Please tell me I’m not the only one….
The only frugal person who really, really doesn’t get minimalism.
Or, I probably should say, I get it – but I don’t like it. I appreciate those who can pull off this lifestyle, but honestly, it’s not for me. I just couldn’t bear to spend the money required to achieve that certain aesthetic. You know the one!
I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m ANTI-minimalist since that would imply I take minimalism seriously as a lifestyle choice when it is just a preference.
After being frugal my entire life and a minimalist for a little more than one year of that time, I can safely say that you can’t really afford to be a minimalist if you’re truly frugal. And I’m truly frugal!
I wrote all about WHY in this guest piece >> I Gave Up On Minimalism Because I Couldn’t Afford It
Are you frugal? Are you a minimalist? I don’t think you can be both, so which one will you choose?
What I Actually Liked About Minimalism
Now that I’ve had time to think about this, I think what I liked about the movement is its focus on SIMPLICITY. I can get behind simplicity. I like being intentional with everything I do.
I did like that about the minimalist life. But the aesthetic that everyone associates with minimalism…that was so unrealistic and impractical! I’m not kidding when I say that I just saw a blog post that said one of the questions to ask yourself before making a purchase is “Does it match other things I own?”
What? That makes no sense. This rules out entire categories of important and practical items, like the hand-me-down dishware from your mom or the second-hand linens you found at a yard sale.
I couldn’t bring myself to buy certain things for the sake of “looking like a minimalist.”
What are your thoughts on this?
Related Reading on the Downsides of Minimalism
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I’m apparently not the only one who thinks there’s a fundamental problem with minimalism. Is it a fad? I’m not sure, but in the meantime, these articles are super interesting (and hilarious) reads!
- The Problem with Minimalism on the Art of Manliness – A thorough argument against the “get rid of all your stuff” lifestyle.
- Minimalism: An Ideology of Privilege on Medium – Do you need to be rich to be a minimalist? Possibly…if your minimalist story starts with “I stopped buying these things….”
- Why Minimalism Doesn’t Work for Families on Growing Spangs – Minimalism can be stressful & annoying if you’ve got to raise a family in addition to keeping stuff out of your house!
- Minimalism: Another Boring Product Wealthy People Can Buy on The Guardian – Is minimalism a privilege only wealthy people can afford?
- 27+ Budget-Friendly Meal Train Ideas - 04/04/2024
- 30 Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids - 10/31/2023
- 50+ Fun Family Christmas Gift Ideas for Every Budget - 10/31/2023
Heather says
I agree with you but I still love the concept of minimalism! I don’t adhere to the strict rules of being minimal, but I do think that we, as consumers, tend to overbuy when we should be saving our money or buying items that are actually needed. I have put minimalism into my life more as a footnote. “Do I need this? Will I actually use it?” This is how I have put the concept into my life.
bears85 says
Hello Lena,
I think you have the definition of minimalism confused. It is not an Aesthetic . Being frugal is be minimalist. People may have there own interpretations but there is nothing minimal about buying a $600 phone to take notes.
Lena Gott says
I beg to differ! An expensive phone is perhaps the posterchild of minimalism. A lot of people agree with me, too. Just search “minimalism expensive” on Google and you’ll find scores of articles on this topic. Here’s one: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-problem-with-minimalism/
I’d love to know what your definition of minimalism is!
Dhian says
I’m from Indonesia. I’m being frugal not by choice, but it is something that I got use to. Fyi, most Indonesian are living in poverty. That makes us come up with all kinds of creativity. I’m trying to be a minimalist, but I decided that I don’t acquire to be aesthetic. Because the purpose of being minimalist, at least from my point of view, is maintaining, keeping, whatever necessary/FUNCTIONAL for my life (n family of course). Not focusing on pleasing the eye of the beholder.
To he honest, watching minimalist diy videos on y*utube makes me feel uncomfortable (since I can’t afford to buy all those ik*a stuff to make my room look like their version of “minimalist”). It’s like they’re trying to blend minimalism into aesthetic. Maybe we should call them high-end minimalist? While I’m gonna stick with low-end minimalism (being frugal+minimalist) LOL
Lena Gott says
I agree with you 100%, Dhian! The aesthetic gets confused with the reality of actually being frugal.
Nicole says
Hi Lena! This post is really interesting; it definitely puts minimalism into a new light. One that I have never thought of before! I’m not a minimalist and I’m not frugal, but I do blog about home organizing. I’ve had several people ask me about minimalism before, so now I have more information to share with them! 😉 Thanks!