becoming minimalist, practically
When I moved from Manila to Singapore, I flew with one suitcase (but flew back and forth almost every other month for a year to bring stuff over). When I moved from Singapore to New York, I flew with two suitcases and shipped three boxes to Manila. When I moved from New York to Amsterdam, I came with three suitcases and shipped five boxes to Manila. After moving countries three times and into five different apartments in between, I really thought that I’d have what I need down to a science; yet, as I’ve packed and unpacked I’ve constantly asked myself - why do I have so much stuff?!?
Minimalism has been trending for a while and with the pandemic keeping us at home for over a year now, it’s taken on a whole new meaning with many lifestyles changing. That rule about discarding the things in your closet that you haven’t used in six months? How exactly am I supposed to apply that when there are no social events to get dressed for? For now, I’m holding steady on my wardrobe.
The minimalist aesthetic can be very inspiring but not all of us can make a drastic shift and change out everything we own. The pandemic was a catalyst for many to change their living situations and as the return to normal ceases to be a mirage I know that many are considering how they are going to set up their homes. In the last year, I’ve consciously decided that I want to approach minimalism pragmatically and sustainably. In other words, I’m not throwing out something that works fine and serves its purpose just to replace it with something that fits the aesthetic.
Just as I started up this whole agenda of mine to practice practical minimalism, I chanced upon Shira Gill on Instagram and her post said “less stuff, more space” which has since led me to clear out my kitchen countertops, pantry, “storage room”, and home office (more on what I did keep in a future post!). What got me hooked was her story of overdoing it and giving away too much clothes that she was inappropriately dressed for a social occasion. - Shira Gill
Here’s how I approached setting up my first “adult” apartment:
First, decide on non-negotiables which for me includes an up front decision that while I’m renting I would like to spend as little as possible on furniture. Luckily, my last three apartments were semi-furnished and included a bed and a couch. How did I get over the fact that these items were used? Well, every time I stay in a hotel I sit and sleep on items that are used. What do I do to make my peace with the situation? I give the couch cushions and mattress a good fluffing and vacuuming then wash it to the best extent possible. For the bed, I always order a mattress topper and a mattress cover; pillows are always brand new though! I have a washer and dryer in the unit so I currently only have one set of sheets - because who knows how to fold a fitted sheet anyway?!
Second, for everything else begin with the end in mind. Moving homes is an excellent moment to purge; and this time as I set up my home I began with the end in mind. Do I really, really need it? How many times do I really expect to use this? Is this something I’m willing to pack up when I move? This is really easy to say but a lot more difficult to put into practice. Here’s how I learned my lesson:
Coffee is everyday for me.
Who knew that choosing coffee machines would turn into a life lesson and now be the bar for which I make purchasing decisions.
I drink coffee every day. In New York, I had an electric kettle and drank instant coffee; this decision was made due to both space and time constraints. I didn’t care much because I ended up grabbing another cup or two at some point during the day from Starbucks. By the time I moved to Amsterdam, I was mostly drinking my coffee black so it needed to be good. I decided to buy a coffee maker and I was deciding between the usual one that required a filter and ground beans or a Nespresso machine. The Nespresso machine cost 4x the coffee maker and the pods were also more expensive than just buying coffee beans and having them grinded. I went with the coffee maker and stuck with it for six month until I just couldn’t take having to measure out the coffee, measure out the water, and then after you’ve had your coffee you have to go back to throw out the filter, wash the pot, and spend time trying to clean out the coffee stained spots. (If you like keeping things spotless, do not buy a white coffee machine!) I also ended up treating myself to coffee from outside more often to compensate for this annoyance. Long story short, I ended up buying the Nespresso machine; it is more aesthetically pleasing and making coffee plus keeping the machine clean is a no brainer. Yes, I need to make coffee and I expect to use it everyday and I will pack up this machine when I move. I wouldn’t have packed up the other machine. I donated the other coffee machine and have promised myself I would never do this again.
Third, a daily reminder of conscious consumption. It really is the little everyday things that pile up!
Waste-free Wednesday
Conscious consumption to me is a random salad bowl created from everything in my kitchen that would’ve gone to waste otherwise.
Fourth, I’ve become very discerning about my subscriptions. I had piles of magazines in New York that I barely had a chance to read (or even skim through!) which ultimately resulted in so much clutter that I ended up just throwing out when I moved out. My new rule was, buy the magazine when I was really interested and unsurprisingly, I’ve only bought three in the last fifteen months. In spite of the multiple marketing campaigns to get me to do an all-in-one package, I only have an Internet connection because it is not cheaper if I don’t actually use any of the other services! (I remember the customer service agent asking me where I would get my news if I didn’t have TV, and I bluntly answered “online!”). I have an Amazon Prime membership (which is only EUR 2.99 a month here!) and manage it monthly - literally takes three clicks to cancel and two to set it back up. I noticed that in the months where I don’t have Prime I don’t end up buying anything. I’m not big on sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time, but I do have an annual subscription to Disney+ - which will be reconsidered once we’re allowed to travel again!
Fifth, and maybe the least fun but the most practical and most quantifiably rewarding, work with a budget! While it doesn’t put me in dire straits to buy whatever I want at the grocery store it does not make me happy to have to throw things out because they’ve gone bad. Once I’m more disciplined maybe the budget can go away but for now it really keeps me in check from being excessive across the board. Bonus? It feels good to save money too!
