But I'd like to know who considers himself to be a minimalist and how you practice it. Do you count things and try to possess as little as possible? Or do you just try to get rid of everything you don't use regularly?
And to what parts of your life do you apply minimalism? Just material possessions or also on your investment account (just 1 to 3 ETFs), your computer (deleting everything that you don't need anymore) or even friends?
I definitely try to apply minimalism to all aspects of life. One bank account, one savings account, one investment account. Owning more than one ETF doesn't really matter since it's still is all treated basically as a lump sum in your investment account for account total purposes. Rental property bugs me, though. It's more of a business, although generally higher returns. I can't imagine owning 100 units like some hardcore investors do. Of course it's great money but you're never completely free from it. Just like any business owner, there's no complete escape.
I am trying to get by with one computer, except that I really enjoy gaming and can't come to grips with the fact that I'll either have to buy a gaming machine or a console since my Macbook isn't the best tool for it.
I don't think having fewer friends necessarily is a minimalist thing. Just a quality of life thing. I'd rather have 2-3 amazing friends than 30 mediocre ones, and I'm sure anyone (minimalist or not) would agree with that. One is lucky to have one truly great friend (other than family) in their entire lifetime.
it all depends what you can live with.
for instance, jacob of early retirement extreme fame makes his own food anf repairs his own clothes and furniture.
i just keep things as long as they are functional like having an phone 4 with the latest ios, so it works just as well as an phone 6 or tv thats not hd or plasma or anything else that is more than you need for tv and buying name brand clothes at discount stores when the wear out.
it all depends what youre comfortable with, i tried to get more extreme but just didnt like it; it wasnt worth the extra $100 a month in savings to me.
as to the minimalism to clearing out clutter, i say move and you'll find out what's important to you.
Well, Minimalism != Frugality. Two different things. Yes, there is some overlap. But I don't think a minimalist is primarily concerned with saving money, although it can be a nice side effect. For instance, you can either own a crappy phone and a nice camera, or own an iPhone which is a great phone that has a great (relative) camera. The iPhone is the minimalist's dream. It does so many things and does them
well. And of course, there are usually higher costs of ownership with the iPhone (up front and also recurring).
Minimalism is sometimes about compromises in pursuit of owning fewer things. If you repair your own clothes and grow your own food, that means you have to have tools and supplies around to do those things, versus just walking into somewhere and buying it. One is cheaper, one is more "freeing".
I think it's a bit of a psychological quirk - the opposite of a hoarder.
I agree. It's definitely a psychological thing, and I often wonder if my thinking is any better than a hoarder's. I tend to think yes, until you get to a point where you're cutting yourself short by not owning certain things that you really need and are useful. So there's that fine line.
I do think minimalism caters to the nomadic, frequent mover/traveler. It's ironic that I don't consider myself any of those and in fact I hate traveling (the actual
travel part). I think if you apply minimalistic ideas to your life you'll find the benefits come from not having to worry about so much stuff/less headache in your life rather than the goal of owning as few of things as possible. For instance: if everything breaks at once it won't be as big of a deal if you own 5 important things rather than 20 unnecessary ones.
Ultimately, I think, minimalism is about simplification of life, and focusing on the few things that you truly love to do. It's such a great feeling once you get there. You learn to embrace being "irrelevant" and just existing and enjoying your life.