10 Minimalist Hacks

I've always loved living in a minimalist home, where every couple of months we'd put together bags of things to give away, and always trying not to hold on to things because it's good to get rid of stuff. But being a minimalist isn't just about getting rid of things- it's about so much more (mostly getting rid of stuff). 

1. Get rid of duplicates. This doesn't mean completely purging, and I know you need kitchen towels, but 50 of them? If half of them have gone to rags, get rid of them and buy a small pack of brand new ones if you need them. You won't really ever miss duplicate items, because when are you gonna need to use six mixing bowls at once? Use this post for help. 

2. Quit your bargain hunting, for pete's sake. Just because you saw a ten foot tall plush giraffe that doubles as a coat rack at Target does not mean you should buy it, even though it's on sale for $10.99. Unless you desperately need a coat rack, and since I can't control your life, just buy it. But otherwise, buy what you need when you need it. Don't go to Costco and buy a year's supply of cereal. 

3. Use this simple tip for getting rid of clothes you never wear:

First, turn all of your clothes hangers around so that they're backwards and weird. Every time you wear something and put it away, put the clothes hanger facing the right direction. After about a year or so, give away everything that is still facing the wrong way, unless it's your wedding dress (I recommend keeping that). 

4. Apparently, the average american spends 8 hours a week cleaning, organizing, etc. (for some reason I don't believe that, I thought us americans were lazy???) By purging and cleaning, this time could be repurposed down the road in the form of watching Netflix. Wouldn't you like that? 

5. Consider doing a serious deep clean of your closet, AKA probably the worst room in your house when it comes to minimalism. You are never going to use those gogo boots, Halloween costumes should be stored someplace that is not your closet, and consider organizing by item. Go by jackets, then sweatshirts, then sweaters, then t-shirts, then tank tops, then dresses. If you hang your purses as well, put them before jackets. 

6. If you want your home to look as minimal as possible, get more natural lighting. Every single photo of minimalist homes on Pinterest is filled with natural, beautiful white light, so open the blinds a bit!

7. Start small. Do you ever see boxes and shelves and drawers full of stuff, and just wonder where to start? Well, you can start anywhere- open a drawer, move some boxes. Just start small. 

8. Do it NOW. The secret to success is never leaving anything for tomorrow that you can do today. Procrastinating isn't gonna get it done, ever, so do it now or never do it. 

9. Keep your counters clear! If it doesn't fit in a cupboard, ask yourself if it's worth looking at every day. Clear counters leave your more room for actually cooking and stuff.

10. I hate that black, white and grey tones are the minimalist "thing". There's not really a rulebook when it comes to this, so add as much color as you'd like!

Even though it's March, it's never too late to get started on your new years resolutions- and in this case, if it's becoming a minimalist, I hope this helped. 

xo Savannah