Guilt-free Pleasures: How Minimalist Get The Most Out Of Shopping

In today’s post I’m going to share something with you that most people probably don’t know about minimalists.

From the outside looking in Minimalism can appear to be a terrible existence.

Why?

Because who wants to voluntarily live their lives with as few things as possible? That would be so lame! I mean who doesn’t want to have :

• A wall to wall wardrobe with clothes for every occasion
• Decorations in every corner of their home
• Enough kitchen appliances to make a small restaurant jealous
• All the latest in tech and electronics

While the items listed above may sound great to the average person, the Minimalist sees things a little differently.

Understanding Minimalism

I think we should get to know Minimalism a little better.

So as a self-proclaimed Minimalist I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned about this community.

The concept of Minimalism revolves around a very simple principle:

There are no hard rules as to how many items a Minimalist can own.

For some, it’s owning 100 items or less. For others the number is much higher.

At the end of the day it’s all up to the individual. But one thing all Minimalist can agree on is that we should thoughtfully rid ourselves of things until we get where we need to be.

Imagine living in a home where everything you owned had meaning. A place where every single thing you picked up had a purpose.

Can you imagine a wardrobe that included only items you loved to wear? Or electronics that actually met your greatest needs? What a wonderful existence that would be!

The Secret

Society often views Minimalist as frugal people with tight budgets, and an uncompromising perspective of how to spend what money they do have.

But Minimalist actually spend lots of money on the things that bring them joy.

In fact Minimalist probably spend more money on things that the average person is cheap about. In other words, they sometimes “splurge” on items most people “penny-pinch” on.

Don’t believe me?

Allow me to share with you a few stories I’ve heard as examples, and prove it to you.

Examples

I read the comments (from a online forum) of the lady who loves to take showers. To her there’s just something special about it. So what does she do?

She spends top dollar on a high-quality towel set. How much more? Almost $300. And why does she do it? Because being clean means a lot to her. Because taking a shower is something she looks forward to each day. So she treats herself to the best experience she can afford on a daily basis. Simply put, this purchase aligned with her values.

Then I heard the story about the guy who just really enjoys vacuuming his home. Something about seeing dust, dirt, and grime disappear from his home was very satisfying to him.

And because he enjoys it so much, he purchased a $1,300 vacuum cleaner that’s been described as the Mercedes-Benz of vaccums. He said the purchase somehow made a experience he loved even better! A win-win for sure!

Then there’s the coffee nerds I’ve seen videos about. Some are Minimalist who are who are frugal in every area of their lives: except coffee.

They don’t mind spending extra to get that perfect cup of joe. A caffine-loving minimalist wouldn’t think twice about buying a $300 coffee grinder. Why? Because this grinder is state-of-the-art and allows them to get their cup down to a science every single time.

Guilt-Free Pleasure

One thing I hope you see in each of the examples is how Minimalist focus on the things that they enjoy.

They don’t try and keep up with trends. Society doesn’t get to tell them what they should like.

Minimalist are people who take the time to find out what brings them joy, and then they focus on that.

While the average person buys the new iPhone because a clever advertisement says “You’ve got to have it”, the Minimalist saves money for what they truly want.

But here’s the best part. In true Minimalism, there is no judgment. Because some Minimalist prefer getting that new iPhone over a $300 coffee grinder.

In Minimalism you get to choose what to buy and keep, or sell, and get rid of.

Conclusion

Minimalism is about purpose.

Minimalist downsize their possessions for a purpose. They are frugal in some aspects of their lives for a purpose. Additionally, they splurge in other areas also for a purpose.

Remove the distractions in your life, and find your joy.

Posted By: Jeffrey Chark · In: Minimalism, Smart Money