Note to self: must decide between consumerism and minimalism

It's been a while since my last update, honestly I feel like I've lost my 'minimalist mojo' somewhere along the way in the last 2 months or so. There's been a lot of change in my day to day routines with a new job and a new schedule. Already I find myself accumulating 'stuff', unnecessary stuff that has no meaning and has instantly cluttered my mind and space.

A new job has bought the intense feeling of 'needing' new things. I use the term 'need' loosely of course, I realistically do not need any more items of clothing and I could of course make do with the pieces I have. The extra income has lead to a little bit of purchasing for the sake of it, which I'm trying to curb too.

So what am I going to do? Over the next few weeks I'm going to sift through all of my clothing which is currently 6 drawers, 1 rail and a washing basket full and try to eliminate the pieces I don't wear because I don't like/they don't fit/they're not appropriate/not my style. I am aiming for a monochrome grey, white and black majority with a subtle hint of colour with a few patterned pieces to brighten things up a little. I enjoy being able to wear 'everyday' outfits both in and out of the office and given my smart/casual dress code at work achieving a multi-use wardrobe should be possible.

I've noticed a lack of the following items which I feel would be staples:
- a small black handbag
- a grey dress
- a pair of black sandals

And so, the purging begins...

THE MINIMALISM GAME days 20 - 31 #MINSGAME

Following on from days 10-19 of #minsgame (see previous post) it's time to document the last 11 days of this rather invigorating challenge from January. As usual, the aim is to throw away a certain amount of items each day and it definitely became more difficult as the month progressed. I can now say after completing one round of the mins game, it's both easy and difficult to part with posessions. The words 'just in case' crept up all too frequently, but the phrase 'does this add value to my life?' remained prominent. So here it goes: 

day 20 - sixteen bath products and four leaflets 

day 21 - fourteen dvd series and seven single dvds 

day 22 - two storage boxes (no longer filled with junk) two candles, six books, one old diary and eleven greeting cards 

day 23 - fifteen plastic wallets, two catalogues  and six pens 

day 24 - twenty four useless paper documents shoved in a box 

day 25 - one magazine rack, twenty four desktop folders 

day 26 - fifteen packs of old/empty medication (seriously, why?) and eleven pencils 

day 27 - twenty seven video files on my computer  (mostly of the back of people's heads)

day 28 - twenty five product packaging (I really should throw them out sooner) and three candles 

day 29 - four purses, six books and nineteen hair elastics 

day 30 - thirty physical photos that were doubles/backs of heads/blurry 

day 31 - eleven necklaces, three bracelets, five rings and twelve bottles of spray/perfumes/lotions 

So, a grand total of 496 items. 

Wow, four hundred and ninety six items that are no longer in my living space. If you're looking for a quick fix of immediate clutter, then by all means give the minsgame a go. Be prepared to be ruthless and begin to scan your surroundings for junk that can be let go from your life and space. 

Want Vs Need: Why it's okay to want things

Along this journey towards a minimalism lifestyle, it seems increasingly important to almost separate your wants from your needs. That is, to decide what we truly need to live our lives. For some that's the bare basics; a roof over your head, food and water, company, clothing and basic essentials for 'living'. Whilst that's perfectly okay to strip your life down to the bare bones and live with what is only truly necessary, it's also okay to live with things that you want as well as need. 

Take me for example; in my journey towards minimalism I have made every effort to get rid of the things I don't need. The stack of DVD's I never played, the numerous clothes that I just didn't love and hundreds of other items and 'stuff' from my life. However, I have material wants that I don't need but I enjoy. For me that's what it comes down to; Do I enjoy this item? Does it add value to my life? Do I use it? 

So, items like candles - I don't need them, sure, but I do enjoy them and I sure as hell love sitting down to read a book and relaxing with a softly scented candle burning in the background. Is it necessary? No. Does it add value? Yes. The same applies to other items such as perfume, makeup, and clothing. They are not necessary in large amounts, but that doesn't mean I need to get rid of them all. Choosing the items I truly do love and enjoy using/wearing is the important thing here. That way, you can shed the clutter but still enjoy the things that bring you pleasure. For me, minimalism isn't about deprivation or throwing absolutely every material posession out of the window. It's about choosing items that you love and use, choosing quality over quantity and surrounding yourself with 'things' that add value to your life rather than clutter your life. 

THE MINIMALIST GAME day 10-19 #MINSGAME

Following on from my first post about the minimalism game (see here) where I shared 45 items I removed from my life, today's post is consisting of days 10 to 19 of this wonderful challenge. It's been almost invigorating to look through my possessions and see which ones I can say goodbye too. It's been easier than I thought - however something tells me the remaining 11 days will be a little more difficult given that each day you clear out the given number of items.

So, onto days 10 through to 19:

Day 10 - two concealers, three perfume samples, one foundation, two primers, 2 eye shadows (slowly but surely streamlining my beauty products).

Day 11 - one eyeshadow, four eyeliners, 1 concealer, five lip crayons (see, told you I was streamlining).

Day 12 - nine lipsticks, two lip glosses and one lip liner (seriously streamlining).

Day 13 - seven lip balms, two lipsticks, a can of hair mousse, a Sim card pack, some old stamps and a yellow sharpie pen (when will I ever need a yellow permanent marker?)

Day 14 - a shisha pen, two cutlery trays, one can of hairspray, four DVDs, a stack of old receipts, a novelty pen, a makeup bag, one aerosol deodorant, a clutch bag and one pair of earrings (I don't even have my ears pierced)..

Day 15 - fourteen DVDs and one pair of sunglasses (I have one pair of eyes, why do I need several pairs).

Day 16 - ten old store loyalty cards (bye bye temptation to spend and treat myself), one small purse, one coaster, two old cards, one silver charm and one glasses case

Day 17 - seven purse wallets, one canvas, a necklace holder, one bracelet, a purse, two unused cards, one perfume bottle, a book, hairspray (I have never purchased hairspray yet accumulated so many bottles) and a makeup case.

Day 18 - a stack of old statements, two old batteries, one accessory, two greeting cards, a name badge (from a job I hated), an ipad box, an empty gift box, three more dead batteries (which I apparently felt the need to hold on to), a card adapter, a phone box, old headphones, a USB lead and two old ID cards.

Day 19 - a camera case, one old mp3 player, two acrylic boxes, one old mobile phone (do I really need a spare? no, I need the cash), one old phone box, a book, two coupons, three creams, a storage tin, four packing boxes and two rolls of wrapping paper.

running total of - 190 items

wow, that's a lot of crap.

THE MINIMALISM GAME #MINSGAME day 1 - 9

The minimalism game is a common starting point for minimalists (or so I've assumed after reading many blogs) so I thought it was only right to see what the #minsgame was about. Essentially, it's a decluttering game with a partner, or several partners. Unfortunately, I'll be taking part in this on my own - unless anyone stumbling across this blog would like to do the same, in which case tweet me @MinimalismMission

How does the game work?

Easy. On day one, you get rid of one item. Day two, two items. Day fourteen, fourteen items and so on and so forth. Sounds easy enough, but I'm guessing I'll struggle into the twenties!

So here we go for days 1 - 9:

Day 1 -  one pack of Hair extensions (I'll never wear them)

Day 2 - two glass candle holders (they were my grandmothers, but they collect dust I'd rather them be loved)

Day 3 - three photo frames (that I never got around to putting on the wall, and probably never will)

Day 4 - one cd, one old book, an old sim card and one pair of scissors (who needs several scissors/scissi? what's the plural here?)

Day 5 - one bag of fabric cut offs (why on earth did I ever keep them?), one kids game, a nail file, a nail polish and a white board.

Day 6 - four old cd's (now living on my computer), one watch and a jewellery dish.

Day 7 - a mechanical pencil (I don't even have lead), three coasters, an empty candle jar and two keyrings.

Day 8 - one deodarant stick (who needs two?), a roll of tape, three bracelets, a trinket box, a necklace and one set of storage tins,

Day 9 - an extra large gift bag (that I'll never reuse), one pair of flip flops, one storage box, one decorative sign, one decorative wooden box, one half-used candle, a laptop bag (that I haven't used since university 2 years ago), a small photo frame and a necklace.

running total: 45 items

MINIMALISM & GIFT GIVING (+5 fool-proof gift ideas)

Gift giving is a strange thing, a sort of social obligation and once you're in the cycle of gift giving - it's difficult to get out. I mean, of course you could out rightly say that you're not celebrating birthdays, Christmas or any kind of holidays throughout the year, but if like me you have always been a gift-giver and come from a family of gift-givers, then that's not really a valid option if you want to continue with showing appreciation through gifts.

As a regular gift giver nothing gives me more delight than choosing a specific present for a special person and seeing their reaction when they open it, it's just that there are other ways to show people you appreciate them without offering material goods. My family are all huge gift givers, not in an extravagant sense but in a thoughtful and sometimes overwhelming sense. With some months containing several birthdays, and all family members being of equal importance to me - it can get expensive and the more birthdays they celebrate, the harder it is to find a gift they haven't already received.

After reading a few articles about minimalism and gift giving, along with watching a few youtube videos I've decided on a new approach to birthday gifts throughout 2015. Gift-giving doesn't have to be monetary or material, there are other options and options that I plan on using throughout this year. So here are a few ideas I'm currently playing with for some upcoming birthdays:

Time Together - a day out doing something they enjoy, a spontaneous road trip or even just time spent together at home with no distractions and your full attention (put those phones away).

Relief of Duty - gift a night of babysitting to family or friends with little ones, they are sure to appreciate a night of freedom

Food & Drink - take your loved one out to lunch or dinner or even for a few drinks, this type of gift can be enjoyed by both parties.

A Home-cooked Meal - give someone a night off from cooking, find out their favourites foods and treat them to a home-cooked sit down meal to enjoy on their birthday

Experiences - instead of purchasing a physical gift such as books, dvds, cds etc why not purchase tickets. Tickets to see their favourite act, meet their favourite author or even movie tickets. Gifting this way gives them an experience rather than another material belonging to add to their collection.

DEBT

[source:pinterest]

It's currently New Years Eve, 17 minutes before the beginning of 2015 and I'm sat in my bedroom, alone (not in a depressing sense, I just don't celebrate New Years, nor does my family) staring at this screen, surrounded by 'new clutter' that christmas presented; boxes, gift bags, cups, gifts. I feel determined to change one major thing in 2015, and that is my debt.

During this 'journey' into discovering minimalism, I've come to the realisation that I can not avoid my debt; and at 23 years old that's not a heart-warming thing to admit. I mean, c'mon ...why do I even have debt? Besides my university student loan, there is no logical or legitimate reason that I should find myself in £1400 of debt. I have always lived at home, rent-free and realistic monthly expenses including a phone bill, transport (occasionally) and food. So why am I in so much debt?

I can tell you exactly why I have this debt, the answer is consumerism. My desire to have new trainers, new clothes, another lipstick or expensive candle and conform to trends. My desire to always buy the best gifts for my family and friends, even when I couldn't afford it. My desire to say yes to invitations to eat and drink out even when I have no physical bank balance. My desire to just add things to my basket for the sake of it, or 'just in case'.

Along with clearing out the physical clutter, I aim to clear this debt in any way I can. Making a conscious decision to tackle this debt head on is a bit scary, I feel a sense of guilt about racking up this debt, I feel foolish and I feel crappy that I have this figure weighing me down, always in the back of my mind. That's going to change. I'm not sure how, or when or how long it will take me but I'm sincerely hoping the journey of minimalism will help me to figure this out. I know for sure that I won't be buying impulse purchases, I am aiming for key pieces of clothing - only if I need them. Other purchases or expenses will be made only when I consider them to add value to my life.

I think that's the one thing I've really loved taking from 'minimalism' ..... the one question I ask all the time when considering buying, throwing, or keeping an item ... 'Does this/will this add value to my life?' I know for certain that debt, does not add value to my life in any way, shape or form. It has to go.