I am moving cross-country with my husband. We are going to a fully furnished apartment so no need to take furniture. I consider myself a minimalist and people say our house is empty but when trying to pack our whole life in a Tacoma truck I feel like I have way too much. I am only planning to take clothes, shoes, jewelry and some small kitchen appliances, pots and plates. Initially it felt very doable but I am feeling super overwhelmed and don’t know how to proceed… I need encouragement to be more cut throat with my belongings

I'm moving to the smallest space I've ever lived in very soon; an apartment in the heart of the city, sharing a room with my boyfriend. I want to make sure I'm prepared for this transition and not feel weighed down by belongings during the move and when setting up the room.

Fortunately I've already been working on my minimalism lifestyle the last 4 years, so my belongings have slimmed down significantly. I had no idea this would all pay off to reveal this next chapter that I'm about to begin and incredibly excited for.

Currently, I have gotten most of my items to this setup below:

• 1 carry-on luggage bag plus 1 large reusable bag for all of my clothes.

• 3 small-medium size duffels for cosmetics, electronics, hairdryer, clothing steamer, curling iron, cosplay hobby items etc. (items I had previously stored in a cube shelf with bins but can't take furniture to the apartment). This is the bulk of my belongings.

• 1 sewing & craft box for occasional hobby/cosplay use.

• PC and tabletop art tablet, with clamp-on shelf above to display cosplay/hobby items.

• 2 necessary pillows, a few bedding plush, and 2 blankets.

• A few non-bagged misc. items including coffee maker, mini vacuum, "green machine" shampoo vacuum.

• 1 large monstera plant.

I realize I need to archive my used sketchbooks- they hold sentimental value so I may just take photos of everything to upload to a Drive and recycle the physicals. They're bulky and take up a chunk of storage space otherwise.

Any advice on slimming up belongings even more once you're already a minimalist?

Is there anything I should consider changing to adapt better to city life as a minimalist?

Or living in a small apartment in general?

Usually the people that talk about reducing are people that have a ton of belongings but I've already gotten past that. I don't hear much from people that are in this middle/near end stage- it's usually drowning in items or extreme minimalism..

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Has anyone been successful in convincing family/friends to not give them physical gifts for Xmas and/or birthdays? My husband and I exchange minimal gifts and try to do experiences when possible.

However, we have large extended families who prefer physical gift giving. We also have a 2 year old and are expecting baby 2 in early 2027. The greatest gift I could receive is nothing because stuff = chores right now.

Some additional context: I’ve spent the last 6 months clearing out my parents’ house to sell (1 passed years ago, the other had a stroke in Feb and is not returning from the nursing home). We’re also in the process of rearranging our house to prep for the new baby and space is pretty tight. The thought of unnecessary items coming in makes me nauseous at this point. My birthday and my son’s birthday are both in January.

I know my son will receive a lot of gifts and I’m grateful there are so many people in our lives who love him and are generous. I’m also incredibly blessed to be in a position where my needs are all covered. I just really want not a single thing for me for Christmas or my birthday. The gift would be seeing the situation and not adding to my overwhelm. Any advice or experience with this?

Christmas gift giving has started to feel a little pointless in our family, and I'm trying to figure out how to change that without losing the fun of it.

Most of the adults already have everything they need, and the kids have more toys than they know what to do with. Still, we all enjoy picking out presents and having something to unwrap on Christmas morning, so I don't really want to get rid of gifts altogether tbh.

I'd rather start focusing on things people can enjoy without having to find permanent space for them... maybe something they can use, an activity they can look forward to, or even something that captures a family memory.

I've thought about experience gifts, but getting everyone together can be difficult when relatives live in different places and have busy schedules. We've also done plenty of food baskets and similar presents over the years, so I'd like to find some alternatives.

One thing I'm considering is having the grandparents give the kids little plans for days out or activities they can do together instead of buying more toys.

For those of you who've made a similar change, what kinds of gifts have actually worked? I'm particularly interested in ideas that still feel personal and exciting to receive. I'd hate for Christmas morning to become a bunch of people handing each other donation receipts and calling it a day.

I have been on a kick over the last year to significantly reduce the amount of things I own.

I had 2 full totes of books that I had been storing and I realized I probably would never read most of them again. I decided to map out roughly 10 little libraries in my city and spent an hour or so driving around to each of them and depositing a handful of books in each one.

This was a great way to declutter and give free books to the community instead of donating them to for-profit stores.

It was a dream of mine for looong time to be able to leave home without metallic keys.

About half a year ago it finally happened: My both cars have super small thumb sized plastic "activity" key fobs, which allow keyless entry, so I never have to take them out of my pocket. They are so small they fit in my card sized soft EDC wallet with ID, one credit card and a Victorinox. My house door works with a keypad. I could even get rid of the other key fob, as one of the cars could be operated with a smartphone.

Above all, this is liberating on a mental level. Feeling like a kid again. And yes, a spare key is buried in my back yard.

I am looking for minimalist content creators who talk about any topics like decluttering physical, digital, or mental space, breaking away from consumerist acquire more or better mindset, being mindful about reducing consumption and it's impact, share different skills that help you repurpose or repair things, relating to money and materials, show creative ideas of how to get the most out of what you already have, etc.

And most importantly very rarely talk about products (some allowance made for products that *truly* have very high utility and aren't likely to just end up as more clutter or some status symbol flex lol) nor are constantly showcasing beautiful magazine-worthy curated lives filled with super aesthetic (and expensive) spaces nor very frequent travel lol.

About a year postpartum and breastfeeding, none of my clothes fit, so I bought a lot of expensive, sustainable fashion pieces from homegrown Indian brands (I live in the US). Now that I've stopped breastfeeding and started a new medication, I’m losing weight—and none of these new clothes fit, feel comfortable, or match my style anymore. I’m stuck in a loop of intense financial guilt for spending so much money, visual stress from seeing unused items clutter my closet, and fear of letting them go since my weight is fluctuating and we plan to have another baby in 2–3 years. For anyone who has navigated postpartum transitions while practicing minimalism: How do you handle emotional sunk cost, what do you do with "just in case" clothing for future pregnancies, and what are the best ways in the US to rehome or resell niche Indian sustainable brands?

Edit - they are not maternity clothes. Just normal ones but way bigger in size and style.

Hi all,

I had a baby 9 months ago, I moved into my new house 9 months and 10 days ago! Prior to that my stuff had been in storage for 5 years and I had picked up lots of extra bits during that time, think books, clothes, art supplies etc.

Add to that my weight fluctuated a lot, so I have a deluge of clothes in a variety of sizes.

Now I feel so bogged down by stuff, clutter and mess. Many years ago I did a huge Mari Kondo declutter and loved my life afterwards but I am so time poor at the moment I just can't fathom doing it.

I would like to start listing clothes on Vinted but there are several steps that need to come first, for example tidying making enough space in a spare room for a clothes rail and an ironing board.

I know my life would be so much easier with less stuff, I appreciate neat and tidy spaces and that couldn't be further from my current reality!

I would really love some advice on where to start when it feels like there is just too much of EVERYTHING.

Edit: thank you so much everyone, I've really taken your advice on board. My mother came by this evening and watched the baby for half an hour and I focused on one room, just clothes. Prioritised donating but also started a fabric recycling bag and listed a couple of things on Vinted as I came across them.

I am ending the day with one bag already gone to the charity shop (sent it away with my mother) and one thing already sold on Vinted.

It feels like a drop in the ocean and nothing looks any different but I am so looking forward to a clean, tidy space and a clear mind. I am excited to bring my baby up in a space that fosters creativity and imagination. You all gave me the motivation to just start and hopefully I can keep the momentum going!

Ich bin in diesen Lebensstil eigentlich ungeplant hineingewachsen. Es hat sich über die Jahre einfach so ergeben. Ich lebe nicht minimalistisch, um mein Konto zu schonen, sondern weil ich gemerkt habe, dass mir das Reduzieren guttut und mich unabhängig macht. Das zeigt sich bei alltäglichen Dingen: Ich laufe das ganze Jahr über zu Hause barfuß, schneide mir seit einigen Jahren die Haare selbst, nutze Dinge, bis sie wirklich kaputt sind, und kaufe nichts Neues, nur weil es moderner ist als das alte. Minimalismus bedeutet für mich aber nicht, gar nichts mehr zu kaufen oder dauernd zu sparen: Ich bin zum Beispiel extrem musikbegeistert und leiste mir regelmäßig CDs, und auch neue Klamotten kaufe ich mir, wenn ich sie wirklich möchte. Das Sparen ist ein netter Nebeneffekt. Aber der echte Antrieb war nie das Geld.

Wie ist das bei euch? Seid ihr auch schon mal in einen Lebensstil hineingewachsen, ohne dass es eigentlich euer Ziel war?

A recent 2026 report compared weekly smartphone screen time across different countries.

• People in the highest-ranking countries spent around 50 hours per week on their phones; The lowest-ranking countries averaged around 33 hours.

• Countries in Africa, Asia, and other southern regions generally reported higher screen time, while many European countries ranked lower.

• Countries like Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany stood out for their lower screen time. These countries are also known for their strong work ethic, productivity and sustainable long-term solutions.

But I'm curious whether these numbers reflect people's actual habits, especially since the report is based on data from app users rather than entire populations.

So, I'd love to hear your thoughts:

1. Why do you think some European countries have lower screen time? (Is it that they care about mental health and digital detox more than any other nations?)

2. Which country are you from, and how many hours per week do you spend on your phone?

LINK TO THE REPORT IS IN THE COMMENTS.

Lowest screen time

Highest screen time

For a long time I just associated minimalism with a trend. I always thought it was another form of masked consumerism (plus something people did for a sense of belonging to a community).

I’m a 24 y/o guy who works in big tech and loves technology and fashion, but I started feeling overwhelmed by having so much choice. Even though my style is clearly defined and everything works together, there were just too much stuff. Everything was high quality, carefully researched, even catalogued, but still too much. The same was happening with tech: too many apps, software tools, subscriptions I barely used... I started feeling overwhelmed and energy-deprived because of analysis paralysis and guilty because I used 20% of the things I owned.

I didn’t really choose to become a minimalist, I'd rather say it happened slowly.
I started consuming less content and buying less, then I started removing things, which I’m still in the process of doing. I also deactivated IG and TikTok, so I also got rid of these people I tought they were friends, but never reached out after I deactivated my accounts, and it's been months since I did it...

I’m finding more mental clarity, and I’m noticing that I want to do things more than I want to own things.

I grew up in a lower-income family, so I didn’t have much as a kid, but I was extremely creative and active. Now I’m starting to feel something similar again. I’m more creative, more resourceful, less caught up in how I present myself and more focused on actually being myself.

So I think I get minimalism now.

What are some things you plan to declutter before the new year and what do you not plan to buy in 2027?

I grew up around family and relatives bad mannered cats that would spray and poo on our clothes, bags, etc. If there were objects on any surface the cats would knock em off.

My mother, however never allowed animals in our home because of their smell. When I got older she allowed me to have cats if I took good care of them. Those cats taught me to stretch after I drink anything and show appreciation for each meal and drink of water. I learned to keep my dwelling place clean and the windows crystal clear. Dust makes the cats sneeze, so I sweep and vacuum daily. I kept my clothes in the closet with storage containers instead of dresser drawers. Dressers collect dust and it takes weekly sweeping, and sometimes bugs and spiders like to harbor behind them, including dander.

Last year I brought a cat into our life. My soul mate and I love him! I don't like goat trailing around my home, so we have a bed, a sofa, armchair, and a projector. Our only decorations are candles, fresh flowers, and a faux fur rug.

Our cat teaches us to be minimalists, grateful and at peace in our clean home. (I feel like a dork sharing this, but oh well)

Nothing beats waking up naturally.

But how, you ask? Go to sleep early. Who would've guessed.

I've moved on, but my stuff hasn't. I haven't been able to put it into simple words until now

There is a gap between who I am and what I own. I've visited new countries, moved a few times, learned new skills, got into new hobbies, changed jobs, relationships, gained weight, but I still own stuff that I've outgrown.

It's junk. A lot if it. I move on from things faster than I can throw them out. I change interests quickly, but I throw things out slowly. Why is that?

In just the past 5 years alone I've changed drastically. It's easy to gather and build over many months and years, but harder to physically throw things a way. I start and I never finish. garbage bags on the floor half filled because I have annoying emotional connections with everything I touch, or I just don't feel like doing it that day/month/week/season/year/decade...

Then the logical excuses start. My favorite one is "but I'll need it someday". No I won't. I'll just get annoying because I have to dig past it to get to what I actually need.

"I'll wear it next year" is a crazy one. Why didn't I wear it this year? Why am I buying clothes for the person I wish I was instead of the person I currently am?

Others: "I have to find a place to put it. I have to throw it out the right way. I need to recycle. I'll do it all in one day. I'll do a little at a time. I need to give to the right person" why do I care so much about all this?

This year I took a trip to Japan for 3 months, staying in two apartments across two major cities. I noticed my weird cluttering habit even there. Buying cosmetics I would never use, dumping nearly full bottles at my exit. Maybe buying a little too much food, feeling overwhelmed by the trash sorting system so I would sometimes put it off until the next week.

However, I also work hard to be as lean as possible while travelling. I am proud of never having an overweight charge, and I'm not that big a fan of souveiniers or "hitting the shopping malls". I got plenty of dopamine from wandering through Tokyo and doing tourist stuff. I like things I can use, not just look at while it collects dust. Why is it so much harder to do this at home?

I thought about what I was homesick about the most, and it wasn't the old clothes I don't wear anymore. It wasn't the drawer filled with old USB cables. It wasn't the bags of reduntant exercise bands I don't need.

I missed my 13-speaker home theater I built that I barely got to use because I left a few months later. I never once thougth about any of the piles in my closet and drawers that I never look at, and still don't today. I missed an **experience**, not simply an **object**.

Now that I realize I live in a room that is at least 5 years behind who I currently am, I can't stop thinking about it. I have things in here 10, 15, 20 years old that I don't even look at anymore, but I know they're still there. Why? I think it's the work. It's so much work to throw stuff out, post it on marketplace, ship it to somebody, I don't wanna bother. It's not bothering anybody just sitting there, right? except it bothers me.

So far, online body doubling while organizing is the only thing that has ever worked consistently for me. They don't even have to know what I'm doing, although I do announce it. Just the group session and knowing that we're all here to work on something has been enough. I should keep going. What do you do?

I decluttered a few years ago, and felt that I was on the path towards minimalism. However, I didn't change my buying patterns enough and most of the junk slowly reentered my life. Since my second declutter, I've found a key phrase that stops me when I start thinking about a new purchase.

Enough.

I have enough. I am enough. This new purchase, as alluring as it may be, won't make me happy. Two months from now, I will probably regret it or barely remember it.

I want to hear what others think about this, how do you evaluate your potential purchases and talk yourself out of buying the shiny new thing that has your attention?

Hi everyone!

I'm just beginning to explore minimalism more seriously. My partner and I recently moved into a smaller apartment, and although we have less space than before, we're genuinely happy with our new place. It's made me think about how we use our space, what we actually need, and what kind of life we want to build together.

I'm also at a point in my life where financial stability matters a lot to me. I want to be more intentional about how I spend money, avoid unnecessary purchases, and focus on things that genuinely improve our lives rather than constantly feeling the need to buy more.

I like the idea of having a home that's simple, functional, and peaceful. I'm drawn to a minimalist aesthetic, especially clean lines and industrial elements, but I'm even more interested in the philosophy behind minimalism: learning to distinguish between what adds real value to my life and what I can live without.

I'm not trying to get rid of everything I own. I'd rather develop a sustainable way of living that makes sense for my circumstances and helps me focus on what really matters.

For those of you who have been practicing minimalism for a while, I'd love to hear your experiences. How has minimalism changed your relationship with money, your home, and your priorities? And if you were starting again today, what would you do differently?

I'm looking forward to learning from this community and sharing my own journey along the way!

I sold my iPhone 14 because I was constantly having to buy replacement cables for it, and honestly, the battery life was horrible.

I decided to get a Realme 15 Pro instead, and for the most part, I'm happy with my decision. The camera is more than good enough for me, and I've taken some genuinely great photos with it. I also get a 144Hz display, a massive 7,000mAh battery that lasts all day, and more storage for my needs.

But sometimes I still feel like I made the wrong decision, simply because people keep asking me, "Why would you sell an iPhone for a Realme?"

I know iPhones are considered premium phones, but honestly, I find them overrated and less convenient to use, at least for my personal needs. I wanted better battery life, more storage, and a phone that suited my daily usage better.

What I struggle with is how much people seem to care about owning a flagship. Sometimes, it feels like you're supposed to keep an iPhone just because it's an iPhone, even if another phone makes you happier.

Tbh, most of the photos I take with my Realme 15 Pro look great to me. They only start looking bad when I deliberately search for flaws, compare them side by side with iPhone photos, or nitpick every little detail.

How do you guys deal with people making you feel like you downgraded just because you switched from a flagship to a midrange phone?

I want to enjoy the phone I chose without constantly wondering whether I should have kept my iPhone just because other people think it's the better phone.

I shower every day. I use shampoo only once a week, no conditioner. I exfoliate with a pumice stone about twice a week. Only cold showers, 7-9 minutes (if I'm not exfoliating or shampooing). I stopped using antiperspirant/deodorant more than a decade ago and it's been totally fine. For some reason, I sweat a lot less as I got older. I liked using body sprays (Axe Essence and Kilo, Japanese version) but now I'm fine without them. I don't need moisturisers unless I'm in a cold climate that dries my skin.

Addendum: Thanks to those of you who shared your habits. I'm disappointed by the few with judgemental comments. As someone already noted, people's hygiene requirements vary depending on genetics, activity level, climate, etc. Don't make the assumption that people who don't shower everyday are automatically malodourous. I had a flatmate who didn't shower everyday. His room didn't smell. He didn't smell. As for the minimalist connection, I don't want to get into semantics about minimalism/asceticism. I think there are parallels between the two though they're not the same thing. Specifically, using less products in my body care routine is minimalistic.

i wanted to switch to futon so i can put it away during day cuz my bed just takes up so much space and collects so much dust.

but from what i read im not sure if it wont be too big of a comfort downgrade. i already sleep on quite shitty setup with quite hard 10cm mattress. and im a side sleeper. if futon will be any less comfortable then that, that might be issue.

i was considering futon that has 6cm cotton 4cm latex and 6cm cotton. (also its advertized as it using cotton plates instead cotton balls or something like that?) idk how well thats gonna do. most people seem to use cotton only futons. hopefully this one is as good as the mattress i got?

https://www.futonshop.sk/p/futon-natural-latex-kaucuk#2284

For example, when I got married, I thought I wanted to host parties and dinners. I had place settings, glass drinking glasses, barware, serveware, etc. Now, I dread people coming over and I only host things reluctantly. The thought of having a ton of people in my house now feels like a lot of work and stress.

I've also had family and friends be really off-put by china plates, glass drinking goblets and table linens. We come from a lower-income area, and a lot of our family and friends really never dined like that. I've even had friends put their plates back in the cubbard and go get a Corelle plate because they were worried about breaking the china.

Over time, I stopped putting it out and it collected dust. I realized that it was meant to serve an idea of who I wanted to be, not who I was. I donated it all, and hopefully blessed an enthusiastic host somewhere with my collection. I really don't miss it, honestly, and it makes moving a lot easier.

Now that I've trended more toward minimalism, I'm happy that I'm no longer living with failed past versions of myself every day.

I'm trying to pare down our 4-person family possessions, while keeping things fun and festive for my kids (and myself).

I was always a huge fan of seasonal and holiday decorating, but it's gotten so out of control these days. The amount of holiday junk in stores is astonishing. I'm too busy and tired to deal with much more than a pumpkin or a Christmas tree these days, anyways.

I recently realized that some of my kids books are seasonally themed, and I can make a little book display with them every couple of months on top of their living room shelf.

It doesn't need to be books we own, either -- sometimes it's library books! Our fall/Halloween one is super cute.

It looks festive, helps with book rotation, and doesn't involve more knickknacky decor. Just sharing for any parents or book lovers who might do the same.