I think minimalism is part of the “way I’m wired”…for as long as I can remember, I’ve gotten a rush out of the process of eliminating clutter and excess in my life. However, it’s a part of me that continually needs shaping and fine-tuning, and I’m still learning everyday how to better use, prioritize, and organize the “stuff” in my life and what that looks like in relation to spending habits, time management, and priorities.

I’ve heard good things about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and though I haven’t read it yet, I know that the idea of getting rid of things we no longer use has been trending like crazy and “minimalism” is all the rage right now. That makes it fun, because there’s this camaraderie in all evaluating our consumerist/materialistic tendencies together.

I absolutely love having yard sales, taking things to consignment shops, selling things on Facebook, and, most recently, I’ve even bought into the Instagram sale thing. For me, ending up with a handful of cash helps me justify both letting go of things that I loved or that I paid too much for, and spending more money on the higher-quality things that I really want.

My husband has taught me a lot about the value in saving for what I really want or the better brand of something I need instead of settling for the cheap version just because it’s cheap. In the two short years of our marriage, my attitude towards spending and saving money has changed completely. I no longer feel guilty every time I choose the item that I believe is the best, rather than the one with the lowest price tag. And now that I shop this way (for the most part), I have much less to get rid of, since I less often end up dissatisfied with my cheap purchases.

But as I said, it’s a process. Doing a capsule wardrobe has taught me a lot about this concept when it comes to my clothing, and I’m realizing that I’ve subconsciously begun to think about other things (kitchen gadgets, home decor, etc.) with the same mindset.

Also, I’m only 23 years old. I am still figuring out my style and tastes — not only in fashion, but in interior design, food, and my life/goals in general. Sometimes when I start to feel panicky about everything being so unsettled and constantly changing, I have to remind myself of that. A lot of the people I admire, both online and in real life, hadn’t figured out or established the things I admire about them at my age, either. 🙂

Before I ramble on too much further, here are some links I recommend for further reading on minimalism.

• Start here: What Is Minimalism? by The Minimalists
• What Does a Minimalist Look Like? — a short video explaining the difference between a minimalist lifestyle and a minimalist aesthetic.
• Florida Life Minimalist — I’ve been gaining lots of practical tips from this blogger lately.
• Listen to my favorite podcast these days, The Lively Show which has some great episodes that either have to do with or are conducive to a minimalist lifestyle.
• 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess is sitting in my Amazon shopping cart right now.

What are some sources that have motivated you to live with less? I’d love to hear some good book/podcast/blog recommendations. Let’s get the conversation started!