The ads pop into my inbox. Fifty-percent off. Lowest prices of the season. Best deals of the year. Buy-one-get-one-free. Temptation is the worst part of the holiday season for me. Those deeply discounted promotions lure me to spend money on items we really don’t need, so now I delete each new email and immediately unsubscribe […]
Minimalism
How to Live Simply: My Plan for Living With Less
I spend a few minutes searching for minimalist ideas and find thousands of pictures of clean, sparsely decorated homes with bright white walls and empty countertops. I’m irresistibly drawn to those stark images. I subscribe to minimalist blogs and scour the Internet in search of advice about purging my possessions and living with less. That’s […]
Teaching Children to Embrace Minimalism
A fellow personal finance blogger, who I deeply respect and admire, recently asked me how I help my children embrace the concept of owning less. She specifically asked how I talk to my children about “not needing everything that everyone else has just because you don’t have it.” I thought long and hard about this […]
Purging Unwanted Products: What Should I Do With Them?
A week or so ago I purchased baby bubble bath from an eco-friendly website that specializes in organic products. I’ve been slowly replacing all of the body washes, shampoos and other assorted bathroom products with safer versions. After ordering I decided to verify the products safety against the environmental working group’s database and found it […]
Why Is It So Hard to Get Rid of Something I Never Even Used?
Over the years I’ve written a lot about purging clothing and other unwanted items from my home. Although I’m primarily a minimalist I still struggle to get rid of sentimental belongings like my son’s baby clothes and toys. Usually my clutter-free mentality wins out over my more emotional side. I tend to convince myself, (and rightfully so), that […]