Minimalism : Trying to Live More with Less!

It's been quite a while!!!

I've been sucked into anime world yet again, so, I sincerely apologize for not saying anything at all the last few weeks. And oh! I also had some work issues which I'm not gonna bore you with for now. I'll try my best to elaborate that in a different post, but for now, I wanna share with you guys the thing that I've been trying to practice since late last year - MINIMALISM!

I started getting interested with the idea of minimalism when I accidentally watched an inspiring video on TED Talk entitled 'A Rich Life with Less Stuff' a few years back from two guys named Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. They call themselves 'The Minimalists' and they run a blog site under the same title. Minimalism is what people who have had enough of the never ending chase for material things try to practice in the world that says 'you must acquire MORE to be happy'. 

I have to admit, I'm usually broke. (This is probably the main reason why I love watching Two Broke Girls!) My sister forbids me to say this because she says that if I keep on saying this over and over, it would actually manifest into real shit. She's always been telling me to change my perspective, change my mindset and try my best to stay positive in spite of all the shitty things that I have to go through. But, why am I usually broke? Because ever since I started working and ever since I first learned how to use a debit card instead of cash, I've always had that strange (in a good way!) feeling that I got my shit together somehow. I feel like I am a responsible human being and I am a money-making machine, therefore, I should reward myself with whatever I want, presto! My happiness depended solely on that much awaited payday. On paydays, you just feel invincible as shit! Fancy food, new clothes, mandatory monthly pamper time, you know what I'm saying? I feel entitled for all of that because I am a brat hard-working adult(ish) paying my own bills using the money that I earned using my skills. 

In my early twenties, believe me, most of my paycheck would usually just go to clothes and shoes. I don't go to parties that much and I rarely drink but I do love to eat. Back then, I would eat fries on a daily basis without thinking of the consequences at all. I love pizza, burger and other fatty fast foods you can possibly think of. What did I get out of that life? 

Unwanted weight and almost empty pockets!

Was I happy with that life? For a few days after payday, YEAH! But after your clothes become old, you'd automatically want to buy new ones - and so the cycle begins again. The only year I've never really had financial problem was when I worked abroad, but that was just because I got free accommodations and food, plus, I don't have to spend much on bus or taxi fare because they are also covered by my previous company. That time, I was earning more than what I needed but I still lived that shopping-food binge-pamper kinda life, so, I wasn't really able to save much and I was back to being broke when I got back home. 

I just figured, this stupid cycle must end, for good!

Fortunately, I came across this minimalism thing. It's actually becoming a big thing! I've been reading as much as I could about this kind of lifestyle. I regret not knowing about this soon enough, but I guess I have to learn the hard way so that the lesson would really stick with me. Life knows I'm unbelievably stubborn, so, it's teaching me through hardcore experiences. 

Being a minimalist rookie is kinda hard but fun at the same time! You get to test your will-power at all times. Sometimes, I fail, but whenever I resist the urge to shop like crazy, I really give myself enough credit so that I would have the will to continue walking on this path. It's still really hard for me to ignore 50% or 70% off banners when I walk around a mall, but believe me, I am doing my best not to freak out. These days, I would usually ask myself if I really need that thing that is on super sale or will I just use it a few times and totally forget it ever existed. It saves me a lot of money somehow - thinking that way. You are also forced to be creative. I still have quite a few floral dresses and colored tops but all them are old clothes. Aside from towels and blankets, I haven't really purchased new colored clothes since late last year. 

I've been trying to stick with neutral colors - gray, black, white and sometimes different shades of brown. Reading blogs of other minimalists helps a lot! My favorite minimalist fashion bloggers are Caroline (the blogger behind Unfancy) and Sara Donaldson (the creator of Harper and Harley). They have proven that there are so many things you can do using neutral colors. You could get a lot of ideas on how you could go from casual to classy using just the basic colors. It's amazing you guys! Pinterest is another tool that I use if I need fashion ideas. I usually spend hours on Pinterest (Yeah yeah, I'm a geek like that!). It's like my online version of window shopping. I call it 'screen shopping'.  

It just makes life (I mean getting ready for work or meet up with friends) so much easier. Now that I mostly have black and white tops and bottoms in my drawer, I have less trouble with the color-coordinating or mixing and matching crap. I only have white and black footwear these days, aside from my trainers. Having fewer options feels like heaven somehow! Saves a lot of time, really!

I know that I mostly talked about minimalist fashion style on this post, but minimalism is not limited to that area of your life! This is just the beginning of my journey to frugal living. What I'm actually targeting by walking on this path is financial freedom. I started by giving myself a budget limit on the thing that takes up most of my salary, haha! Another goal is to see myself being confident without the need to wear fancy-looking clothes. The bonus is getting compliments from friends or even total strangers about how I can manage to blend in and stand out at the same time with this style. 

Have you ever considered becoming a minimalist too or are you already a certified minimalist? Hit me up in the comment section below, I'd love to hear from you!