Community Chat

[simplyfriends]

Thank you for all of your responses.  I by no means consider myself a full minimalist - just have downsized so much in the last few years and recently disconnected cable TV and am enjoying reading more, listening to music, cooking and working my home based business.  Looking forward to retiring soon and being less bogged down with things. 

[Anonymous032819]

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@Warrior2022 wrote:

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@Anonymous032819 wrote:

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@Puppy Lips wrote:
Our oldest son is a minimalist. He does not want anything extra in his home that he does not need. He is going to get a rude awakening soon when I start giving him some of his stuff that I know/hope we won’t part with.

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@Puppy Lips 

With all due respect, it may be you who will be in for a "rude awakening" when you force your stuff on to your son.

Once given to him, he's free to do whatever he wants with it, even throw it in the garbage or give it to a second-hand store.

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SHE  isn;t forcing her stuff, it's his stuff.

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It's still HIS decision what to do with it.

He can decide to keep it, or decide to toss it.

She can "know/hope that we won't part with it", but he might feel differently, and decide to get rid of it.

[ILTH]

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@phluphy wrote:

I am moving an can't believe how much "stuff" is not necessary.  I have donated, given away and sold many things.  I am going into a one bedroom, one bath condo.  Thst's all I need in my life right now.  You can't take it with you.  When I see a hoarding show I cringe...what is someone thinking.  I feel relief when they get it cleaned up..so nice.

But to each their own.

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By the same token, you're on this planet only once.  You might as well surround yourself with things you enjoy. 

Minimalism and asceticism aren't synonymous. Neither are comfort and clutter.

I don't like either extreme. Too much makes me anxious. Too little bores and depresses me. 

I had a friend who had 1 dining table, 3 chairs that went with the table, a bed and a closet. This was how he like to decorate and live.  Nothing on the walls or floor. Ugh.  Equally unpleasant to me is something like Iris Apfel's home. Suffocating.  For me, moderation feels good. Of course, moderation is subjective. 😃

Hoarding is a disorder. It, usually, gets worse with age and time.  I don't think anyone knows, at this point, how much is behavioral, genetic, brain chemistry and circuitry.  Dementia can exacerbate it. 

[mspatmac]

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@ALRATIBA wrote:

My sister is a minimalist. 

I'm a maximumalist .... she gives all the stuff she doesn't want.

Works out great!

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@ALRATIBA    Thank goodness there is another me out there.  I love my "stuff" and it brings me joy to see it every day.  Not even in the realm of hording, and my "stuff" isn't junk so I'll happily keep and enjoy it.

[Annabellethecat66]

Look, I’ll soon be 73 years old.

I have no intention of living minimally.  I buy what I want.  I go where I want.

My girls will be plenty provided for when I’m gone. 

If if they need something I give it to them so I can see them enjoy it.

My friend lives very frugally.  She has lots of money, is a widow, has no children and one sister with very spoiled adult kids.

I’m constantly telling her to get rid of that stupid flip phone. It doesn’t take pictures, no texts, etc.  She’s constantly out of the loop when her family does group texts.  She misses out on family pictures.  Can’t do face time, etc.

Live minimally...no way!

Better enjoy every minute of life you don’t know when it’s gonna end.

My late husband dropped dead in my arms.  My brother’s girlfriend died driving him in the car.

Life is meant to enjoy and live.

[proudlyfromNJ]

@Annabellethecat66 They are talking about less clutter in their homes,closets and elsewhere. Nothing to do with spending money and living frugally. 

[simplyfriends]

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@Annabellethecat66 wrote:

Look, I’ll soon be 73 years old.

I have no intention of living minimally.  I buy what I want.  I go where I want.

My girls will be plenty provided for when I’m gone. 

If if they need something I give it to them so I can see them enjoy it.

My friend lives very frugally.  She has lots of money, is a widow, has no children and one sister with very spoiled adult kids.

I’m constantly telling her to get rid of that stupid flip phone. It doesn’t take pictures, no texts, etc.  She’s constantly out of the loop when her family does group texts.  She misses out on family pictures.  Can’t do face time, etc.

Live minimally...no way!

Better enjoy every minute of life you don’t know when it’s gonna end.

My late husband dropped dead in my arms.  My brother’s girlfriend died driving him in the car.

Life is meant to enjoy and live.

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@Annabellethecat66   It always amazes me when people completely misread a post. I didn't say anything about not buying what I want or going where I want. I just don't want or need as much. I enjoy every minute of my life. Maybe your friend likes her flip phone. It's probably not stupid to her at all. In fact it's probably what she prefers so that she doesn't have to talk or be in the loop with certain people. 

[Annabellethecat66]

Oh!  Typical of me...I thought they were talking about not buying stuff?  Same difference, I guess.

I have a lot of stuff.  Even my friend I mentioned has stuff!  Ha!

I give away a lot of stuff.  I don’t understand the difference?

So...if you want something or want to give someone something and you don’t .... that’s living frugally?

You see I equate the way I lived from the time I was 12 and went to live with my sister and her 4 kids and wondering where we were going to live and how we were going to provide for the children...that’s my idea of living frugally and I’ll never go back there again...neither will my sister’s children.

They’re all living a good life and happy.  My sweet sister died 17 years ago.

Maybe everyone has different ideas of living frugally...I don’t know.

[RetRN]

I like the concept of minimalism in this materialistic society of buy,buy, buy.

If more people adopted the idea they would have money for retirement and not have to complain about the COLA adjustment of social security which was never meant for you to live on, it is a supplement. 

[tototwo]

Just this morning I read an article about how to downsize and live in a 'tiny house.'  Gave me a lot to think about.  I remembered my younger days when I moved with all my belongings in the back seat of my Volkswagen Beetle.  Those days are gone!