After watching and researching minimalism content, people often feel this surge of motivation to begin their decluttering journey — I was definitely one of these people. They spend weeks decluttering their homes and spaces and feel like they can take on the world.
But after all this hard work, it’s easy for a new simplified life to become cluttered again without adopting new habits.
To avoid going back to a cluttered life, here’s five habits to begin practicing once you reach the end of your minimalist declutter.
Set boundaries for shopping
Shopping is the hardest habit to change once adopting a new minimal lifestyle, but it’s not impossible to change this addiction. Put in place rules for everytime you think about making a new purchase. You could start practicing the “one in, one out rule” where for every new item you bring into your home, one has to exit, or the 30 day waiting period where you wait 30 days before purchasing something you’re thinking about bringing into your home.
Only purchase what you need
Bring in items that are essential and serve a purpose. Everyone is different when it comes to needs and necessities, so use your own judgment when it comes to deciding what you do and do not need.
Avoid the sales
This step goes hand and hand when setting boundaries for shopping, but avoiding sales deserves special attention. It’s easy to convince yourself that you need an item when it’s at a reduced price, but take a second to ask yourself if you actually need the item and whether or not you’d purchase the item if it wasn’t on sale. Remember, just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you need it.
Continue to get rid of items that do not serve a purpose
I always stress to people that minimalism is not a “one stop shop”, it’s a never-ending journey. That being said, you may have just completed a deep declutter a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean the items in your home after the declutter is going to serve a purpose and be meaningful to you in a few months. So, set up a bin or box somewhere in your home to discard items that you come across from day to day that you feel no longer serve a purpose and once the box is full, donate the items to the proper donation center.
Spend money on experiences rather than material things
If you’re used to spending your Saturday surfing the web for new clothes or going to malls to unintentionally browse for new items, then it’s important to find alternative activities to replace that time you’re used to spending shopping. Instead of spending money on new clothes or products you don’t need, spend it on new experiences instead. Not only are you maintaining a simple space, you’re also gaining new skills and perspectives from investing in new experiences.
If you need help starting your minimalism journey, check out my 30 Day Minimalism Challenge.
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