Minimalism on a budget!

Over the past year I have trawled the internet looking for ideas on how to be a minimalist on a budget. All I found were lists of yet more items to purchase and bring into my home. That was not what I was needing. In was the complete opposite in fact. I wanted to declutter my home and create a minimalist feel without buying storage or more items.

As I have moved from space to space within my home, I have realised how easy it can be to become minimalist whilst still sticking to a budget.

1. Create your own spreadsheet to track your expenses. List your outgoings in date order and create a total at the bottom. Then add your total income from wages/benefits and find the difference.
2. Savings can be put into a straight forward ISA account. This is a really simple way to put your money aside for a rainy day, but stilling having easy access.
3. Reduce the furniture you have in your home by selling it for cash. As you declutter you will find many of your furniture pieces no longer have a purpose. They are sitting empty. The reality is that is cash sitting there. Selling the items you don’t need will put some extra cash in your pocket that can go towards the items you really need and value in your life. Furniture does hold its value well if you have looked after it. Alternatively you could upcycle a tired looking wooden piece and make a tidy profit.
4. Use up items you already have first. How many cleaning products, makeup palettes, shampoos, soaps and food stock do you already have? I know we had the rush buying at the start of the pandemic, but really do we need a whole cupboard dedicated to spare loo roll and and shampoo? Not really! How many books do you already have that are waiting to be read, or DVDs waiting to be watched. We don’t need to spend money on items that we already have, until we no longer have that item.
5. Get into the habit of only replacing essential items. As you begin to use up items, you start to appreciate whether the item worked well for you or wasn’t what you wanted. It will help you identify items that are essential to you so that you can know which items to repurchase.
6. Avoid buying storage furniture. You will be surprised at the amount fo furniture you already have. If you are truly wanting to become minimalist, then you need to declutter your home first. When you do this, you will realise you don’t need furniture to store things in. They will become obsolete.
7. Know what you already have so that you don’t buy duplicates. I know this is similar to a previous tip, but looking at what you have before going at shopping will reduce the chances of buying duplicate items that aren’t really needed. This can apply to a range of items, such as clothes, food, homeware and tools. Have a list of items to purchase when going out so that you aren’t tempted to deviate from the plan.

As you can see, it doesn’t cost anything to become minimalist. You don’t need fancy tools or tricks, just a straight forward and pragmatic approach to turn your home into a minimalist retreat. It should be a home of wonder and joy, not cluttered with items no longer serving a purpose.

This can be you! Go on, take the plunge. You won’t regret it.

Rachel, Declutter Your Life x

For more little acts… https://declutteryourlife.co.uk/minimalism/little-acts-of-decluttering/

For more ideas, check out my youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelNoakes