I'm very into arts and crafts, my problem is having to either find a place for the things I make or store things and it feels wasteful to make something just for it to sit in storage like an embroidery piece for example. I avoid having too many things on shelves or on the walls so I won't have to dust as frequently. Does anybody have any ideas?

Edit: pls suggest stuff that has low energy requirements and that's not mentally taxing I'm both physically disabled and have cognitive impairments

Ty for everyone's ideas so far! 🙂

I am currently going through the experience that many of us have had or it will have in the future - helping older relatives move to a house more suitable for their stage of life and health status.

Notice that I didn't say "downsizing". That's because after a lot of talk of downsizing and claims that they were downsizing, it became clear that they are physically and mentally incapable of accomplishing the task of significantly reducing their belongings. The biggest lesson for me so far in all this *waves hand vaguely in the direction of piles of random shit* is that you can miss the boat and become too old to declutter your own stuff. Not just physically, though that's certainly a factor, but mentally. If it was just physical, us younger relatives could easily help with that part but it turns out that decision fatigue and overwhelm hit harder and faster when you're in your 80s and your ability to make clear sighted decisions about your stuff may diminish severely. They want to move everything and while there's general talk of "getting rid of stuff", when the push comes to shove they cannot identify even a handful of things in a big pile of things that they'd be OK with letting go.

"We have lived in this house for XX years, that's why we have so much stuff". No, you have never gotten rid of anything, even as you kept buying more stuff, THAT is why you have so much stuff now. Of course I cannot say this - and there's no point - but the twisted perception that drowning in physical belongings is a simple function of how long you've lived in one place... Is bewildering. It is not unavoidable. Just throw shit out. Donate. Gift. Sell. Whatever. Throughout your life, not just when you have to move.

Us family members have already made multiple trips with U-Haul trucks moving the fragile, the personal, the collectable... Stuff. And now the professional move is scheduled and the quoted amount is enough to buy a small second hand car. I'm glad the cost is being split between many family members. There's no way the older relatives would be able to afford it themselves, so if hypothetically they didn't have a large, supportive and mostly financially stable family, they'd be up the shit creek without a paddle, stuck living in a place that isn't safe for them, trapped by their mostly worthless stuff.

The biggest irony to me is that all the stuff that's being moved isn't worth the amount of money we'll all spend moving it. Yes, it has sentimental value, but someone has to pay the price in real money... On top of the money that was spent buying all this stuff in the first place. Moving stuff isn't free. Keeping stuff isn't free either - you're paying property taxes and a mortgage on the rooms your stuff lives in.

Christmas decorations, tubs and tubs and boxes of them, Easter decorations, china and silverware that no one uses, books half-read and long forgotten (I see where the bookmark is and I see the layer of dust on that bookshelf!), fake plastic plants (!!??), clothes, so many clothes... We live in a place with 1.5 seasons and most of those seasons are Hellishly Hot, there's zero need to have so many clothes but I'm told there used to be a discounted clothing store around the corner for many years...

The worst are, of course, the hobbies. So much hobby stuff. New, better hobby stuff gets purchased but the old stuff it replaces is never removed from the house. Or aspirational hobby stuff that never even got taken out of its packaging when it was purchased in 1998.

I always knew this was going to be a shitshow so I'm not even frustrated, just tired and sad at the waste, the avoidability of it all and the pointlessness of moving all this crap from point A to point B. No one is even talking about the even bigger shitshow that unpacking (or shall I say, *attempted* unpacking?) is going to be at the other end. We are now in month 3 of "moving" and I expect that we might be "done" (defined loosely) by Christmas if we're lucky.

Thank you for coming to my therapy session. I'm off to find something to declutter in my house.

What utensils do you think are the most versatile in the kitchen? Also what material is the best, do you prefer silicone or wood or steel? I love cooking and I see a lot of different gadgets for it, but I am not sure which are useful and which are completely unnecessary.

Boa noite, gostava dos vossos inputs sobre equilibrar o ser forreta e minimalista ao mesmo tempo 😅

A maior parte das coisas que tenho foram-me doadas por amigos e família - o que quer dizer que não gastei dinheiro com elas.

Ora, fico muitas vezes num dilema: como me libertar de coisas e abrir espaço, quando estou numa fase de poupança máxima e penso que posso precisar / vender aquilo?

Tenho umas quantas coisas que penso que posso vir a precisar / usar… e ainda nem cheguei àquelas que eram da minha avó/mãe/tia…

Obrigada!

How to stay a minimalist with a 2,500 square foot house ? Only 3 of us live here . Can’t move into a smaller house because we bought this house at an amazing interest rate

Hello all, I’m getting ready for my spinal surgery so I’ve been decluttering my house but I have a toddler so the clutter keeps accumulating. Any ideas on how to declutter? I have to take it easy for months after my surgery . Thank you

For me, minimalism is a practice and a tool to support my life - not a lifestyle or dogma to impose.

I came to exploring minimalism around the pandemic when I knew I had a lot of decluttering and organizing to do to make my life feel good again, after years of chronic illness & during the pandemic.

At some points in the journey, I fantasized and sought to own only have a certain number of items at a time, or have certain spots of the home only 80% or less full, etc, etc, etc.

Sometimes I fantasized about blank spaces, or only a white couch - and those fantasies brought me relief. I really believed those were things I would implement and achieve and set out to do it.

Over the last 3 years specifically, I entered a long distance relationship with my best friend whose father soon after passed away. Between that event, my own medical procedures, him moving in 18 months later, travel and other life's demands, it's been tough to have consistent time to force my belongings into meeting any kind of a metric.

But there's been a lot of wisdom in that! Because what I/we have achieved is a home that may have a little extra right now, but is totally functional and not really overwhelming.

And for me, functional was the goal, more than any other dogma, philosophy or compulsive image in my brain of what things would look like that would make me 'feel' good.

Along the way, we've had systems that work for us - cooking systems, cleaning systems, etc., etc. And when there was an area that was bothering either me or my partner, because it needed to function differently, we sought to remedy that immediately - so we have chipped away and chipped away.

Additional achievements: I've decluttered every room multiple times & finally gone through all of my physical paper work and office supplies. This was emotional and exhausting and wonderful. Dropping off a bin of broken electronics and laptops I'd had for so many years was a huge weight off of me. Same with getting rid of the broken printer, and dropping off some designer bags at consignment.

I felt so FREE. I can literally feel in my lungs the breath given back to me since doing those.

Where before I had many full storage bins to support me during this process, holding areas for stuff I wasn't sure about or didn't have energy to discard, now I have stacks of empty bins!

This week I'm setting up a functional office in my style for myself, which is a huge achievement that came from years of getting everything to a place that I could finally focus on that alone. I even wrote a poem about WANTING A DESK, lol.

And the two final exciting things I'm going to do this fall to celebrate getting this far are:

1) the minimalism challenge! I colored a piece of paper with bubbles for each day & am so excited to kick off the fall season with a home cleanse

2) digital declutter! I'm so excited to organize and sort through decades of photos, videos and documents and get my digital life into one that makes sense for me, and the rest of my life

I've learned that I sometimes enjoy a maximalist aesthetic, and I'm not the kind of person who wants to live with the bare minimum.

I do however need my things to be clear, accessible and easy to maintain.

And my philosophical aspiration is somewhere in between:

essentialism, functionality & joyful beauty/artistic life.

I gotta have that rizz, and I do get much delight from belongings or art that give me dopamine to look at, or more comfort. A favorite mug, a husband pillow that makes my back more supported in bed. And a recent acquisition of 3 delightful thrifted mug saucers which prevent our coffee from spilling.

Getting rid of stuff has showed me what stuff actually makes our lives better, and for that I am so grateful. <3 I love you all, wherever you are on your minimalism journey.

And if you've ever done the minimalism game, please let me know how it went for you!

Have beautiful days, however and wherever you are.

I am going to be moving into a different 1 bedroom apartment soon, and this one doesn't have a washer and dryer in this particular unit. So I came across portable washers and dryers, but I never had one and don't know what to expect, how effective they are, and how much (if any) extra work is required. I mention the latter mainly because I saw one bad review of a washer that I was looking at where the person said that the time it took to I think rinse out the clothes or something took much longer than the time it would've taken to just go to a public laundromat (or in my case use the apartment community laundry). But that was one model where it had both (washer and dryer) in one, and I don't think I will want to get that one and instead opt for a separate washer and dryer. How effective are they at cleaning your clothes, do/can they still wash your clothes just as well as a regular washer? I realize from the ones I've been looking at they won't be able to hold as much clothes, and that is fine. Do you usually have to wash the same clothes in multiple cycles? Is it a pain draining the water using that hose or whatever I've seen in the pictures, I don't really know how it works. I am willing to deal with some shortcomings, it just depends on what they are because I really prefer to have something like this, then to have bring my clothes to the community laundry just because its more convenient. Looking forward to all your help.

Thank You

I'm someone who long ago did away with having separate soap/shampoo/conditioner and instead just uses soap. Lately, I've just taken to using hand washing dish soap for my body as well, so I was wondering if there is any product that is at least serviceable for laundry / dishes/personal hygiene/surface cleaning. I'm not necessarily looking for something that disinfects in and of itself, although that would be useful too. Just want something I can grab and go with for everything.

I’ve hit a point where my art cabinet is completely overwhelming me. Over the time, I’ve collected supplies for so many different mediums and projects, but now the clutter is doing the exact opposite of what it’s supposed to do and it's completely stalling my creativity instead of inspiring it.

I know I need to downsize and focus on fewer projects, but I’m really struggling to let go because art supplies are so expensive. It feels painful to part with things I spent good money on, even if I’m not using them right now.

How do you all handle decluttering your creative spaces? What rules or mindsets do you use to decide what stays, what goes, and how to let go of the financial guilt? I would love any advice or tips!

🧽ヾ(˶˃ ᵕ ˂ )ﾉ*.✦ ݁˖

Hello! I’ve been living a minimal-ish lifestyle for a long time now, sometimes really minimal and sometimes a little less so but always inspired by asking what is really essential and simple.

One area that has changed over the years is clothes, mainly as my style and clothes needs changed.

I’ve been using a wardrobe app to be able to see how often I’m wearing different clothes. I sorted through it and added an “unsure” label to any clothes I’m not sure if they fit my style, are really needed, etc. I was shocked that it was 25% of my wardrobe!

I find these items difficult as often they don’t do any harm to keep wearing until they’re worn out. But also it can delay replacing them with fewer but more suitable clothes for my life and style now. Some I also may just need to decide if I feel good in them or not, or to really assess what is enough and free myself from any extra.

How have you tackled the “unsure” clothes? Especially ones that aren’t obvious to just donate them.

New to the community. Been on a frugal journey and feel like minimalism would fit right in. As I start the process, a little at a time, my plants come to mind. I have quite a few all over my living space. I work from home and they brighten up my home. I don’t spend on getting new ones. I usually root clippings that I replant in pots or containers I find. Sometimes I give them away. Does this fit into the minimalist lifestyle?

I have been doing a lot of soul searching as I turn mid-50’s. Long successful corporate career and accumulation of material things. The stress of lifestyle creep and pressure to provide is very real.

I travel to Manila for work and lately have been staying longer. Couple months instead of a week. It has completely helped me focus on minimalism.

Not one online amazon order, barely even watch tv. No car and lot more walking. Groceries are just a block walk away so I just get some essentials when I want so no waste. (Ie craving pears and just went and bought some pears and that was it).

I am happier here. Now I just need to figure how to translate this lifestyle back to US. Having a non-minimalism family makes it more challenging :)

Just posting this because sometimes a drastic change in location or scenery may help give perspective.

I’m a college student, live in my own apartment. Poor, estranged, minimising to give myself more freedom to travel for work or move place to place at a moment’s notice.

For things like appliances, or cookware, or even other stuff like cables and such, how can I minimise and optimise? I’m thinking like 1 pot for boiling, steaming, frying etc as opposed to an air fryer / kettle / coffee maker, etc. Is it possible?

I have some children's and young adult books that I'd like to donate. Is this inappropriate to bring the books to the little libraries in my area? Anywhere else that I can donate the books to? I have a kindle so I'd rather just use that.

2 years ago I moved from a tiny Caribbean island to Northern Japan. Back home, I was a minimalist; in fact, it's one of the things that made my move to Japan so easy because I had very little in my family home.

Since then, I found that I have strayed from that because I now have more space, more money and Japan, if you've been here you know, has everything, often very cheap! (if you come from a less developed country, you know what I mean). I am a very art and crafty person, so I had a lot of stuff related to that and baking/cooking. I had more clothes because thrift stores are also really good here.

For the last two months, I've decluttered intensely and reevaluated my relationship with wanting things excessively, my hobbies, etc; however, I find myself constantly going over my things looking for more things to get rid of.

I also now have these compulsions, for example, I recently visited Korea and bought a kpop t-shirt (not BTS 😂), when I returned home, I felt like I needed to get rid of one of my tshirts.

There is literally nothing left to get rid of but the desire is so strong. Has anyone experienced this?

The 2026 Minimalist Photography Awards have announced their winners, showcasing the power of simplicity and proving once again that less can truly be more.

This year’s title of Minimalist Photographer of the Year has been awarded to Marcin Giba for his series The Last Winter. Giba’s work was selected from more than 6,200 images submitted from 66 countries, and he receives the Grand Prize of €2,000.

With 6,200 images submitted from 66 countries, the competition brought together photographers from around the world. Yet the winning images stood out not through technical complexity or expensive equipment, but through restraint, vision, and a remarkable ability to find beauty in simplicity.

That’s what makes minimalism so powerful: it strips photography back to what really matters.

Winners Gallery: https://minimalistphotographyawards.com/minimalist-photography-awards-winners-2026/

For those of you who don't have built-in closets, what do you use to store clothes? Armoires? Metal racks? Storage shelves? Drawers under the bed? Dressers?

I'm trying to decide between those stackable storage drawers or one of those portable closets for around $30 on Walmart (though the latter has complaints of the rods collapsing/breaking). I just need enough space for my capsule wardrobe, my small bin of undergarments, & my blankets. I already have one of those over-the-door things that I store shoes, hats (& most of my cleaning supplies in), so those items aren't an issue. 

I have been given an armoire to use, but that thing is heavy as Holy f-ing Hell & difficult to clean. I do plan to move out in the future, so I'd like something durable & easy to move as I'm disabled -Which are the main things I look for regarding furniture. 

That said, any suggestions? What do you all personally use/how much space does it take?

Hi! I know people have asked this before, but I’m going into my junior year at a school in Boston. I want to pack the least amount of things as possible so I can 1. Not stress too much about packing + moving and 2. Get rid of things I don’t need to keep holding onto. Any tips or recommendations are appreciated!

I’ve been trying to simplify my devices, but I’m a bit stuck on my iPad.

I have a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, an iPhone and an iMac. I like the iPad and sometimes use it for reading, videos or notes, but honestly, most days I just use my iPhone or iMac. The iPad often sits there unused.

I’m considering three options:

Keep it because it’s useful occasionally

Put it away for 30 days and see if I miss it

Sell it and simplify my setup

If you had the same devices, what would you do? What do you use your iPad for that your phone or computer can’t replace?

Any suggestions for preventing beds on laminated floors from slipping all over the place when my big dogs get the zooms or wrestle? I already have wood slats with non-slip pads under them but they’re not helping much.

Also would love some suggestions for a couch alternative that would be easy to keep clean and covers that I can easily wash. I keep my place clean, bathe the dogs and wipe their paws daily but it’s hard to avoid all normal dog messiness, sometimes just throwing blankets over things isn’t enough

So I've been on the minimalism journey for a while. I've cleared most of the clutter in my home and I successfully culled my closet to the things I care about. I had so many clothes that I broke my closet before.

However, I'm having a hard time with what kind of shoes I should have. Currently, I narrowed it down to:

• White leather sneakers (x2)

• Black leather boots (x1)

• Dress shoes for formal events and outpatient clinic (x2)

• Athletic sneakers for exericising and inpatient hospital (x2)

• Winter waterproof boots (x1)

• Slippers (x1)

I don't know if I'm being OCD, but I really want to purchase another pair of black leather boots so that I have another pair to rotate with. This way I'll also have a perfect 10 pairs of shoes. (Please convince me not to buy another pair).

What does your shoe collection look like? Are there things that I can still remove?

I moved last year and I got rid of SO MUCH stuff. A couple of items were emotional. I sold my saxophone from high school, which hurt a lot because younger me thought I’d keep up with the talent I developed, but I just never did. I also sold my canoes because I was no longer going to live on the riverfront, and it was so sad to say goodbye to that lifestyle. I think those are understandable, and in comparison it was extremely easy to let go of other things.

Today, preparing to move again (hopefully for the last time in a long time) I got anxious letting go of art. Art and books are categories I’m pretty free with not limiting because I love color and texture in my living space, as well as non-screen entertainment. A lot of the art I’m letting go of were really impersonal pieces—-prints I thrifted or even just tore out of magazines.

I discussed this with my friend, and I realized a couple of things:

1. The place I’ve been living this past year was basically not habitable, so I didn’t unpack a lot of my art. Since I haven’t touched these things in a year, I had anxiety that they had significance that I had forgotten. Logically I know that’s not true.

2. The art I’m keeping are things I’ve acquired in the last year or so that people in my community have made. Some were personally made for me, as well. The version of me in the past that bought prints and framed pages of magazines would be excited to have local and personal art. But the version of me now cherishes past me combing through thrift stores and magazines for something beautiful. It was therapeutic at the time.

3. Since I’ve been more minimalist and ruthless about downsizing than most of my peers and friends, I had a thought that “what if I really need it in the future?” applied to me with more validity, when it’s really easy for me to dismiss for others. Logically, again, I recognize that’s not true, but it’s interesting it came up.

I am excited overall—I filled up two Little Free Libraries and gifted some fun things to a couple people around me that they’ll enjoy, and I’m making a small amount of cash on Marketplace. This move is definitely a net win, but I was genuinely surprised to have some emotional hesitance this round!

Starting my minimalism journey, I spent the whole day throwing out things and putting items in separate boxes in the basement, how exhausting and yet refreshing to the mind it is having less things around! I feel stressed when I have too many items, I used to save every thing including little pamphlets from travels. I also have walls of separate colours with stickers on them from when I was little that I will be painting over in one/two pastel colours to keep the space clear, it feels so so good to my mind, I can definitely feel a change in my stress.