Can you find a single drawer in your house that isn’t full of stuff? Is your closest threatening to burst out of its doors? Is there not one space free from papers, knickknacks, and other items? If the answer is yes, then it’s time to face the facts and admit the truth: you have a clutter problem. But all that stuff isn’t just taking up prime real estate in your house; it’s also costing you money. When you learn how to clear your space and live a minimal lifestyle, you can end up saving more than you realize. Here are four reasons that will convince you that living with less is better.
You can earn cash when you sell your belongings
Just because you don’t want your stuff any longer doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for it. Another person’s trash is another person’s treasure is a popular saying for a reason — because it’s true! People just like you are taking advantage of the booming second-hand market to sell gently used items to interested parties. Though you won’t be able to get the full price you paid for clothes, electronics, or furniture, you should be able to get some money back for items in good repair.
Though garage sales and other outdoor marketplaces are a great way to put your stuff on display, these aren’t always the best option, especially during the winter! Luckily, you don’t need to rely on these old-fashioned ways of selling your stuff. The folks at Pennyhoarder created a convenient list of apps that help you find the right buyer for your stuff. Their guide goes over the basic instructions on how to use the top four apps that include LetGo and CPlus (for Craigslist).
You’ll buy less to maintain a clutter-free space
You didn’t divest your closets and spare rooms of stuff just to fill them back up again. After you clear your home of clutter, your next job is to keep it uncluttered. Though it’s hard, this minimalist lifestyle pays off. Once you break the habit of buying things you don’t need, you’ll limit what you spend. As a result, you’ll save more of your paycheck to go towards things you really want — like a holiday or debt reduction.
Buying less is only the first stage. To reach your full minimalist potential, the second stage requires you to adopt intentional spending. It involves an element of self-reflection and self-awareness, so you can question your true motivations for shopping. When you follow intentional spending, you’ll only buy what you need when you need it.
You’ll have to replace and repair things less often
Tablets glitch, Fitbits die, and clothes go out of style. Everything has a lifespan — some shorter than others. Everything eventually wears down, breaks, or gets replaced by the next better and faster model. People in western culture are in a constant game of catch-up trying to replace these items as they fade or break. Not only is this processing emotionally exhausting as you try to keep up with the latest fads, it also involves a considerable financial investment.
It’s easy to spend a lot of money replacing or repairing items. Combined with impulsive shopping, these habits eat into your paycheck and limit what you can put into your emergency fund. Without this essential financial backup plan, unexpected bills can be a challenge to cover without additional help from an online lender. While online lenders like MoneyKey make it easy and convenient to borrow money, an online installment loan should only be used in an emergency. Their name is synonymous with short term loans for a reason, and they shouldn’t be used to cover chronic financial issues. To figure out if this kind of assistance is right for your situation, you should learn about an online installment loan and compare it to other cash advances. Do your research and you’ll find there are easy ways to borrow cash online.
A minimalist lifestyle helps squash impulsive shopping and limit what you pay to maintain or repair your belongings. Having less stuff means you’re responsible for less stuff. In other words, you won’t have to spend time or money performing maintenance on things or repairing them.
In today’s society, it can be hard to break free of the chains of consumerism. You’re bombarded by ads suggesting you buy more stuff, and there’s peer pressure to have the latest electronics, clothes, and other status symbols. It may take a while to learn how you can live without these things in your life, but once you do, it could end up saving you a lot of money.