Minimalism tips

Many people have multiple bookshelves overflowing with books they haven’t read in decades, or at all! Keep the books you love. Donate the others.

Rather than keeping CD and DVD cases lying around, use portable cases to store them and get rid of the plastic containers. Or if you are comfortable going digital, store your movies and music on an external hard drive and save even more space.

Towels can take up a lot of space. Keep enough for each member of the household, plus a few extras. You don’t need an entire hall closet devoted to bath towels.

If you have 15 different shampoos, stop buying shampoo for a while. Use them up. Or get a shampoo bar that lasts longer. Love this eco-friendly one! Get into the habit of having one bottle of shampoo, with one extra in the closet for when you run out. Follow a similar system for things like body washes, toothpaste, etc.

Invest in strategic toy storage that keeps legos off the floor and stuffed animals out of the living room. Get a toy box and fill it. Eliminate whatever extra toys don’t fit in the toy box. Each time your child gets a new toy, have them choose an old toy to donate.

Get rid of any toys that the kids don’t play with weekly. Donate or sell anything that is no longer age-appropriate. Set a limit for the number of stuffed animals allowed in your household. Stick to it. If your kids are old enough, let them feel like part of the process by helping you choose items to donate that will make another child happy.

This tip also applies to expired items like makeup, medicine, and other self-care products. Do you have a massive tub of facial foundation containing items that date back to your high school prom? You can probably afford to part with some of these things.

If you have canned goods that have not expired, donate them to others in need via your food bank, soup kitchen, or other local outlets.

Storage containers come in all shapes and sizes, and are great for keeping things out of the way. Perhaps you need a place to keep your summer clothes during the winter, or a compact system for holiday decorations. Don’t keep tons of storage containers – remember, the goal is to simplify and keep a minimal amount of things – but storage containers can help you find a home for things you do need, that won’t interfere with your everyday routines.

You don’t need ten frying pans if you have one good cast iron skillet. Invest in quality supplies and you will need fewer of them. I always recommend shopping sustainably and particularly love Made Trade, which makes ethical shopping simple.