K B great I always admire how French people live in general the food wardrobe all well being. I think you guys don't give a F*** what others think, for me you are a cradle of civilization along with Italy. ONLY IF AMERICANS WOULD FOLLOW YOUR WAY, the world would still spin for them ! :)

K B . Viva la France!

Hello Agnes Laufer. Yes, I have always admired that in French people, I am Polish:-) I love France, its rich history, food&wine, and the general approach to life. They know how to party and how to spend their free time!

It's scary how American people spend money and on what. It's scary to see that so many people have credit cards. I wouldn't sleep at night if I had debt!

French person here, yes France and it’s people are still very down to earth. It isn’t perfect here but it really favors a more intentional lifestyle, food is better, education costs nothing ( my college tuition this year costed me 500€ ). People have health insurance that doesn’t cost anything etcétéra... Yet I have a feeling that america has cast it’s shadow over the rest of the globe; the idea that spending is good and that one must indulge in always buying the latest trinket !!

has a greater truth ever been spoken?? 🙌

Mikal R hahaha love this one! I need to remember this one whenever I am tempted to buy smth I don’t need!

Good thing to remember!

It's more like 6 weeks nowadays. So yes, big thumb for timeless and classic.

Haha great quote. I will try and remember this as well.

Arne What do you do for socks and underclothes? Mine wear so thin they go into holes in a year.

I wash socks only with other socks (to play memory afterwards) and try to not walk outside with them. Other than that, I still get holes in some, I've thrown away a pair every two weeks, I guess. Underclothes have the rubber-band time limit on them, maybe you need to wash them on a lower temperature, I wash mine on 30°C (but I'm no expert, just a thought).

@Fennec Besixdouze - I put 250 away in a savings account and invest 250 in funds and pension every month. Everything in surplus goes to either a new music instrument, more savings, or is used for travelling and other nice experiences. I actually extended my work recently, but because I found something nice that I like to do. It's easier to work more, then. As a tip for cutting back on your spending: Do a lot of free stuff, but go to the sauna or some other relaxing experience every now and then, and pay a bit for something nice. In the end, it really comes down to not buying on impulse anymore and reducing and willfully not replacing useless stuff :)

@Tom Jones - I had the exact same issue as you about 2 years ago. I was walking holes into the bottom of my socks every few months. I also couldn't seem to keep track of my socks or boxers. Luckily I found a solution that has saved me a lot of time, money, and frustration. I bought Darn Tough socks. They have an unconditional, no questions asked lifetime warranty on all of their socks. I have since walked holes in 2 of my seven pairs, put them in a padded envelope with their address on it, and had new socks within a week. Highly recommended. As for underwear I have 7 pairs of 'Buck Naked' Duluth boxer briefs. They are by far the most comfortable underwear I have ever owned. They are covered by Duluth's 'No Bull Guarantee'. If you feel as if your product hasn't lasted as long as it should have (this is subjective and almost always honored) then you receive a new item. Highly recommended as well. They will not stay wet no matter what you do. If you sweat a lot down there and you're sick of soggy underwear look into these boxers. You will not regret it. I keep up with my boxers and socks by putting them in a small bin next to my regular sized laundry bin. Once I am ready to wash clothes I take out all of my boxers and socks out of then bin then into a large mesh wash bag with a zipper and wash them with the rest of my laundry. Haven't lost a pair since.

I do this as well

Which brands did you buy clothes of? Thank you!

Black fades and looks cheap really fast...

K B Hello! Usually Macy’s brand - Alfani

Tom Jones I wash inside out in cold water and dry clean to keep my clothes black.

Tom Jones you can always dye your clothes black again when the colour fades! Costs little, can be done at home and you just have to rinse your washing machine afterwards 😎 that is if you want to wash other colours afterwards of course.

I have a rule: no dry clean only or hand washables. Read the tag and decide if that care “cost” is something you want to deal with. I also don’t buy things that will require ironing, because I don’t enjoy it!

This is a great topic idea for a living room chat. I paid my house off last year so am now living even farther below my means (25% of my income). Had to make some adjustments as my cash on hand was growing quickly and my spending on experiences/non-essentials loosened up more than I wanted. Other than investment contributions, l have my income direct deposited into savings. Every month an amount that covers the essentials plus some non-essentials gets transferred over to my checking account. I really like the artificial buffer, or built in pause button, that this creates. Keeps me honest. Congratulations on your debt free home!

Maybe trying to live the same life is an option, and donate to projects that are beneficial for society or a good cause that you find worth donating to. I think besides travelling more that is what I would do ( already donating small amounts to different organisations now ).

Tysheen Orane What does your church do with raggedy clothes? They won't sell at the charity shop, so you're probably costing them money since you're forcing the church to pay to have them taken to the landfill.

That's impressive! Now, I'm curious - how many shoes? And jackets? Shoes to me are the hardest... I'm a shoe-sinner :)

I could never do that. I need verity.

Katastroofi Eelne It's not a lot it works for her. She uses all the pants.

Tysheen Orane in your profile pic i see a flower shirt.

You can buy 14 tops and 5 pants for example if you have the means, you'd do the laundry every 2 weeks. Or 14 dresses if you're a dress girl, or a mix of these.

Why before or after and not during, online? Just curious.

Minimalism is not about deprivation! It's about having what's appropriate for your life. Be mindful of what you bring in, but don't allow that mindfulness to go from being an asset to becoming a hindrance.

The Minimalists Awesome! Thank you. When are you guys coming to London, England?! 🤗

Fennec Besixdouze, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I have watched a few more of Joshua's videos (and of some other youtubers) and in one, Joshua very briefly describes the difference between "just in case" and "just in time" items. (Sorry, I forget the title of the video.) It would be helpful to me at least, if he would incorporate a show-and-tell and explain which items are "just in time" and which are "just in case". I really think this is where my major breakdown in understand of the concepts come from. As homeowners who do 90% of our own home maintenance and updates, we have the need for many more "just in time" items IMHO than someone who lives in an apartment where the maintenance is performed by someone else. But are they really? Or are they just in case? I know Joshua subscribes to the in under 20 minutes and for less than $20 to replace something rule. But I have a hard time letting go of some things that can only be purchased in bulk. For example, a 5# box of drywall screws. If you only use half a box, we still keep them as drywall screws can be used to repair so much more than hang drywall. I'm not so worried about clothes and accessories, we have never been clothes/shoe hogs. Being retired, we both live in laidback clothes. We do keep 3 winter and 3 summer dressier outfits in case we need to go to a funeral or a more upscale restaurant.

Charliehuangmagic hey!for me personally a drawback has been that minimalism has a sneaky way of becoming just a new way of obsessing over stuff. Craving less stuff instead if more but still:energy is focused on material surroundings. This is an advanced for of procrastinating I think. But realizing it is a pitfall helps you avoid it. Let's not obsess or make minimalism a silly "who owns less " competition and we will be just fine 😍

A challenge that I’ve found with minimalism is that you sometimes have to get a bit creative. For example, I have fewer kitchen items than I used to have. Sometimes, I don’t have the ideal sized bowl or pan for a meal so I have to make do. I have to look at what I have and figure out the best solution. Having less stuff isn’t always ideal but I can usually come up with workable solutions and having less stuff is sooo nice! 😊

that would be based on you and your life really, what i found relieving to get rid of everything my gf doesnt and im still convincing her little by little everyday to get rid of a few more things

Disadvantage is you can live for minimalism instead of making minimalism fit into your life. The current shoes you own hurt your feet but it still looks fine so don't buy new shoes. Trainers are no longer fit for running as cushioning as worn out and may cause foot problems in the long run but it still looks good so don't buy new trainers. Two pairs of shoes for work would make your life easier but that's not "minimalist". Life becomes about minimalism instead of being about the activities that embracing minimalism was supposed to give you the freedom to do.

Hahaha! I feel and look amazing in my orange cardigan.

Unless they are cold. :)

Dude burnt orange is a beautiful color

"Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed" - Elle Woods, 2001

Alright, I can't argue with that.

Antonio Castronuovo Only if they're in good condition. 80% of donated clothes end up in the landfill because nobody wants them. So, the charity has to bear that expense. That's a nasty trick to play on the nonprofit.

Every charity is full with donated clothes. Nobody needs them. There are too many clothes that are unwanded in this world.

you can’t donate all clothes. actually i have tried. all the charity’s would take is the best of what i had and said they would trash the rest.

Oh okay I didn't know that. In Italy we have a specific day to give away our used clothes. Sometimes you can also find containers for this specific purpose.

The clothes that don't get sold for wear often get sold for recycling and rags. They make money either way. In fact, many of the clothes that are in wearable condition are sold abroad to people who might not want them.

Great question!

try to sell them- I think most countries have on-line places to sell used clothing that is in great condition- or try a consignment shop although they usually take a larger percentage

Emilie hey I am doing what you mention here.slowly as things wear out I make sure to buy something better quality and m8re lasting next time learning from every item that wears out. This is good and helps me waste less in the future.i think it's a great thing if you can do it gradually as things naturally need replacing😁

This is what I'm trying to do too but I feel like I'm going to keep consuming things for at least the next few years.

Cheyenne Meckes Don't rush it. Most of the time, family never notices a slow curating of stuff. Unfortunately, most teenagers seem to feel compelled to make a big issue out of it, even purging big sacks of stuff right in front of their parents. Don't do that and you can accomplish a lot without any fuss at all.

Satori Ankh Europe has better quality so your items are probably lasting longer

Satori Ankh interesting. I had no idea made in China had infiltrated Europe too.

I live in Europe and clothe quality here is terrible too, made in Turkey and China and more expensive than in USA.

The made in China clothing is everywhere. I guess you've never been to Europe! People who can afford Chanel, Dior and Hermès represent only 5% of the population of the world. It's not because Yves Saint Laurent or Dior were French that people wear clothes of those brands here! On the contrary, H&M, Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka, are the top brands people buy from and all their items are made in China, India, Bangladesh and other countries where people earn less than 50 bucks/month.

That's an individual decision. Everyone has different needs. Can you do laundry often, or is that an issue? Do you have a job or hobby where you get dirty and can't possibly wear an article of clothing a second time? Is your job very demanding regarding your appearance? It all makes a difference. I knew one minimalist, a student living in a dorm, who bragged that she owned 10 items of clothing altogether, including winter and summer clothes. She said nobody ever needed more than that, "no excuses." I told her, "You smell. You may not know it, but other people do." She didn't like that.

E Dennis very true. I work in an office a few days a week and need work clothes, and also go outdoors a lot and need clothing for that. No one size fits all solution, but maybe a general rule like assessing your hobbies/work life, also the enviornment you live in. Here in NJ the weather goes from between -10°F up to 100°F

I work with 2 guys that smell. People talk about it. One guy told one of the smelly guys he stunk. So the smelly guy comes over to me and says he was told he stunk. He did but I get along with him and didn't have the heart to tell him he did indeed stink. Everyone needs to get in the shower for at least 5 minutes and clean their body. Soap and water. I don't have the heart to tell someone they stink. It would be really nice if they would just shower and wash their clothes. I was in the Marines in the 80's. If you went to work and you stunk you would be sent home to shower and be told to never come to work like that. They were not politically correct. It would be like "you stink, go take and shower and use deodorant and it better not happen again." You would be told in front of the whole office.

Lisa what's the relevance of this? Funny story though haha

Matt McMindscape 😂

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0, minimalists don’t eat bread XD