Minimalist Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

For Those Who Want Life To Speed Up – Are You Dreaming Too Much About Tomorrow?

August 21, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 54 Comments

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Are you dying for time to pass? Many people are. The future is important, but being happy in the present is as well. It's all about a healthy balance.

“First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now I am dying, and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.” – Sustainable Human

I recently saw this quote and it really made me think.

Pretty much everyone, myself included, is guilty of wanting to rush through life instead of trying to live in the present while also preparing for the future.

When I was younger, I wanted to be older so I could have more money, a bigger house, etc. I wanted to rush through high school, college and so on.

I dreamt of the future and spent much of my time dwelling on that. [Read more…]

Less is More: Guide To Becoming a Minimalist

March 15, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 34 Comments

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Are you looking to become a minimalist and start minimal living? This blog post will help you manage a minimalist wardrobe, a minimalist house, and more! Are you interested in becoming a minimalist? Or, maybe you just want to get rid of some clutter and extra nonsense in your life?

Whatever your reason may be, cutting back on the number of things you own can help you in many ways.

Here are some interesting facts about how clutter impacts our lives:

The average house has 300,000 items.
Nearly 10% of households also rent a self-storage unit.
The average person spends 12 days per year looking for things they can’t find.
Every day the average office worker spends 1.5 hours looking for things (when a simple filing system like one of these would solve this problem!).
In a recent survey, 55% of consumers stated they would save anywhere from 16 to 60 minutes a day if they were organized.
23% of people pay bills late and have to pay late fees because they are unable to find their bills.
In the last few decades, the average home has nearly tripled in size.

If you're looking for blog posts on how to become a minimalist and becoming a minimalist, then you've come to the right place. [Read more…]

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others And Live Your Own Life

February 13, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 50 Comments

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Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others often? Here are reasons you should stop comparing yourself to others and start living your own life. I think we can probably all agree that your life might be different if you decided to stop comparing yourself to others.

Over the years, I've compared myself to others plenty of times. I've compared myself to others when it came to school, looks, money, and more. I know that sounds bad, but without acknowledging that, it would be hard to stop.

Many people compare themselves to others too.

In fact, everyone has done it at one point in their life.

People often compare themselves to others to determine how well they are doing in life and base their personal value on that. However, that usually doesn’t lead to feeling too good about yourself. Plus, who actually wants to judge themselves in a negative way? [Read more…]

59 Things To Do Instead of Watching TV So That You Can Take Your Life Back

January 23, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 67 Comments

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Did you know that the average person watches over 30 hours of TV a week? Even if you used just half of those hours finding things to do instead of watching TV, you could probably accomplish something great!

How often do you watch TV? What if you could stop watching TV and spend that time more wisely? Here are 59 things to do instead of watching TV! Now, I'm not completely hating on TV.

I have my favorite TV shows and can sit in front of a TV for hours on end.

However, for the most part, the average person probably spends way too much time just flipping through channels or watching something that they probably don't even like.

We got rid of cable and even Netflix over one year ago (I recommend getting a digital antenna!), and it's the best decision we've ever made. We're able to save more money, we waste much less time on TV, and we've found plenty of better things to do instead of watching TV.

If you feel like you aren't accomplishing your goals in life or that you are always pressed for time, then you should first analyze how much time you're wasting each day, especially when it comes to how much TV you watch.

You may not even realize how much time you spend in front of the TV! [Read more…]

The Less You Own, The Less That Owns You

January 9, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 78 Comments

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The less you own, the less that owns you. Minimalist living has changed my life for the better. If you are interested in having a minimalist house and life, then you must read this! I haven't always been a minimalist, nor have I always been interested in minimalist living. I used to purchase crazy amounts of clothing, random items for my home, wasn't interested in becoming a minimalist, and so on.

I hoarded lots of items, hoping that one day I would find a use for them. I often thought that I needed things, so I would purchase crazy amounts of them even though I should have put my money to better use.

Then, around two years ago, I realized that I had too much stuff and that I had an unhealthy relationship with material things.

Over the past two years, I have donated or given away the majority of my belongings. I now pretty much only have the things I need to get me through the day or week ahead. There is no extra, and before I purchase anything, I always think about what use I'll get out of it. [Read more…]

I Still Wear Shirts That Have Holes In Them

December 21, 2016 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 74 Comments

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Over the last year, many people have asked how my life has changed with the increase in our business income.

We’re still the same people, just with high incomes.

I still wear shirts that have holes, and I am still conscious of spending money.

Most people we meet have no idea what we make each month, and most assume that we inherited a lot of money (since we RV full-time) or that we are hippies (funnily enough- also because we RV full-time, haha).

Recently, I had someone tell me that they’re surprised I don't live on a plane (and own it), and another person thought it was funny that I still use coupons and look for discounts. [Read more…]

18 Ways To Simplify Your Life in 2017

December 19, 2016 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 55 Comments

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Learning how to simplify your life can help you to be happier, be in better control of your life, all while enjoying it a little more. Life can be hectic, which is a big reason for learning how to simplify your life.

Managing your life can become difficult while planning for retirement, paying bills, reaching your dreams, etc. So, wouldn’t it be nice to simplify things a bit?

It's almost 2017, and what better time than now then to start thinking about how to simplify your life for the future? The New Year is always a good time to make goals, and 2017 is the perfect year to focus on simplifying your life. You'll be able to apply that knowledge and experience for years and years to come.

Simple living can make you happier, be in better control of your life, all while enjoying it a little more.

Simple living is different for everyone, but in general it means that you are getting rid of all the extra noise in your life, so that you can have more time for the things you love and enjoy. [Read more…]

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