Minimalism - 10 things I don't buy anymore

Minimalism means something different to everyone and while I would not call myself a minimalist just yet, I try to apply a minimalist eye and mind to my lifestyle. I hope to get to the point one day where I am only surrounded by objects that serve me and/or bring me joy. I am definitely not at that point yet, but striving for a simpler lifestyle has already changed my life quite drastically in the past two years.

One aspect of this has been the decluttering part of it. I have gotten rid of an incredible amount of things over the last months and years. The other aspect of living more simply for me has been to be really mindful when it comes to what I bring into my life now. I have always been a conscious consumer in many aspects, but with everything I know now it has just gotten to a whole other level. With that being said, let me share with you some items or products I don't purchase anymore:

1. Plastic bags

Let's start with an obvious one. Humans produce five trillion Plastic Bags a year. That's 5,000,000,000,000! Or 160,000 bags that are used every second!  I haven't purchased or used free plastic bags in years. I bring my own bags with me whenever I go shopping, I especially don't use single-use plastic bags for produce and if I ever need to get or use a plastic bag, I will use it over and over again until it literally falls apart.

2. Bottled water

Like plastic bags, we use an insane amount of plastic water bottles every year. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 50 million Water Bottles are thrown away EVERY DAY!  I just have a reusable water bottle and take that with me whenever I go out.

3. Coffee to go

Making your own coffee is a lot cheaper and better for the environment than getting coffee to go in a paper or plastic cup. I make my own coffee at home using a French Press or a simple coffee maker for filtered coffee. If I ever want to get coffee on the run, I bring my own mug and let them fill the coffee in that. Here in Germany, lot's of places even charge less if you bring in your own cup!

4. Newspapers, magazines and paper books

I've had an e-reader for many years now and while I still own a few books, I do not purchase any more paper copies of them. I might pick up a used book at a thrift store a couple of times a year if I've been looking for that one for a while, but in general all newspaper, magazines and books I read are on my e-reader.

5. Hardcopies of DVDs, music or games

Just like with books, I don't purchase any hardcopies of CDs or DVDs anymore. With netflix, youtube, spotify and games I can download online, no films, games or music have to occupy physical space in my life any more.

6. Cable TV

I haven't watched TV in years. I do have a netflix account and will occasionally binge-watch some of my favorite shows, but that's all the TV I watch. No cable or pay-per-view necessary.

7. New clothes

Except for underwear, I get all of my clothes second-hand, whether that be at thrift stores, online, through friends and family or at my local swap store. I've been doing this for around three years and so far haven't had any problems finding the items I needed or wanted. 

Pure Waste - Textile Facts

8. Hair dye, spray, foam, gel or hair cuts

I haven't dyed my hair in a few years, I recently started cutting it myself and I don't use any products in it. I've never been someone who styled her hair a lot and I just feel that my hair is healthier and my life easier if I just don't use any of these extra products.

9. Nail polish

This falls into a similar category. I've never worn lots of nail polish, mostly because I've been working in the service industry for the past ten or so years and it's just not that appropriate to wear bright nailpolish in that profession. But in the last few years, I've completely stopped wearing nailpolish even on my toes and it just feels right this way.

10. Period products 
I just recently got a menstrual cup and don't have to buy tampons or pads anymore. It took a while getting used to and figuring it out, but now I love it and would never go back! Saves so much money in the long run and I produce no more trash while on my period. 

These are some of the things I no longer purchase. Ask away if these brought up any questions or if you have any suggestions. I will probably do a follow-up soon, as there are at least ten more things I don't buy anymore, but for now this should suffice. 

Have an amazing day, read you soon,

Lisa

Another day, another unhaul

I've been pretty busy with school over the last few weeks and I find that decluttering is the perfect way to unwind. It gets me away from my computer, it gets me moving and it gives me a freeing feeling. Usually I feel bad about the fact, that the only time my apartment is ever really clean is when I'm supposed to be writing papers ;) But this time around, I decided to embrace it, not waste time on youtube (which I'm still doing) or facebook (not so much) but focus all the energy that I don't need for the papers on decluttering. 

Yesterday, I brought another 30 or so books to the charity shop. I walk them there so I don't take more than that at one time. I also contacted an old English professor of mine who's in charge of our department's booksales. She was very happy to receive donations, so I dropped off about 40 books there today. Most of them were classics (Wordsworth, Penguin etc.) which I know will come to good use in the English department. She was so grateful and that made me very happy.

My last stop today was at our local animal shelter, were I dropped of two big bags full of old blankets, sheets and towels.

So basically, I feel really good right now, another big load of clutter is gone and I've made some people (and puppies) happy. 

Time to get back to writing my papers.

Read you soon, 

Lisa

Decluttering Books

I'm purging my books and I've thought of some questions to ask myself so I end up with a collection of true favorites and very special books that I love and actually read. (Read here) By asking myself those five simple questions, I can determine for every book whether it should stay or go. At least in theory.

Over the past few weeks, my books have been a big focus of the decluttering process. My questionnaire is helping me a lot with letting go of books I know deep down I'll never read. But I still have a really hard time letting go of books that I think I might read at some point. And books that I SHOULD read but know I won't. But it is getting easier with every book I let go. And I love my bookcases slowly clearing and actually being able to see all those books that I really really love and am happy to own.

So far I have gotten rid of around 80-100 books. Many of those came from my TBR shelf, which used to hold over 200 books. They have all gone to a charity bookstore right down the street. Yay! And I've already stacked up another 130 (!!!) books that I'm ready to let go. Most of those are mystery/suspense/chick-lit/YA that I've read already and know I won't reread. They will be going to a woman's outreach clinic which is coincidentally also right around the corner from my apartment.

I've realized it's just ridiculous to hold on to more unread books than I could ever read in several years. I read an average of around 60 books a year, so that'll be my limit for the TBR-shelf. Maybe if I have few enough books, so that I could theoretically read them all within one year, I'll be more inclined to read them at all. Right now my TBR is so overwhelming that I'll rather just pick up a new book than try to decide on one from that shelf. Let's fix that.

Do you have trouble keeping your library in check? How do you decide which books to keep and which to pass on?

Read you soon,

Lisa

Getting Rid of Book Guilt

Oh books, beloved books. What happened? How did I miss the moment in which you went from being beautiful and helpful friends to being stressful and guilt-ridden clutter? 

Guilt for having bought a book knowing I would probably never read it.  Guilt because of books that I will never read but feel bad getting rid of because they were given to me as presents. Guilt for intending to read a book but never doing it, despite owning it for years and years. Guilt about all those unexplored worlds and all those unknown characters. 

I don't want this guilt tarnishing my love for books any longer. This needs to stop. Right now. In fact, I am already stopping it.

At last count I had around 900 books. I've been an avid reader from an early age and have always owned a lot of books. I love looking at books. I love holding and touching them. I love being able to research things even when the power goes out. But I'm realizing that my love of books isn't expressed through the number of books that I own. On the contrary, how does random and indiscriminate accumulation of a certain item show one's appreciation of it? It doesn't. Simple as that. 

So I've decided that I'm going to downsize my book collection. Big time. I don't have a fixed number that I want to arrive at, I'll just see how it plays out. But I do have an objective for the books I will eventually own. In the process of decluttering my books, I've come up with five questions to ask myself to end up with a collection of true favorites and very special books that I love and actually read.

The five questions are:

1. Have I read this book? If yes, proceed to question 2. If no, proceed to question 3.

2. Did I like this book? If yes, proceed to question 4. If no, GET RID OF IT.

3. Do I want to read this book? If yes, proceed to question 5. If no, GET RID OF IT.

4. Will I read it again? If yes, KEEP IT. If no, GET RID OF IT.

5. Will I read this in the next 2 years? If yes, KEEP IT. If no, GET RID OF IT.

In one of the next posts I will tell you how I am doing working with these questions, how many books I have already gotten rid of, what I've done with them and what I hope to do next.

Read you soon,

Lisa