would finally, ten years later, be given away. The receiver was blessed, the giver was blessed, and the table was given life again. If you are holding on to sentimental objects that could be used by you or someone else, honor their memory by giving them life again.

Remind yourself what brings meaning to your life.

Almost all of our sentimental possessions belong to one of three categories: relationships, experiences, or achievements. We hold on to these things because they remind us what brings joy and meaning into our life: the people around us, the experiences we share, and the accomplishments of growth and achievement.

Unfortunately, too often, the physical possessions we accumulate in our lives keep us from those very things as they burden us with unnecessary stress and care.

Lighten your load. Unburden your life. And go create more moments of relationship, adventure, and accomplishment.

You’ll never reach for anything new if you are too busy holding on to yesterday’s things. Keep only the best.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show.

The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. And I enjoy any opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less.

I invite you to fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today.

Why Do We Buy What We Buy? | Vox by Emily Stewart. A sociologist on why people buy too many things.

I Decluttered almost 600 items! Rural Minimalism | Mayo Utuk. This video is 11 minutes long. Slow down long enough to watch it and see the benefits of minimalism through the eyes of a schoolteacher living in a rural village in Nigeria. So beautiful.   

Elon Musk is Living in a Prefab Tiny House Worth Only $50K on SpaceX Site | New York Post by Mary K. Jacob. It’s rumored that the entrepreneur, who was named the richest person in the world this year, is living in a 375-square-foot modular home worth exactly $50,000.

Finding Abundance in Minimalism | Meg Nordmann by Meg. If you’re feeling full to the brim with gratitude for all that you already have, do you feel an urge to whip out your credit card and obtain more things? No.

How The Minimal Mom Decluttered Her Home and Paid off Debt | The Penny Hoarder by Nicole Dow. While saving money was not a driving force in adopting minimalism, Madsen said it was an awesome byproduct.

8 Strategies to Complain Less | Joshua Becker on YouTube.

The Becoming Minimalist Business Model

Becoming Minimalist exists for one purpose: to inspire and equip people to own less and live more. 

That has been the driving force behind this blog for the last 13 years and will not change.

We are a culture fixated on the pursuit of physical possessions, even though there are more meaningful pursuits available to us. Being a voice in the world calling people to a different way of life is something I love doing.

This blog was launched 13 years ago as a hobby.

But eight years ago, Becoming Minimalist became my full-time job. I loved my previous role in the world (pastor), but I felt called to pursue this passion full-time. There was a need in the world and I seemed to be good at filling it. You can read more about my decision here.

A lot has changed in eight years and I’m not going anywhere. But I thought it would be helpful to update you, the Becoming Minimalist community, on my approach to business and how this website supports my family (and a team of others).

The Becoming Minimalist business model consists of two unique values:

1. Help people and the money will follow. All business should center on this approach. My first goal is not money, but helping people. When that is accomplished, the money tends to follow.

2. We don’t need or want a lot of money. Minimalism frees me to live on less and because of that, my approach to business can be different. Not needing to make a lot of money is a pretty underrated business strategy in my opinion. It allows me to do what I love, rather than what makes the most money.

Becoming Minimalist LLC was founded officially in 2014. For the first five years, I assumed the company would be no larger than one employee (me). But over the past couple years, we’ve added a fabulous team that has allowed us to reach even more people and create even more resources. I’ll introduce you to them and their roles below.

Here is what we have created and how we support the business:

Free Resources1. The Becoming Minimalist Blog

Becoming Minimalist, the blog, contains my writing on the topics of minimalism, intentionality, and living a meaningful life. The website always has been, and will continue to be, free. There is a growing movement online to charge subscription access to blogger’s articles, I never intend to do so.

I have been posting articles twice/week for the last 13 years—so there is a lot to read in the Archives if you’re ever bored.

This site has always been about more than minimalism. Not every post is about decluttering and/or owning less, I think that is why most people keep returning year after year. Becoming Minimalist is now read by over 1.5 million people every month.

The blog produces no income and contains no advertisements, product placements, or sponsored posts.

2. The Becoming Minimalist YouTube Channel

Every Friday, I publish a short, inspirational video to YouTube. Gabriella Hileman is the full-time producer, director, and editor of the channel. She has worked alongside me since 2018.

Since our launch in late-2018, the channel has grown to 200,000 subscribers and over 1.7M views each month (more viewers than this blog actually). Many of the articles from this website have been recorded as videos and published there. I view it as a new format to reach more people with the life-giving benefits of owning less and intentional living.

The YT channel also produces no income and contains no advertisements, product placements, or sponsored posts.

3. No Sidebar

No Sidebar is another website we run that is dedicated to removing excess and purposeful living. I’m proud to have it under the Becoming Minimalist umbrella.

No Sidebar is a collaborative blog that features a variety of voices in the Modern Simplicity movement, each presenting their unique view on simplicity and how it shapes their life. Many writers just starting out have used the website to build their reputation and readership online—as have established bloggers as well.

No Sidebar is a beautiful website with powerful stories. It is a great place to read different viewpoints on minimalism and find new writers that you might resonate with. You’ll love it. No Sidebar is edited by Caitie Wiersma and publishes two articles each week. We are both proud of the many voices it has elevated.

Just like Becoming Minimalist, No Sidebar contains no advertisements, product placements, or sponsored posts.

There is a 30-day email course on the site that focuses on designing a simple life. The course helps cover some of the costs of running the site.

4. Becoming Minimalist Social Media

With the help of Caitie, Becoming Minimalist’s social media presence now reaches over 50M people every month with inspirational messages.

We oversee three Facebook pages: Becoming Minimalist, Simplify, and No Sidebar. The specific culture of each page is different, but they all serve the same purpose: encouraging others to live a meaningful life by removing distractions.

I am also active on Twitter and Instagram.

Although we receive offers every day (literally), Becoming Minimalist social media channels produces no income and does not accept any advertising dollars or sponsored posts.

Paid Resources

Becoming Minimalist generates income from four sources. These profitable resources provide the financial foundation for everything else we do here at Becoming Minimalist.

1. Uncluttered, $89 USD

Uncluttered is a 12-week online course that offers guided instruction, community, encouragement, and inspiration to help you declutter your home.

It is specifically designed for anyone who “wants to declutter their home and wants extra help getting there.” If you’ve been able to minimize your possessions successfully through my blog, books, or YouTube channel, there’s no need for the course.

But I’ve learned over the years that some people want more, so I created Uncluttered to provide everything a book cannot: community, accountability, weekly challenges, live interactions, and opportunity to ask specific questions. Everyone who signs up for Uncluttered has lifetime access to the course and can take it as many times as they want or need (I want everyone to be successful).

I offer Uncluttered three times each year—the next one beginning in September. Each time I launch the course, I notify the Becoming Minimalist Community and promote it on Facebook with advertisements. Vincent Nguyen of Growth Ninja has been my Facebook ad expert for the last 5 years and does an amazing job of getting information about the course in front of people who wouldn’t otherwise know it exists. He’s been a good friend for eight years and still can’t beat me in ping-ping.

Lori Hernandez provides Customer Support for the course and has done so for the last three years.

The income from Uncluttered is one of the main reasons we are able to create everything else we create.

2. Simplify Magazine, $20 USD

In June 2017, along with my friend Brian Gardner, I launched Simplify Magazine, a quarterly, digital publication that pulls together expert contributors to address some of the most pressing needs of the modern family.

The format of Simplify Magazine allows us to address important topics outside the realm of minimalism specifically. Over the last five years, we have pulled together experts to offer long-form, deep-dive conversations into topics such as Health, Relationships, Money, Stress, Technology, Organizing, Self-Care, and others (here’s the full list).

Each issue pulls together 8-10 trained experts to offer their education and experience on these important topics. At almost 20,000 words per issue, each one reads as a mini book.

Elissa Joy Watts is the Managing Editor of Simplify Magazine and Eric Stanford is the Editor. Amy Porter provides Customer Support.

Simplify Magazine is reader supported and entirely ad-free. Each issue can be read online or downloaded to be read on mobile devices. The magazine is unique in that we offer lifetime subscriptions to the magazine (all past, present, and future issues) for a one-time purchase of $20 USD— there are no recurring subscriptions. With over 250,000 readers, it is a valuable resource for many.

3. Books

I have published two books over the last 7 years: The More of Less and The Minimalist Home. In each case, I received a book advance from the publisher.

The funds from that book advance founded The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. The residual income from those books continues to support The Hope Effect and helps with the cost of running Becoming Minimalist.

My next book, Things That Matter, will be published in Spring 2022. The funds from that book advance have been used to further fund The Hope Effect and Becoming Minimalist.

And yes, this is the first time I’ve announced that I have a new book coming out! It’s an important book that extends the principles of minimalism beyond physical possessions. I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

4. Speaking

I do a significant amount of speaking on the benefits of owning less and also simplicity, intentionality, faith, finance, and leadership. I have spoken at Google, Airbnb, as well as large National Conferences both in the US and around the world.

The speaking fees from those events provides further financial foundation for Becoming Minimalist, the team, and the resources we have created. Bring me to your next event—I’m looking forward to getting back out there after almost 18 months of not much travel.

—

There are other resources that we have created to inspire people to live their best life. They are not “profitable” in a traditional sense that they make money for the company. Instead, they actually cost money to develop and operate. But they are helpful to people.

I suppose most traditional companies would shut down nonprofitable resources, but I’m not a traditional person. I don’t do what I do for the sake of making money. My passion with Becoming Minimalist has been to help as many people as possible own less and live more—and these resources help accomplish that.

5. The Clutterfree App

Developed by myself and Headway, The Clutterfree app is the first and only decluttering app on the market to provide a unique roadmap for decluttering your specific home.

After signing up, users enter their unique home and immediately receive a room-by-room, step-by-step, to-do list of decluttering activities following the Becoming Minimalist method (declutter room-by-room, easiest to hardest, starting with the most lived-in areas).

The app tracks your progress through your home and even allows users to store photos and keep records of items trashed/recycled/donated. Clutterfree also provides inspirational articles and bonus plans for specific trouble areas. It is a fun, powerful tool to tackle the decluttering projects in your home from the palm of your hand.

Clutterfree contains no advertisements or premium upgrades. Instead, its development, maintenance, and upgrades are offset by a user-subscription model ($3.99/month, $29.99/yearly). Over 20,000 people have downloaded the app in its first year alone.

6. Simple Money Magazine

Simple Money Magazine is the sister publication to Simplify Magazine. It is ad-free, reader-supported, with 6-8 expert contributions in each quarterly issue. Rather than focusing on an ever-changing menu of topics, Simple Money Magazine focuses each issue specifically on personal finance and finding greater intentionality with it.

I contribute each quarter to the magazine and work closely with the editor, Kim Becker, in the selection of the articles and authors featured.

7. The Hope Effect

The Hope Effect is a nonprofit organization founded and funded through the support of the Becoming Minimalist Community. The organization works in developing nations to change orphan care around the world by focusing on family solutions rather than institutional orphanages.

The reality is that less than 1% of orphaned children will be adopted, so how we care for the 99% matters. The Hope Effect works with state and local governments as well as local families to get orphaned children placed in a family environment where they can receive the attention and affection they need. Because every child deserves a family.

The Hope Effect is currently working in Sonora, Mexico; Morelia, Mexico; Chihuahua, Mexico; Santa Rosa, Honduras; and will be opening our first office in Asia later this year.

The Hope Effect is run by Executive Director, Joe Darago and his amazing team.

I am so thankful to each of you for being part of the Becoming Minimalist Community. Whether you recently found the site or have been reading it for the last 13 years, thank you for helping to spread the word about the benefits of owning less.

My life has improved dramatically by removing the pursuit and accumulation of physical possessions. You’ll love owning less. And if we can help you accomplish that in any way, please let us know. That’s our business.

9 Ways to Improve Your Life Through Subtraction and the Science Behind It

“When things aren’t adding up in your life, start subtracting.” —Anonymous

I first heard that quote, cited anonymously, roughly 12 years ago, just about the time I first got into minimalism. I saw it pop up somewhere on social media and immediately took note of it.

It’s interesting how often that happens. We are introduced to a new idea or approach to life and suddenly we start seeing signs of it everywhere. Like it’s been there all along, we just hadn’t noticed.

If you are new to minimalism and the benefits of owning less, I hope you are beginning to see signs of it all around you and are being encouraged that you are not alone in this journey. If you haven’t, websites like No Sidebar and Zen Habits are wonderful places to continue finding inspiration.

Back to the quote, there is fascinating research recently published in Nature, that makes a scientific argument for the importance of subtraction. The idea that our lives might benefit more from subtracting than adding is not a natural inclination that we have as human beings, but there is great opportunity in it.

You can find the entire study and methodology about the importance of choosing subtraction rather than addition here in Nature: “People Systematically Overlook Subtractive Changes”

Or I can summarize it for you.

Based on the study, humans “systematically default to searching for additive transformations, and consequently overlook subtractive transformations” when solving problems.

The study “investigated whether people are as likely to consider changes that subtract components from an object, idea or situation as they are to consider changes that add new components” and “across eight experiments, participants were less likely to identify advantageous subtractive changes when the task did not cue them to consider subtraction.”

In other words, when given a problem to solve, we are more likely to find a solution that adds components, rather than subtracting. Like I said, fascinating.

In one example, participants were given a Lego-housing structure with an out-of-balance roof and asked to stabilize the roof. The simplest solution in the scenario was to remove the one brick from the corner. But most respondents chose to add additional bricks to the remaining corners to stabilize the roof. It was a more difficult solution, yet most respondents chose it because we are predisposed to look for additive solutions rather than subtractive ones.

In fact, across eight different experiments, each time a majority of respondents (90%) chose solutions that required additive transformations, even though subtractive transformations would have been simpler and more efficient.

The researchers went on to explain why they believed this to be true. You can find some of their presumptions here: Adding is Favoured Over Subtracting in Problem Solving

Regardless of the cause(s), we would be wise to be aware of our tendency to consider additive solutions first because it plays out in our lives in both daily and major decisions. But constantly adding components to our lives is not without cost. In fact, this tendency left unchecked results in debt, exhaustion, burn-out, physical illness, addiction, and stress.

Our lives are limited and finite and cannot withstand constant addition. (tweet that)

There is power and truth in the introductory quote: When things aren’t adding up in your life, start subtracting.

Here are 8 areas in life to consider the benefits of subtracting rather than adding:

1. Possessions.

Too often, we think we can solve problems with a purchase. If we just had a bigger house, a nicer car, a newer phone, more fashionable clothing, more toys for the kids, equipment for our hobby, or that new planner, life would improve dramatically. But as I have discovered, often times the most desired items in life (peace, joy, meaning) are found in owning less.

2. Habits.

We’re quick to add new habits to our daily ritual—especially when they become culturally popular or we hear about them for the first time on television or in a magazine. We think to ourselves, “If I could just adopt this new routine, every thing would work better in my life.” But often times, the key to a more meaningful life can be found in removing unhealthy habits rather than adding new ones.

3. Diet.

It seems new diet fads and formulas arise almost as frequently as the sun. But almost all of them (at least those worth trying) contain the exact same formula: remove sugar, processed foods, and overeating (others remove dairy and/or carbs as well).

If you are trying to lose weight, try the simplest route: remove unhealthy foods rather than adding a new regimen to your diet. Subtracting unhealthy foods, rather than adding a new diet formula, is probably the simplest and most efficient solution.

4. Work.

The tendency to overlook subtractive transformations shows up all the time at work. We see it constantly, whether adding new meetings, processes, committees, ideas, or pursuing the shiny new product.

Not everyone gets to control their culture at work or place of employment, but control what you can and look for efficiencies and solutions by subtracting processes and/or meetings rather than constantly adding them.

5. Finances.

Having a hard time making ends meet? The default position of most people is, “I need to make more money.” And in some scenarios, that might be true. But in other cases (dare I say most), the simplest and most practical solution to your money problem is to just spend less.

This is a perfect example of where we default to additive solutions rather than subtractive ones. In most cases, making more money will only result in spending more if you don’t begin to identify the root causes of overspending first. Only spending less can force those realizations upon you.

6. Relationships.

I always try to walk a fine line here. As I’ve written previously, I don’t subscribe to thinking that says: Remove every relationship from your life that doesn’t serve you. If every relationship in your life is solely there for you, that’s selfishness. There ought to be people in your life that you are serving without the expectation of being repaid for it.

That being said, there are times when it is appropriate to walk away from a relationship, rather than constantly looking for the next tool or process to “fix it.” This is a far broader topic than I can do justice here, but I think it’s appropriate to mention that a subtractive solution may indeed be the most appropriate one.

7. Goals.

Confucius is credited for saying it first, “The man who chases two rabbits, catches neither.”

If you want to become more successful in accomplishing goals in life, limit the number you are pursuing. By reducing the number of goals that you are striving to accomplish, you will improve your focus and your success rate. Make a list of the things that you want to accomplish in your life and choose the two most important. When you finish one, add another from your list. This can be applied on a daily basis as well.

8. Social Obligations.

There is power in rest and solitude. Regularly withdrawing from the world allows us to refresh and rejuvenate so we can make a bigger difference in it.

Too often we fall into the trap of thinking that we can make a bigger difference in the world by adding as many social obligations and opportunities as possible. But rarely is that the case.

9. Words.

The words we use are powerful. Keeping them simple, honest, and truthful (and knowing when to keep quiet) presents wonderful opportunity to use them best. To see what I mean, try this experiment.

Our natural tendency is to add, add, add to our lives. But sometimes, subtracting is the best and most efficient solution to the problems that we face. Start there.

Just Because It Makes the World Go Round Doesn’t Mean It Needs to Make Your World Go Round

There is a criticism that I sometimes hear when talking about the benefits of owning less. And it goes something like this:

“But if everybody did that, the economy would collapse.”

I have three responses to that concern:

1. Just because somebody stops buying unneeded physical possessions doesn’t mean they stop spending money. Minimalists just choose to spend their money on other things. A minimalist economy still churns—it just looks different.

2. What is good for the individual is good for society and the economy. It would be foolish to say, “It is best for society if I take harmful actions against myself.” That model is entirely unsustainable. If owning fewer possessions is better for the individual (and it is), it is also good for society in the long run.

3. But most importantly, just because something makes the world go round doesn’t mean it needs to make your world go round. And I can’t repeat this last point enough.

We are individuals with agency and get to decide for ourselves what will ultimately motivate us in life. Society doesn’t get to make that decision for you.

You don’t have to live your life like everybody else. In fact, you’ll probably be happier if you don’t. (tweet that)

There are a lot of people in this world motivated by economic success, but you don’t have to be one of them.

There are a lot of people in this world motivated by sex, but you don’t have to be one of them.

There are a lot of people in this world motivated by the pursuit of fame or accolades or notoriety, but you don’t have to be one of them.

There are a lot of people chiefly motivated by pleasure, power, competition, control, even revenge… but you don’t have to be one of them.

You get to decide what is going to motivate you as an individual.

Whether it benefits some societal construct like “the economy,” shouldn’t be your greatest obligation.

Just because something makes the world go round, doesn’t mean it needs to make your world go round.

It is up to you to make the very most of the one life you have been given, living it for the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

If owning fewer things allows you to do that (which it probably does), then that is one of the best decisions you can make.

You get to choose your pursuits, your motivation, and your life. The world doesn’t get to decide that for you.

It is Better to Donate than Resell

The journey to become minimalist can be hard work. It requires significant physical effort, personal reflection, and unexpected emotional obstacles.

Several times along the way, in fact, I wanted to quit. But then, inspiration would strike: a work appointment was scheduled near Goodwill, an inspiring article or blog post provided motivation, family would announce plans to visit, even the garbageman’s arrival in the morning could send me into a ten-minute decluttering spree to fill one more bag. Each, at different times, provided motivation for us to continue downsizing.

But maybe, more than any other, the most significant and recurring motivation to minimize our possessions came from the opportunity that our possessions represented.

Our excess could become a blessing to somebody else.

At first, however, this was not the case. Instead, our goal was to get as much financial return as possible from the things we were discarding. My thinking was, I paid good money to buy this stuff. I should get something in return.

I opened an account on eBay (at one point, even placing my entire junk drawer on auction—surprisingly, no bids). We scheduled a garage sale. We placed items on Craigslist. We took clothes to the consignment shop.

My wife and I began conversing and planning how we might spend the extra money we were about to receive: savings, dining, vacations, or maybe new carpet for the living room? It seemed, the possibilities were endless… until we opened the doors for our first garage sale.

On that summer Saturday morning, both our garage and driveway were filled with things we had decided to discard: old clothes, toys, dish ware, decorations, electronics, books, CDs, DVDs, just to name a few. Each with a handwritten sticker to signify the price.

We got up early and rushed through breakfast. We arranged the tables neatly. We put up balloons by the street. We played soft music—just like they do in department stores. And then we opened the doors.

Customers came. And then customers went. They’d pick up items and put them down. We chatted with each of them hoping to appear like a nice, sweet, trustworthy couple. We haggled and made deals. We marked down prices. We worked every angle to make more sales.

By the end of the day, we had earned $135… and we promptly spent half of it going out for dinner because we were both too exhausted to cook.

We were tired, frustrated, and discouraged. There are few experiences in life that make you question your taste in home furnishings more than watching some of your favorite decorations not sell despite being marked down to 25 cents.

We packed up the remaining belongings in the back of our minivan to deliver to Goodwill. But before we did, my wife made a phone call.

We had boxes of baby supplies left over from my wife’s most recent pregnancy—my youngest was two years old at the time. Kim called Care Net—a local organization in Burlington, VT that routinely supplied expectant mothers with maternity and baby wear to see if they had any need. To which they responded, “Yes, yes we do. We always have a need.”

Based on their enthusiastic response, we made another phone call. This time, we reached out to the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program which helps refugees and immigrants gain personal independence and economic self-sufficiency. They explained to us their desperate need for towels, linens, and cookware.

Our hearts were softened as we began to comprehend the number of men, women, children, and expecting mothers in our own community who could benefit from the items we had stashed in the back of our closet.

We found more joy in delivering items to those local charities than we could have ever found in money earned from selling our clutter.

This experience changed my view of minimizing and forever changed my advice to others embarking on the journey.

If you need the money, make the effort to sell your excess—especially when it comes to big, expensive items.

But if you do not need the money, just give your things away.

Reselling your clutter adds time and energy, anxiety and frustration to the minimizing journey. But giving things away, especially to local charities whose values align with yours, brings a joy and fulfillment to your soul that money can never buy. You will be reminded why you embarked on this journey in the first place.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

For the last eight years, I have been compiling and publishing curated articles that inspire simplicity. At first, it was an exercise in communicating to Becoming Minimalist readers the most popular articles I sent out on Twitter.

But over the years, it has become more than that. It has become a place where people (every other week) come for a dose of inspiration. And it has become a place to promote and encourage writers around the world who are publishing content about minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living.

I think you will enjoy this collection of articles hand-selected for you this weekend. Grab some coffee, tea, or lemonade and be inspired to live a simpler life today.

Cancel Amazon Prime | The Atlantic by Ellen Cushing. Prime is Amazon’s greatest and most terrifying invention: a product whose value proposition is to help you buy more products.

Wardrobe Declutter: Remove These 10 Things From Your Closet Today | Be More with Less by Courtney Carver. If you are tired of a chaotic wardrobe, be discerning about what lives in your closet.

The Top 10 Things You Must Buy Today to Become a Minimalist

Wait For It | No Sidebar by Andrea Morris. I read about a couple who opted to close up a bedroom of their house. They removed everything, shut the door, and pretended space didn’t exist. I immediately attached to the idea.

10 Things to Be Rich in Other Than Money | Fire Your Own Way by Jordan Beck. And the best part is, you can start working on these anytime – you can take steps to make your life richer in these things at any time.

3 Things to Buy to be Happier, According to Science | Becoming Minimalist on YouTube. When we remove ourselves from the pursuit of material possessions, greater financial flexibility is one of the benefits experienced—both in the short term and long term.

10 Things We’ve Never Regretted Spending Money On with Kids at Home

Some people assume that minimalists never spend any money. And to be fair, some work hard not to.

But minimalism, on its surface, isn’t necessarily about not spending money. Minimalism is about redirecting your money towards more important pursuits than physical possessions.

Minimalism recognizes that resources are finite and life is a trade-off. Money not spent on material possessions means more money available for other pursuits. And not just money, but time and energy and focus.

Because we have pursued minimalism for the last 12 years, and have spent less money on possessions, we have more money left over for other things which we have found helpful as a family.

Here are 10 things we’ve never regretted spending money on (with kids at home).

Many items on this list exist only because we adopted minimalist principles.

1. Travel.

One of the first things we did after adopting a minimalist life and saving money was took our young children on an overnight trip to the beach. We explained to them, even at a young age, how owning less freed us to splurge on this trip. It set a wonderful culture for our family and we’ve gone on many memorable trips since then.

2. New Restaurants.

My children, now teenagers, have grown to appreciate new and fine foods. When we travel, and even here at home, we are always on the lookout for new restaurants, new foods, and new menus. Trying a new restaurant always results in an enjoyable evening together.

3. Visiting Family.

Kim’s family lives in Omaha, NE. My family lives in Aberdeen, SD. Two times every year we head back to the Midwest to spend time with them. I love being with my family and my kids have great relationships with their grandparents and cousins. I’ve never regretted making that a financial commitment.

4. Memorable Experiences.

Memorable experiences with our kids still at home have been one of the most significant payoffs of living a minimalist lifestyle. Travel counts as memorable, so does visiting fun restaurants. But we’ve also made a point to attend local professional sporting events or theater and museums as well. I’m glad we chose to invest money in those memories.

5. Organized Sports/Activities.

My son has played on a number of sports teams growing up, so has my daughter. Alexa has also been involved in dance and theatrical productions. Almost all of these hobbies and activities have required equipment to varying degrees.

I understand the power of minimalism, but I also recognize the importance of being prepared and equipped for your team and coach. So we’ve definitely bought some supplies over the years that we wouldn’t have purchased otherwise, but I don’t regret it. Sports and activities build valuable life skills.

6. Giving.

When my kids were in their early-teens, we gave away the money from my book contract (The More of Less and The Minimalist Home) to begin The Hope Effect. I’m thankful my kids were here, at home, so they could see that decision and what it meant for our family and orphaned children around the world.

Generosity is a value I hope they will take forward in life.

7. Education.

School requires supplies. There are, obviously, ways to go overboard in purchasing things for school. And I hope we walked that line well. But we considered it important for them to have everything they need to thrive in school and academic pursuits.

8. Celebrating Accomplishments.

Kim always pushes me in this direction—spending the time and effort (and money) to properly celebrate milestones and accomplishments in our families’ lives. I am thankful she did.

9. Spending time with Friends.

We want our kids to make memories with friends while they are young. Hopefully at our home, but also enjoying time out in the world. It’s certainly not always required to spend money to make memories with friends. But when it was, I am thankful that we were able to provide that.

10. Family Photos.

We don’t take a lot of family photos, but I am thankful for every time we did.

I once received an email from a reader that I have never forgotten. The woman emailed me to mention how financial discipline had paid off for her and her husband. Specifically, as she said in the email, “We have reached retirement and because of fiscal discipline, we have all of our needs cared for.”

But then she concluded with this sentence, “However, if I could have done anything different, I would have spent a little more money when my kids were younger building valuable memories.”

From the moment I read her email I was touched by it and inspired to make sure I wouldn’t have similar regrets.

10 Simple Ways to Bring More Calm into Your Home

Work is hectic. Schedules are hectic. The kids are hectic… almost all of life can be hectic. Your home shouldn’t be.

Your home should be the antidote to stress. It ought to be a place of rest, respite, and relaxation. So you can spend the rest of your life inside it? No, of course not.

Home is a place of rest and peace and acceptance so we can live our best lives out in the world making the biggest difference that we possibly can. That is why having a calm and rejuvenating home is so important.

With that, here are:

10 Simple Ways to Bring More Calm into Your Home

1. Remove 33% of your clothing.

If you want to change your life immediately, clean out a closet. After decluttering clothes, not only will your mornings be less stressful, you’ll find more calm by not having to peer into a cluttered closet first thing when you wake up.

2. Be intentional with the purpose of each room in your home.

Not only do our homes serve an important role in our lives and families, but individual rooms also serve specific purposes. Take a moment to identify what role each room in your home should perform. And then remove everything from each space that doesn’t serve that purpose.

3. Reset your living room every evening.

Before you go to bed each night, find 5-10 minutes to reset the most lived-in areas of your home. Otherwise, you constantly bring yesterday’s mess into today. Of course, this ten-minute reset is certainly easier when you own less stuff, so make that a priority as well.

4. Own fewer toys.

Toys are a constant point of stress for young parents. We buy them because we think they will improve playtime with our children, but many times they just add frustration to it. You can own less. In fact, there are developmental benefits when you do.

5. Clear your countertops.

Don’t fall into the convenience fallacy by leaving items on your counter just because you think it is convenient to do so. Every item left out in our home is a form of visual clutter and noise. You don’t need to remove every item from your kitchen countertop, you’ll just love it if you do.

6. Identify homes for everything you own.

Toys live in the bin. Clothes live in the closet or hamper. Bathroom toiletries on the shelf, in the drawer, or the medicine chest. Coats and shoes go in the closet. The remote-control lives near the tv stand. When everything has a home, cleaning up becomes easier and your home becomes calmer.

7. Tackle 1-minute projects immediately.

As I learned from Gretchen Rubin, “If a task can be completed in less than one minute, do it right away.” Embrace that concept around your home to create a more calming atmosphere everywhere you go.

8. Choose meaningful decorations.

Decorations are a common place in the home where it is easy to go overboard. Decorations make a house feel comfortable, calm, and relaxing. But too many can make it feel cluttered and busy. To add calm into your home, choose meaningful decorations that tell your story and communicate your values.

9. Keep your garage tidy.

Your garage is the first thing you see every time you return home. If it is a cluttered mess, filled to the brim with boxes or tools, “a cluttered mess” will always be your first impression of your home when you arrive. Change your mood and attitude by keeping it as tidy and organized as possible.

10. Complete (or discard) unfinished projects.

There are few things more stress-producing than an unfinished project. Make a commitment today to either finish your projects or discard them entirely. I admit this final point may not be simple. Although, the more often you declare project bankruptcy and just discard those unfinished projects, the easier it becomes.

If you are just starting on the road to owning less, some of these steps may sound difficult to complete. But you’ll be surprised how simple many of them become when you first take the step to minimize the possessions you don’t need.

Encouraging Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.

My Summer of No New Stuff | The Week by Jeva Lange. The past year has taught me that spending money on things won’t make my life better. 

8 Ways We’ve Benefitted from Minimalism | This Evergreen Home by Mollie Donghia. More time to spend doing the things we love. More ways to spend our money in a meaningful manner. More opportunities for physical and mental rest.

How Minimalism Keeps My World Spinning as a Caregiver | Angelman Syndrome News by Sabrina Johnson. Being a caregiver for someone with Angelman syndrome means more: more appointments, challenges, changes, and other big things. However, I’m taking a liberating approach to a life of more by countering it with minimalism — a life of less.

Redefining Rich: How Minimalism Leads to a More Meaningful Life | No Sidebar by Julia Ubbenga. Being rich, I realized, has little to do with financial wealth and everything to do with building a life that is full of what makes you come alive. Of making space in your life for what matters.

How to Declutter Arts and Crafts Supplies | Becoming Minimalist on YouTube