At no cost to you, this site may contain affiliated links or ads to offset the expenses of operating a website. Please see the disclosureto satisfy your curiosity.

Spending money was being a jerk; it was time to move on. Minimalism was my rebound relationship. Yet, we are still going strong as I spend less to live more! And we all lived happily ever after…. Or something weird like that.

Breaking up with spending was a great way to fast-track minimalism because it meant I had to dump things like mindless purchases, clutter anxiety, and financial worry. 

Joy, space, and financial security are a few of the joys that come with minimalism. 

The Art of Breaking Up

Minimalism as with anything new was a tough change. I had been forced to live as a minimalist, compliments of the United States Navy, and I rebelled by buying.

As with any lesson that sticks, I had to learn the hard way. 

After years of disappointment from partying, fast-food excess, and shopping sprees – it was time to break up with a relationship that had become toxic. 

As I traveled on the bumpy breakup road, I met minimalism. 

Minimalism encouraged intentional living. It’s a way to express love, instead of defaulting to things that don’t add value.  

I’m trying to remove what I don’t want to spend time and money on. I want to live with fewer belongings but more time and money. Apparently, this is how I opted-in on adulting.

The Start: The Hardest Part

As with anything new, I eased into this slowly with clothes.

Not how I normally start relationships! 😅

Clothes were easy because I had a lot, but I don’t wear a lot. I used the 20/80 rule; I kept 20% of my clothes that I wore 80% of the time. 

This is a magical ratio.

I focus on 20% because I have limited resources. Having less focus allows for energy and time conserved for what matters. This ratio has been useful for decluttering, but it has also helped with other areas like work, writing, cleaning the bathroom….so many possibilities! 

After I declutted my clothes, I gradually moved to harder areas like books, home décor, and eventually digital pictures. 

It has been a long process but it’s one that was built with small milestones along the way. These milestones have served as a reminder of where I began but also, a reminder that good relationships take a little effort every day. 

I would say I have decluttered about 75% of my belongings.

Worth The Wait

Liberating is a good word to describe the happy endorphins I get from getting rid of stuff.

Is it the endorphins from exercising while decluttering? Probably. Perhaps having more space feels like I’m living in a fancy home décor magazine.

The feeling is addicting. I love that sugary high feeling that comes gliding in from purging goods. Instead of being a museum curator where I dust, catalog, and maintain a million items, I can do fun things like draw, hike, or plan the next life list adventure.

Relationship Results

Life is short.

How did I plan on spending it?

When I’m not in Coronavacation, I spend 40 hours a week at work.

I am left with 24ish hours on the weekend. How do I want to spend my time? Well, it doesn’t rhyme with cleaning or maintaining.

I prefer to replace with soul sucking adulting with going for a run by the river where I can watch geese heckle each other. Laughing at myself as I try to twist my tongue into a new French word. Crafting letters into something that someone will find inspiring.

Spend less to live more has been an infrequent motto. It’s something to value and invest in, frequently. My life is worth more than how much I can spend.