There is a large community of people that place a significant emphasis on owning more things as a means to living a better life.
Specifically, in the millennial generation, there tends to be a big focus on buying expensive things to covey economic status.
After all, much of today’s pop culture promotes the lavish lifestyle of celebrities.
However, a growing group of people have decided to adopt a different way – by living a life of minimalism.
What is the Minimalism Lifestyle?
Contrary to conspicuous consumption, minimalism is the principle or lifestyle of learning to live with less.
It doesn’t necessarily mean living in a van and being able to pack all of your belongings into your backpack (although some people do choose that route).
Instead, minimalism calls for finding greater value in collecting experiences rather than collecting things.
When you adopt a minimalist lifestyle, you allow yourself to live a life with more meaning and intent rather than just buying into the status quo of society.
The thing is, a minimalist lifestyle comes with a long list of excellent benefits for both yourself and the environment and the people around you. Your wallet will be happy, too!
Whether you’re considering adopting a minimalist lifestyle or simply curious, we’re here to help.
Let’s take a look at 5 of the many reasons why millennials like myself have decided to give minimalism a try.
Less is more, and minimalism is the best proof of that.
1. Spend (Much) Less
Since minimalism calls for buying less and enjoying the simplicity of life and what you already have, it is possibly one of the greatest financial moves one could make.
In normal situations, people who are trying to save money and improve their finances would “live below their means”. This, of course, sounds unappealing and quite difficult.
As a minimalist, however, you do the same thing, only with a different perspective. Rather than sounding dreadful, your minimalist lifestyle is enjoyable and intentional, while still allowing you to live below your means and save money.
Over time, minimalism can lead to true financial freedom, which opens up doors of opportunity later down the line.
2. Live More
We’ve all said or thought something more or less similar to this: “I wish I could travel and do more, but I don’t have the money.”
More often than not, the truth is that we do have the money to do most of the things we would like to do.
However, that money tends to be spent on items like new clothes, shoes, appliances, gadgets, or even fast food.
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle frees up a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on things. Instead, you can use this money to go on trips, try new experiences, enjoy time with loved ones, etc.
Think about it – a new pair of brand-name shoes can easily cost up to $200. Meanwhile, cheap tickets to nearby states can cost about the same, if not less. It’s all about choosing what’s more important to you in the long run.
3. Feel Healthier
Minimalism is not only about clearing our personal space of unnecessary belongings. Minimalism is also about clearing up our schedules and making room for only the activities that matter most.
Much too often – and thanks to the current trend of “busy as good” – we tend to have overbooked and stressful schedules. Even if we aren’t on board with the busy movement, we usually don’t clear up our schedules of commitments since we don’t want to disappoint anyone.
Minimalism, however, calls for only giving time, effort, and money to the things and activities that matter most. If going out for drinks every night isn’t in your favor, this means cutting it out. If you need more rest or want to enjoy more family time, this means adding those activities to your schedule intently.
Maybe you need to go to the gym or go for a walk instead of scrolling through social media for hours at night.
When you live with intent, your focus becomes more aligned with doing what suits your mind, body, and soul. In the long game, this could help you feel happier and healthier.
4. Sense of Freedom
A minimalist lifestyle offers a sense of true freedom that can only come with the lifestyle.
While you may feel tied to one specific location due to your many material belongings, minimalism allows you to experience a refreshing sense of independence from a particular place and personal belongings.
5. Feel More Confident
While some people are genuinely into fashion and enjoy owning nice things, many of us tend to use clothing or material possessions to mask our insecurities and feel more confident.
Of course, this is only temporary confidence that goes away once you’re no longer wearing or owning the items.
Minimalism gently forces you to have more confidence in yourself as you are. Rather than being dressed in inexpensive clothing and jewelry, you’ll present yourself to the world as you are, with no frills or cloaks.
Eventually, you’ll realize that you can feel amazingly confident all by yourself, just by being yourself.
Contrary to popular belief, people could appreciate you more if you present yourself as simple and accurate to who you are. People enjoy people who are authentic and down-to-earth.
These are the five things I learned about minimalism after I tried it. The minimalist lifestyle may not be ideal for some, but it was well worth a try for a millennial like myself.