Last week I explained a little about what the difference between minimalism is and frugal living. While the two are different, minimalism can still save you quite a bit of money because at it’s very core, you will buy less. Even if you don’t want to take on a fully minimalist lifestyle, some minimalist habits can be great to take on if just for the sake of saving money. Here are some ways that a minimalist lifestyle can save your budget.
How to Save Money with Minimalism
Minimalists have a very basic budget. They try to cut out what is not necessary (this varies from person to person) and only spend money on what is. For example, some things that many minimalists cut out are cable bills, dry cleaning, dining out, leisurely shopping, luxury services such as housekeeping and so on.
To be successful at a minimalist lifestyle, it is good to start slow. Dumping everything you know now and giving it up to live minimally will be too much of a leap for most people. Just start by deciding what you can “live without” and what you need in life. Simplifying life will save you money.
Minimalism often means making things for yourself rather than buying. Many DIY projects can save you a lot of money in the long run and often contain simple ingredients that fit the minimalist lifestyle. These simple ingredients are low cost and often good for the environment. Some things you can make yourself include cleaning products, convenience foods and household supplies.
Because minimalism is simple living, you will find that you “need” less. It is amazing how much we have been trained to be consumers from the time we are children. If you examine need vs want closely, you will often find that you have been placing things in the need category that really don’t belong there, you just think they do because our minds have been conditioned that way. By taking an honest look at this, you can really cut your spending to what is really vital to your life and what isn’t.
Minimalist living often requires that you watch your waste. The less you waste, the less you will have to buy. Because of this, you will save money in the long run. Waste not only includes things like food and shampoo, but also frivolous spending. If you are buying another plain black shirt when you have many, you are wasting your money.
Minimalists own less so this will often mean they spend less on maintaining things. They also use less, so things will need to be repaired less often. If you only own one car, that is only one vehicle that will need oil changes (which are really easy to do yourself and cheaper, by the way), one car that will need gas and one vehicle that will need taxes paid on it.
More Articles on Minimalist Living
How to Simplify Your Life with a Minimalist Wardrobe
How to Ease Your Family into a Minimalist Lifestyle
Simple Tips for Minimalist Home Decorating
What is the Difference Between Minimalist Living and Frugal Living
More Frugal Living Tips
10 Tips for Staying on a Budget
Money Saving Tips from the Great Depression
Mandy Tirado says
So I can see where you state the benefits and a couple “how-to” tips on going minimalist, but I’m left wondering where the rest of this blog post is? Is this going to be a series? It seems short and incomplete.
Alea Milham says
It is the second post in a series.
suzanne m says
I felt the same way. I scrolled down looking for the rest of the post. Kind of short and over simplified.
less says
Would you even say it’s…. minimalist?