PM me your address or GMail. I'll buy you a guitar. No bamboozle.
Edit: what do you think about this OP https://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-DR-100-Acoustic-Vintage-Sunburst/dp/B0002F7IV2
Edit the second, Edit Harder: OP declined the offer. Now I have to find someone to buy a guitar for.
A Good Day to Edit: As much as I wish I could buy all of Reddit a guitar, I've already bought one and am working on getting two more sent out, as well as rockets for 6th graders. Unfortunately my discretionary budget for this month is tapped out. Rock on you beautiful bastards.
Objects are impermanent, as is everything else in life. Love it while you got it, find something new to love when it's gone. Since you asked for advice, I'll share what I was told: If you treat everything you own as if it's already broken, you'll cherish your time with it more and be less upset when it's gone.
Take care of it and treat it nicely, but when you scratch your new phone or get a hole in your favorite shirt, don't stress; it was always going to be that way. When it has served its purpose and no longer is the thing that you loved so much, then send it on its way and be grateful that it could bring you the joy that it did.
After all, everything you own will spend much more of its time broken than in perfect shape by the time it ceases to exist anyway. Try to make an effort to avoid worrying about things that are out of your control.
Edit: If this reasoning interests anyone as it relates to deciding what objects to hold onto and which to let go, I highly recommend “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. Very Zen decluttering method.
First off, think of Minimalism as a tool. A tool can be used for good or bad. Example: A hammer can build a house or bash in someone's head. So yeah minimalism can be bad.
Secondly, You can only change yourself. You can encourage others by showing them the way you live makes you happier, makes life simpler and easier, but it's up to them to adopt that lifestyle too.
Thirdly, Imposing any belief or lifestyle on someone is a slippery slope. If you push your boyfriend too hard he may start to dislike you to the point of ending the relationship. Remember he has feeling too, just because you've learned quickly to live a certain way doesn't mean he will.
Example 1: My extended family tried for 20 years to get my packrat mom to realize her house is full of junk. Oddly enough the thing that convinced her was a book* written by a guy in a simple living community I lived in while traveling. Nothing we said I've those 20 years changed her mind and actually it just made her come up with more reasons justify the junk. Finally an outside perspective worked. After about a year of decluttering, tons of bags donated, we can finally see progress in my parents house, but they've got a ton more to do.
Example 2: Lastly, when I started becoming a minimalist 9 years ago my friends thought I was crazy. I tried to argue why, but it didn't work. In the end I gave up on arguing and decided to show them why. A year later I had a couple friends, who originally thought I was crazy, now defending why I'm a minimalist, because they see how much happier I am.
*Edit: Since 3 people asked me here's a link to the book I mentioned:
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
I'm not going to throw them out, I'm going to resell them or donate them. And they are ones that I've either read or probably won't read anytime soon. And don't worry, I kept the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ;) http://www.abebooks.com/Ultimate-Hitchhikers-Guide-Five-Complete-Novels/18109879474/bd?cm_mmc=gmc-_-gmc-_-PLA-_-v01&product=COM9780517226957NEW
I'll pitch in for an amp. I know jack shit about the technical side of music though, so someone help me pick something out.
Edit: I know fender is a respected brand. This seems like a decent deal. Might not be the best, but at least it'll get you playing again.
Fender Frontman 10G Electric Guitar Amplifier bundle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077GHTHNT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BoOTAbRNEGM44
/u/CogitoErgoScum
I see everyone recommending iPhone, but Apple's stubborn stance on not converting to USB-C for iPhone charging has me seriously considering converting to Android for my next phone.
Personally, having all my devices charge from the same cables would be a huge plus. Granted, not all adapters (i.e. the thing you plug into the wall) will have the strength to power the heavier consuming devices, but it seems like you would be able to get away with 1x 60W capable brick, and a 1-2 20W adapters, for when you want something more lightweight than the 60W brick.
Ultimately, it depends on what your budget and OS preferences are, but this list of PCs and this list of phones might be a good place to start, if you wanted to consider minimizing based on number of peripherals you would need.
Also, you list Apple Watch, but unless there's a specific reason for wanting a smart watch (e.g. you will actually use the heartrate/etc data it collects), it seems like adding that just adds another device to carry, not to mention charge and maintain.
One of the best things ever that my husband and I did as newlyweds was "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up". The biggest premise of this is to keep what sparks joy for you but only that. The OP cherished those dolls and because of that, I think her home would've happily housed them. I remember selling my childhood American Girl dolls and the only thing that held me back was my inner dialogue of my Mom saying, "Keep them for grandchildren someday. Those were expensive!" Keeping things out of fear is not a good reason to hold onto something. It was actually cathartic selling these dolls on Ebay and I was happy to see them go to someone who wanted them.
ya to add onto this i had a phone wallet for a while before getting a minimalist wallet and the heart attack you have when you lose your phone is 3x as bad when you realize your wallet is with it. Losing a phone sucks but to me losing a wallet is worse. Id just go with a minimalist wallet.
This is my wallet: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYVBHDA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_mlicGb5PY9N53
obviously the theme is something you might not like but id highly recommend wallets designed like this. sleek and easy to organize and find everything you need in seconds without digging
This may be a ~~trigger~~ rabbit hole for some but I absolutely stand by my day-to-day work pen. Pilot Precise V5 RT. It's a thing of beauty; writes a sharp black line, comfortable grip, retractable so I can click it incessantly. They may not last a lifetime like fountain pens or whatever, but they blow my standard office's pens out of the water.
Check out Weather Timeline. It is a paid app but in my opinion is the best weather app out there and totally worth it. They have a bunch of nice looking, customizable widgets where you can get things pretty minimal.
Here's the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samruston.weather
Buy the most cutest adorable awesome stickers you can find.
Make placing the sticker as the reward.
The finished chart, full of stickers is the reward.
The fact that you accomplished your goals is a fantastic reward.
Sticko Classic Mini Monsters Stickers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0147XX3ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cHIoCb9P9QWJ0
These are my fav!
If you really need something more. I would award myself a sticker on the chart, a sticker on my person, and a single peanut m&m (my fav).
I do. I just have three apps pinned (Edge, Messenger, Google Photos) and the other apps are hidden but revealed by swiping up.
My wallpaper changes but it's usually minimal images I take myself. If you want some nice photos check, Unsplash.
I use this Speck case. I need a substantial case for my phone because I will drop it at some point, and this one protects well. It holds two credit cards and my ID, so for most trips (groceries, bar) it's enough. I also have a minimal leather envelope-style wallet for other cards and a little cash, but I only carry it when I know I'll need them.
I'm currently reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and the main idea of the book (and KonMari method) is to hold each item you own and ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?" If the answer is no, discard it. You could ask the person in question if their belongings spark joy; that might leave an impact.
Do it! My shikibuton is the best sleeping surface I've ever used, bar none! I beats out my old expensive king-sized memory foam bed and mattress, handily!
I bought my shikibuton and tri-fold mats on Amazon. I use normal sheets and blanket.
Also, the buckwheat pillows are great!
Anyway, every morning I fold and store them away. I put em out every evening.
I love the extra space. And I actually sleep great on it!
Just use a reputable VPN (e.g. Freedome) and best not to conduct sensitive browsing (e.g. banking) on public networks. Throw on a privacy screen and you’ve made yourself a much harder target than most around you using the same network. Source: I work in the cyber security field.
Edit: also 2FA all the things and accounts you care about. Most rely on SMS which isn’t infallible, but is far safer than using single factor username/password. All your important services (email, financial, social media, etc.) will offer 2FA options in their privacy / security settings.
"Good Bye, things" by Fumio Sasaki was a short, easy and fun read. Probably the better one I've read.
"The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo is pretty much the book people recommend from what I've seen, but Sasaki's was more my cup of tea.
When it comes to things you love, minimalism goes out the window. If you love cars, keep them. In a book I read recently, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the author insists on it. Keep the things you absolutely love, let go of the other stuff unless it has real utility. Smiles per gallon, mate.
It's on Airbnb, which is where I found it. It's the first project of a young Mexican architect named Aranza de Ariño and it goes by Casa Tiny if you wanted to do some more research on it.
>Construction costs, Aranza says, came to approximately $45,000, including “the pool, terraces, access road, and all the installations (such as water, electric, sewage, cistern, and passive solar heaters for the water in the bathroom and kitchen).”
If I were in this scenario I'd buy an open garment rack like this.
I'd pare down my current-season wardrobe to 33 total items (including shoes/bags/accessories) a la Project 333 and store off-season clothes in one or two underbed containers. The 33 items should fit on the garment rack no problem.
Exactly. I have the same problem. But I am not willing to toss out my phone. I like to play sports. So maybe you can try that as well. What you might be looking for is an internet restriction app. For example this one: https://getcoldturkey.com/ It at least will stop you from browsing endlessly.
I'm another vote for Turkish towels/peshtemals. They're huge and absorbent and dry SUPER fast and they take up like 1/3 the room of regular towels. No musty smell here. They're a little rough when you first get them, but they soften up with use. We have these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ILXC7RG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here's a complete, free, development environment for Python running in your browser: https://repl.it/languages/python3
The way developers learn is they just dive in and start playing, and google as they go.
I had a phone/wallet, but it was bulky and was uncomfortable wherever I had it, so I got a really slim phone case, and this for a wallet. I've had it for almost a year and I never really notice it in my back pocket or wherever.
Handbrake is fantastic. But having been down this road, let me tell you what I would have done differently.
I owned hundreds (maybe thousands) of DVD's. I cleaned out Blockbuster when they went out of business and had quite a selection of movies. Then I'd also pick up BR's when they were cheap so I had them, too. And I thought, like you maybe, that I'd save a lot of space in my home if I ripped them to hard disks.
And so I spent a lot of money on hard disks and a simple server to run Plex on. And I went through the tedious work of ripping all of my movies, putting them on Plex.
But DVD's are only 480p. They look like shit in 2018 when pretty much everyone is buying 4k TV's.
Honestly, looking back, I wish I'd just gotten rid of the DVD's by any means necessary. This year I retired the plex server. I poked around with a few streaming services and found the right combination that gives the members of my family the content we want. No more servers in the house. No more movie ripping. If we want to watch something, chances are it's available on one of the streaming services we're already paying for, or we can rent it through iTunes. And it'll look great.
If I subscribed to a few streaming services and rented any movie I want to watch, including ones I'd previously bought on DVD, it would be cheaper in terms of annual costs to do that than to preserve them on disk.
It doesn’t work for everyone, but I found Marie Kondo’s system outlined in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up an effective method of clearing out my life. She recommends sorting by category rather than by room and I like her methods and reasoning.
Whatever your process, I think it’s important to have your wife (and children to an extent) on board. Talk to them about why you want to get rid of things, how it is likely to enrich your lives to be less burdened, and make it something you do together. Don’t throw out their possessions without their involvement or permission.
/r/declutter might also be able to offer more assistance.
I don't see the point. It's not hard to minimize your smart phone usage. I deleted Facebook and Reddit from my phone and my phone usage when down probably 75%.
If you really have problems then use an app like Cold Turkey.
I like Notational Velocity. It's the most minimal interface I can find but the search is super powerful. Plus, you can store the notes as text files in your dropbox and get them everywhere! Not sure if it has word count but there are a few forks of it that probably do, such as nvAlt
This book called Atomic Habits is about this subject. It explains how habits work and how you can create simple strategies to improve your habits by taking advantage of how your brain works. Could be interesting if you want to improve this area of your live.
https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
Large Size Laptop Tray Desk Nnewvante Foldable Lap Table Bed Tray, TV Tray Floor Table Bamboo Adjustable Breakfast Serving Tray Writing Gaming 4 Leg Latches Support to 18in Laptop, 25.6x17.7in-Retro https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GT7H4SY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zOj9CbCM7ABHF
Definitely a big proponent of YNAB (https://www.youneedabudget.com/). It's a "track every dollar" style budgeting app and there are some well done tutorials for how to get started with it.
The thing I don't like about mint is that I think it's great at telling you where your money went (past tense) but not where it will go, which is the purpose, imo, of a budget.
Plus having to see at the end of the month that you actually spend $300 / month on dining out is a huge eye opener to change the way you spend.
For just clearing out space, I highly suggest something like WinDirStat. It gives you a handy visualization of your hard drive to let you see what is taking up space where.
I also like to use one of the many duplicate file finding programs out there to clean up duplicate images and the like.
Install adblock plus and the element hiding helper. You can remove massive chunks of useless interface and it really cleans things up.
Edit: whoops that wasn't the question you asked. For sorting that out, I suggest blocking all the sharing pages that your contacts use.
I am new to the minimalist lifestyle. I was recommended reading the book Goodbye, Things. It’s 5 hours long Auto and probably a shorter read if you get the book. I highly recommend it for you and your spouse.
In the book he gives 52 ways for becoming a Minimalist. I can’t remember them all but here’s a few: Get rid of anything that is broken, needs fix, junk or that you have two of (obviously clothes do not fall into the later category. Get rid of something right now There won’t be anything that you regret tossing If you ask yourself would I buy this again if your answer is hell ya keep it if it’s not toss it.
That’s about all my little brain retained. ��
Oh when in doubt throw it out Don’t make up creative reasons to keep things If you have a hard time tossing something out put it out of sight for a while. If you think of it 5 times in a month-keep it. If you don’t toss it. Use auction sites to get rid of hard items for you to get rid of (ebay) Don’t get hung up in the price you paid for it. Ok that’s truly it. Read his book. Get your So to read it. Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393609030/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tbZsCbDV13V4P
If i may make a recommendation, look into the Braun food processor. It's a beast. It can turn almonds into almond butter without any added oil. I use it nearly every day.
Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor Ultra Quiet Powerful motor, includes 7 Attachment Blades + Chopper and Citrus Juicer , Made in Europe with German Engineering https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VF0RYK8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_EffyBbF880FD4
I periodically review which apps take up most of my time (daily notifications), and unless absolutely essential I uninstall them.
After realising I was spending 6+ hours a day on my phone I said bye-bye to:
Then I used Nova settings to hide the default apps from my app drawer, turned off notifications and voila! Everything is suddenly simple and I have so much more time.
Haven't deactivated anything, just use the web at work or in the morning on my PC now instead of my smartphone. Best of all is I don't miss anything i've uninstalled because I still have access, just without the immediate gratification a smartphone brings.
TL;DR: Use <strong>App Usage</strong> to uninstall apps that take up time without feeling like you've lost value.
A mini fridge. Some actually use more power than a full size one because there is less insulation keeping the cold air in http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/03/a-mini-refrigerator-can-max-out-your-utility-bill/index.htm
There is no way to prevent your clothes or stuff from ending up in a landfill unless you physically control it and keep it out of a landfill. You have absolutely no idea what someone will do with your stuff/clothes after you give it to them, even if they say they're going to use it.
Also, according to Goodwill's own stats they only end up sending 5% of clothing to landfills. Which is still a lot of clothing, but not nearly as much as you or others are implying.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-does-goodwill-do-with-your-clothes_n_57e06b96e4b0071a6e092352
They want to get money out of it any way they can to further their causes/organization.
But I certainly understand your sentiment and agree there are alternative, more personal methods to dealing with stuff you're getting rid of. Donating to Goodwill is certainly not the only way.
I have used one of these since 2018 and it’s been amazing. I don’t use purses because I hate that women’s clothes don’t have pockets. They can try, but they can’t make me buy purses. This little wallet holds so much!!
Empty?
Gossamer Gear Vagabond for me. Gossamer Gear actually makes a Minimalist backpack, and it is: https://www.gossamergear.com/collections/backpacks/products/minimalist-24-daypack
A drawstring style pack is probably the ultimate minimalist pack. You can't carry much in one, so it's self limiting. For example https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLVNZIU. But I would just buy one in a thrift store.
I know people who travel the world with just an 18-20 liter backpack, which means just a few spares, a jacket, and some toiletries. Now that is minimalism. There are all kinds of simple lightweight packs of that size. You could travel with a grocery sack at that level!
I practice ultralight hiking which is the epitome of minimalist wilderness travel. There are folk who go hiking with a kit that weighs five pounds not including food, fuel and water. Mine is usually more like 12, but this time of year I could do 8. The uber ultralight backpacks are a study in minimalism, basically big tubes with shoulder straps.
I guess a minimalist backpack is more about what you need to carry. In fact the usual advice for buying a backpack for wilderness travel is to buy the backpack last, when you know the volume and weight of the load.
See r/onebag and r/ultralight for longer conversations
Heres mine!
Purple dot - Poweramp
White dot - Joey for Reddit
Orange dot - Firefox
Blue dot - NordVPN
Green dot - Contacts
Live wallpaper - Material Islands
Icon Pack - CandyCons
Launcher - Nova Launcher
Widget at the top is from Poweramp
I have glass doors and they are a pain to keep clean and the tracks collect hair etc. If I could go back to a curtain I would in a heart beat! They sell special curtain rods that bow out and in give more space depending on if your in or out of the shower that you may like. The shower curtain rings you choose will make a difference when you take down the curtain to wash it occasionally.Choose ones that are easy to release the curtains like this one https://www.amazon.com/Maytex-Double-Roller-Curtain-Brushed/dp/B0042ZB1YI/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_all_spx_wp_0_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0042ZB1YI&pd_rd_r=4a7c7c8b-6054-40ef-88ad-38da6ff1fcf0&pd_rd_w=mszF2&pd_rd_wg=3m3AG&pf_rd_p=be1fc0a3-5323-42ce-8eda-5c75d301717d&pf_rd_r=T144AA1254XT47RN1399&psc=1&refRID=T144AA1254XT47RN1399
​
Thanks, that makes me warm and fuzzy! I can provide the CSS and images, but as far as getting it applied to all the sites... I'm not sure. You could try Reddit Enhancement Suite (although I've never used it), or maybe Stylebot. Also, you'd have to host the images somewhere (logo and up/down arrows).
Basically, it's a bit of a pain :( But if you do fancy a stab at it, here are the files!
Here's how you see other apps. The ones on homescreen are 8 or less that you set as favorites. Edit: forgot to link app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bitpit.launcher
For the most part, I've cut out "the news" from my life, but it's not because I want to be more minimal - it's because I don't trust the gatekeepers in news media to tell me full stories. Big headlines still make it my way through reddit, but besides that I'm mostly unbothered by it. A lot of it is bullshit. There's an incentive to agenda-push in media, especially nationally. At the end of the day, most of the big scandalous or negative headline-grabbing stories do not affect me at all.
I don't really consider it "ignorant" because I've basically cut out the stuff that causes outrage (and surrogated offense-taking), and I think more critically about the stories that DO matter.
One thing I would recommend: keep the TV off (especially 24-hr news like CNN, Fox, and MSNBC), and use http://news.google.com instead of Yahoo. Always consider your source. Hell, the only TV I watch nowadays are sports.
Most of what he's saying is directly from his documentary Requiem for the American Dream which is a great watch for anyone concerned with the state of the American political system.
Came across something curious. They use gumroad.js on their website.
<script src="https://gumroad.com/js/gumroad.js"></script>
Right. So going to the js file, is what is confusing me.
(Function (d, t) {t = d.createElement ( 'script'); t.setAttribute ( 'src', 'https: //assets.gumroad.com/assets/gumroad-overlay-d64e219abdab5bdf3fa7f4dad994b5f0496c3a1198fec240f88d7ee9e490299e.js'); d.getElementsByTagName ( 'head') [0] .appendChild (t)}) (document)
Rather than just put the contents of the gumroad-overlay, it grabs the other file and does that. What is the point of that? Cache killing?
The pursuit of happiness by Mark Pilgrim
Have you read Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?
She recommends that you separate the items into categories (so clothes, books, kitchen-ware, etc.). Then take care of one category completely and do it in one full swoop. Don't extend it out over the year.
Just a suggestion. Everyone has their own style of doing it, but her book got a lot of praise for her ability to simplify.
To simplify my desktop experience I use Clover.
It adds multi-tab functionality similar to Google Chrome. You can even use Google Chrome themes on it if you want, and have a favorites bar. I have the favorites bar activated, but I've removed the name of them (because I can tell what they are by their icon), and so I only have the icons on it, just like I do in Google Chrome.
I made the switch to a futon mattress when I was really mobile and I’d recommend it over a mat. It’s much more comfortable and you can still roll it up and move it if need be. I did however put blow up mats under it and it damn near felt as good as a mattress. I forgot where I got mine but this one on Amazon looks legit: https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Mattress-Sleeping-Foldable-Dormitory/dp/B07KSTCJJD/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=futon+mattress&qid=1624824826&sprefix=futon+matt&sr=8-5
I have carpet in my room currently so nothing but that but when I move, it will wood floor so I’m gonna get a rug for underneath.
D&D Futon Furniture Gray Full... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009HDXD6E?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I honestly wouldn't agonize over finding high-quality t-shirts. I'm a big fan of buy-it-for-life stuff but t-shirts just don't qualify.
Men's t-shirts - the sort that come in a pack are super comfortable , classic fit and gender-neutral.
I believe it was just off Amazon, pretty sure this is the one we got.
Our criteria were:
The only thing I don't love about this model is that the cord for the pump doesn't have a compartment or storage option, so it just kinda hangs out and depending on how your room is set up it can be a tripping hazard. Not a big problem for us because we normally set it up with the head of the bed against a wall, but something to keep in mind.
OmniDiskSweeper is another option for the Mac.
http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnidisksweeper/
SpaceSniffer on Windows is another.
http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer/
One more way on the Mac, if you don't want to install additional programs (and are comfortable in the terminal) is to use the 'du' command. For example:
$ du -ch -d 1 ~ \8.0K /Users/phormality/.adobe 3.4M /Users/phormality/.dropbox 164K /Users/phormality/.fontconfig 4.0K /Users/phormality/.plex 1020K /Users/phormality/.swt 11M /Users/phormality/.Trash 0B /Users/phormality/Applications 15M /Users/phormality/Desktop 96K /Users/phormality/Development 81M /Users/phormality/Documents 5.9G /Users/phormality/Downloads 280M /Users/phormality/Dropbox 8.2G /Users/phormality/Library 1.0M /Users/phormality/Movies 79G /Users/phormality/Music 7.0G /Users/phormality/Pictures 756M /Users/phormality/Public 20K /Users/phormality/Sites 4.7G /Users/phormality/tmp 106G /Users/phormality 106G total
Here are a few. I use OneNote at work, which is free. I can pull up a screen of what I want, hit CTRL+S, and then highlight what I want to screenshot. Then you can write whatever you want next to that, give it a title, save it into a "book" for later. This is how I make documentation for things at work.
If this were for class, I would probably be taking notes with a laptop and use my phone to take pictures of the whiteboard if needed. Adding scanned documents should be pretty simple, though, if hand-written is more your thing.
In addition to that:
If you don't want the cloud service employees to misuse your personal data or post your naked pictures on Facebook, the data can be easily and automatically encrypted beforehand, e.g. with:
If you're "writing" stuff down and doing it, that's what matters.
And, I don't want to burst any bubbles, ToDo Text is a pretty minimal todo tracker (Link: http://todotxt.com/)
You can always go analog (Moleskine + pen/pencil)
No matter, I think this is about the process of ordering.
On a daily basis, always leave room for proper diet, exercise, and reflection/meditation. As for being industrious, pick 3 focused tasks that work towards your goals, do them, and then stop for the day.
That's 1,000+ tasks a year that go directly towards the life you're defining.
So, your method of doing is your choice. It's the doing that matters.
Good luck with all your goals.
Yeah. I got one in a simple black/white/grey kinda plaid pattern so it goes with everything. I got mine at Nordstrom, but they have similar things on Amazon. It's kinda like this https://www.amazon.com/Oversized-Blanket-Cardigans-Sweater-Scarves/dp/B075P3W56L/ref=sr\_1\_4?dchild=1&keywords=scarf+blanket+poncho&qid=1624464072&sr=8-4
> Why don’t you just get a basic, metal bed frame?
Absolutely
I got this type. It's been amazing
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EvergreenWeb-Orthopedic-Slatted-ASSEMBLED-Mattresses/dp/B00B817CDS
For our new apartment we bought one on amazon and really love it. Easy setup, no squeaking, and enough space underneath to put our suitcases for more storage. It was around $75 for queen when we got it, hope this helps! (It doesn’t have a headboard though)
https://www.amazon.com/intelliBASE-Lightweight-Bifold-Platform-Black/dp/B07K6R3KZ9
If you haven't read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, I highly recommend it. She appeals to the emotional/psychological attachment we tend to have to clothes (and all belongings) and why it's okay/better to let go and discard them. She also addresses how wanting to 'preserve' some belongings by altering them or saving parts of them [in a quilt, perhaps] can be misguided, though understandable, reasoning. I felt at such peace reading the entire book and it's a quick read too.
If you want a less-involved practice: In the bottom of my closet, I kept a box of objects/clothes that I just couldn't seem to get rid of. Periodically, I'd open the box and tell myself to take out just ONE thing and discard it. The longer that box lasted, the more often I could take out and discard multiple things. ("Well I haven't touched or even thought of this or that in MONTHS, so I guess I really love or need it.") The box doesn't exist anymore because most of what I own is 100% enjoyed and used by me.
It depends on what is your definition of minimisation.
Android lets you customise everything. You can delete all app icons from your screen, or you can install different "minimalist" icon sets like this. You are absolutely free to do what you want with it. So if you want to achieve some level of minimalist aesthetic, you can.
Also, you can use different versions of android which are build by the community, some of them are extremely lightweight and such.
Apple, on the other hand, does not allow you to customise the look of your phone. The icons are given, the grid is given (which means you can't change how many icons are in the row. On Android you can). iOS has its own visual language and you are not able to change or customise it. Apple does leave you less control. And this is the deal breaker.
When I had Android, I could get it to look minimal, but I kept thinking about different ROMs, different icon sets. I played with it every single day. My brain was busy with my phone. It used to fun, at first, but then I just got tired of that. So, for me Apple does better job. But that's just me, tho.
Here is my place: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16230031
It was obviously in tip-top shape for the Airbnb photos, but we keep it pretty tidy in general, in part because I like it that way and in part because we Airbnb it about 2x/month.
It's great that you are making changes towards the life you want!
I have been in a very similar situation myself. I spent too much time on the internet. I felt I had too many gadgets. I decided to get rid of them all save for my iPhone.
In the beginning, this felt extremely liberating. I spent my time the way I had envisioned, listening to music and reading books and cooking and talking to my girlfriend. But as the novelty of the situation wore off I would slowly go back to old habits, spending more time on the internet, regardless of the small display size. The fact of only having one device was still very nice, but my habits weren't changed over time.
I'm sure you have heard of Paul Miller. In case you haven't, he left the internet for a year and wrote about it. When he came back and wrote his article looking back on his year (http://theverge.com/2013/5/1/4279674/im-still-here-back-online-after-a-year-without-the-internet), he basically said that although he did new things in the beginning, leaving the internet had no lasting impact as to how he spent his time. Many people criticized the experiment, and clearly saw it as a failure, but I loved his honesty. It resonated with my own experience and gave me a new perspective on it.
I don't want you to think of this as criticism, or thinking that I'm telling you it's not going to work. If you have even cared I read this far, I only want you to take one thing away from my comment: Changing outside things can be a great tool, but real chance must come from within. Be aware that significant additional effort and vigilance is needed to make a lasting change to your life.
You may already know this, but I know I didn't. So I hope this comment is of use to you, and I wish you the best of luck!
You could give Ghost a shot. It's free if you run the software on your own server, and they offer a hosting plan if you don't already have one with nice extras like analytics. I really dig the side-by-side Markdown editing interface -- it's very simple, yet highly functional.
You answer is the gmail html interface.
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html
80 character fixed, cross platform, no need to install yet another program, save draft function, "application" integration with firefox.
It's this: https://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Paper-Roll-Display-Trending/dp/B07L519CZN/
but you don't have to spend so much on it! If you google "wall mounted craft paper holder" you'll find lots of less expensive ones now. When I bought this a while ago I couldn't find as many options.
I got something like this bc I live with a partner and we wanted a frame that wouldn't creak or sag with multiple people on it:
I like it a lot. It folds in half down the middle and the legs fold in, so it's easy to move, but it's still really sturdy. I would definitely suggest going for the 14-inch kind because most plastic storage bins and laundry bins are around that size. If you get the 10-inch then you'll have to get special bins.
A bed skirt is also really cheap and it just lays under your mattress and hangs down so you don't see anything under the frame. Tons of extra storage space but no eyesore.
I bought a Casio from Amazon which I really liked. Kind of way under your budget, but it works really well and looks way more expensive than it is.
While I recommend both the Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker as well as the Amazon Basics Bluetooth Speaker for their portability and sound, I personally prefer the former for its much fuller sound. (Both links show the black version of the device, although both come in different colors).
Move Your DNA - Katy Bowman. The biomechanical reason why you should ditch your chairs, and your bed.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying - Marie Kondo. Learn to think about what to keep, rather than what to throw away. An amazing intospective exercise.
Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. A book that is all about aligning your money expenditures with your true personal values. You might not think much about it, but your finances and your stuff are the two things you deal with the most on a daily basis and Kondo & Dominguez/Robin really help you zoom in on what matters to YOU. You personally and not the minimalist society in general.
A The Guide to The Good Life - William B Irvine. Stoic philosopy and the importance of doing things that matter, rather than thinking, reading, buying, and dreaming of things that matter.
Take care of your health, your emotions, your money, and your mental outlook on life.
And finally: Don't ever use the phrase: That's Not Minimalist. It's unbecoming.
Have fun. It's YOUR journey.
This bike philosophy/lifestyle is pretty appealing to me. Assuming you've read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?
Would love own a motorbike for its utility/carbon footprint. Does anyone have data on safety re: bicycles vs. motorbikes. Especially in cities?
>>"If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." -- William Morris
> -- Michael Scott
Plenty of alternatives, but I can't say I know what makes a PDF reader "minimal".
I have PDF Viewer Plus on my phone. It works, not sure what else can be said for a PDF reader.
Travel isn't for everyone, and the commercialization of travel (along with globalization in general) has made of it a mockery of what it should be at its core - broadening your own horizons by discovering those of others. This hit the nail on the head, albeit very aggressively.
If you have the time, why not create something? Or volunteer? Or read a lot?
I had the same problem, but I simplified everything by using If this, then that. Anytime I save anything on the websites I visit most (reddit, youtube, several blogs), ifttt automatically ports them over to Evernote. When I have free time, I just go to evernote and watch/read what I saved, and then delete after. I never even touch my "saved" tab on reddit now.
What also helped was using the video speed controller extension. I saved so much time by watching things sped-up. I started at 1.10x speed (manageable by anyone) and increase the speed when I feel I can handle it. I decrease from time to time, but right now I watch everything at 2.10x speed and its like normal videos are slow now haha. But it really helped me mow through my list of saved videos.
>This little app hides your desktop icons-
No reason to have an app for that (with ads!!!), just write this in a terminal:
defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool false;killall Finder;say icons hidden
or read a long guide at: http://osxdaily.com/2009/09/23/hide-all-desktop-icons-in-mac-os-x/
If you can't afford to pay for bartender right now something i've done is used the trial then re-installed after four weeks. Once the trial is up just use "Appcleaner" to delete the app and the .plist file. Download it again and it should work fine.
ElementaryOS might work for that kind of use case https://elementary.io/ I've tried it before and the aesthetics were great, but since it didn't run latest packages it wasn't for me. But once you go unix, you don't want to go back. It puts the user in charge, it doesn't do stupid stuff like boot on its own.
Check out the Freedom app. You can disable certain sites, apps, or the entire internet on you mobile device or desktop. Best purchase I’ve made for decluttering media when I need to. I’ve tried deleting apps...but I always found that I’d just replace it with a other one. Works better for me to just lock myself out of them.
You can use extensions on your browser to make it so that you can only view Facebook for up to 10 minutes a day, or something similar to your liking.
Without a doubt, Evasion. I am sure some will find it very questionable but it changed my life and perception (together with Into the Wild) of "things" and wealth, even if didn't do much of what the author did.
Here is the ebook "Evasion" published by Crimethinc, available for totally free download: [1] http://www.sendspace.com/file/o0fyxh
The UI is minimal, but it's a PITA to use. Might as well just use notepad.
I feel like this is the perfect example of the different types of minimalism at play. I personally try to be minimalistic in reliance. Downloading this just makes me have one more piece of software to remember when I switch computers, or just for general use.
Mac/OSX is great for this type of minimalism, since everything is built in (Mail, Safari, Messages, iTunes, textedit, etc.).
My biggest problem with this software is that it's lack of practical use. It's a text editor that's bad at editing text. It's clumsy, hogs the screen, and has a crummy selection (uncustomizable) of backgrounds and songs. Meh. I'll just stick with notepad/textedit, my own wallpaper of choice, and put on some music in iTunes. Same exact thing, except I get a ton more features if I need them, and it doesn't hog up my entire screen if I don't want it to.
IMO, if you want a cool minimalistic editor, hemingway is a better choice. The UI is just as minimalistic, but it's a web app (no download), it highlights and corrects your writing (so it's cleaner prose), etc.
I'm sure some people will like this, and that's cool. But IMO, there's much better tools that are more minimalistic in a variety of ways that still allow flexibility if want/needed.
Set up your other accounts to forward to the same inbox. This is easy to do through gmail. Also, perhaps instead of the "junk" address, just use a disposable email? I use 10 Minute Mail frequently. It's highly convenient.
I use both google at work and personal. I keep the seperate. But when I studied I kept them together. I did not get that many study related e-mails that I wanted to keep the seperated from my personal. I just kept study related stuff together with my private. You could have two calendars if you want.
My work and personal I keep seperated. I have a bookmark for my work e-mail and work calendar, and for my personal. I only check work e-mail while at work.
You can be logged into both and access them as https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox and https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox
I cannot add my work calendar to my personal due to restrictions I cannot change, but I'm okay with just having two calendars to look into. (I could add my personal on my work but I choose not to) On my phone I have both synced.
Here's one you may like https://www.amazon.com/Safavieh-COF5700B-Collection-Desert-Chocolate/dp/B07H41Z6RX
Include the term "tray top" in your searches, that's the name of the style you're looking for.
Amazon Basics Foldable, 18" Metal Platform Bed Frame with Tool-Free Assembly, No Box Spring Needed - Full https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RCMX761/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_EY3445DTQMMBK8S1M0ZW I have one of these. Very comfortable and sturdy
Yes so many stuffed animals! My mother loves to get the Kohl's Cares for Kids books and HAS to get the stuffed animals that go with it. She never plays with them. One thing that has helped with the stuffed animals is getting this stuffed animal storage thing that doubles as a 'bean bag chair' (I don't think this is the exact one but something like it). If she gets more and the bag is full she has to pick ones out to donate.
In my experience even having them keep the toys at their house doesn't stop the madness with buying more stuff. My daughter has a ton of toys at my mom's house and they hardly get played with because she doesn't see her that often maybe once a week if that. I try not to get mad anymore because it is their money and they can spend it how they want. And like you said at least it's not at my house! Although I do think about the mess that I will have to deal with when my parents go in cleaning out that damn house!
I can't find her specific short one, but this one is relatively inexpensive for a bed frame & folds! https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Foldable-Platform-Under-Bed-Storage/dp/B073WR319C
You live in a smaller space than I do by a good bit (700sq ft here), but something very small like this might work for you? Picked up that set a few months ago and it's been nice to have an actual table and chair I can sit in the kitchen at.
I bought metal straws from Amazon. I use them for when I drink anything other than water at home so I don’t get sugar on my teeth. Maybe it’ll help with coffee?
Personally I prefer KISS Launcher. I like to keel my wallpaper as visible as possible, so by default, I have no icons, so things can stay quite minimal. With one tap, I have access to my recently used apps and contacts, and a search bar. One swipe down shows my notifications. KISS itself has an option to hide the navbar, but I also use FluidNG, so the navbar is replaced with gestures.
For sure! If you're an android user, check out Moon+ Reader Pro, and if you're an iPhone user, GoodReader I believe has similar functionality - basically the ability to turn any ebook into an audio book..
Anyways, I digress a little but I'm glad to turn you on to some good learning! The first book on Manson's that I really got tweaked on was Models... The first few chapters that focused on self betterment withiut any outcome dependence was eye opening.. Granted its still supposed to be skewed towards pickup, but it's so ambiguously written that it's amazing at turnung anyone into a self confidence machine - essentially spurring people to become well rounded and diverse for themselves, as it's not only self fulfilling but equally ends up attracting others in a mgnectic fashion... People tend to gravitate towards those who are confident in their own lives vs sponging off others.. I ended up giving up on the boom once it got more cringyy, but it did pave the way towards appreciating and recommending him as an author to others!
It's a mix and matching of Ikea (Bedframe) End tables are walmart ($20 each) The lamp is on Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012TH34DQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The mattress is also off Amazon. $219 for the mattress, it's the 12 inch Zenus Memory foam in Full Size. I was pleasantly surprised at it's comfort level, considering I was coming down from a $3k King from Mattress Firm, it certianly wasn't 12x the comfort.
There's a good chance I make (and spend) less money than you and am spending 6-8 hours a day OBSESSING about how to add value to the world.
On the "lives off paying off those less fortunate": May I suggest an elementary economics textbook? I especially like Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.
This isn't fun and games, friend. What did you do this week?