New Year’s Resolutions for Minimalists
Pledge to do these 12 things in 2018 and you may find you’re more satisfied with less
Laura Gaskill
January 2, 2018
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
If a simpler, less-cluttered life is on your wish list for 2018, these 12 minimalist New Year’s resolutions can help guide your first steps toward a neater, more spacious home. With tasks you can complete in one swoop (like digitizing your old home movies) as well as new habits to cultivate (like renting or borrowing before you buy), you can pick one to add each month, or start the year with a bang and check a handful off your list in January.
1. Try a capsule wardrobe on for size. If you’re tired of facing an overstuffed closet of nothing to wear each morning, it may be time to try a capsule wardrobe. By focusing on quality over quantity, and making sure all of your pieces work together (and fit well), you can create more outfits with fewer pieces — and still have room for fun accessories.
How to Declutter and Create a Capsule Wardrobe
How to Declutter and Create a Capsule Wardrobe
2. Streamline your bath and beauty products. Say goodbye to the jumble of half-used (and unloved) products covering your bathroom counters, and pare back to only the products you use regularly. To maintain a simpler system, aim to finish each container of product completely before opening (or even buying) a new bottle.
Get It Done: Organize the Bathroom for Well-Earned Bliss
Get It Done: Organize the Bathroom for Well-Earned Bliss
3. Simplify your kitchen. It’s easy to accumulate a glut of kitchen gadgets and specialty cookware over time. And while some specialty kitchen items certainly earn their keep, if it’s been gathering dust at the back of your cupboard for more than a year, chances are good you don’t really need it. Start fresh by pulling everything out of the cupboards and drawers and putting back only the stuff you really use.
Jump-Start Your Kitchen With These Minimalist Essentials
Jump-Start Your Kitchen With These Minimalist Essentials
4. Start shopping from the bulk bins. Purchasing food from the bulk bins means you buy just as much as you need (and avoid wasting food) and cut way down on the amount of bulky packaging you bring home. This is especially helpful when trying new ingredients for the first time — you can make a recipe once and not worry about getting stuck with an entire container of a (pricey) grain or spice you don’t love.
Find kitchen storage containers
Find kitchen storage containers
5. Share, borrow or rent before you buy. It can be tempting to go out and purchase something as soon as you have a need — extra mugs for that hot cocoa party, a chafing dish to go on a buffet table — but buying is not the only option. Before you buy, consider whether you have a friend who would lend you the item, or if you could rent one from a local company. And if you do purchase something you know you won’t need to use that often, be generous and lend it to friends when they need it, and see if they’ll do the same: Consider it your own little library of goods.
6. Incorporate more reusables. It’s become easier (and less expensive) in recent years to find reusable alternatives to single-use items like paper towels and plastic bags. It’s true that you must make room to store reusable items, but often these take up less space than their disposable counterparts, and you have to buy them only once. Here are a few to look for:
- Cloth kitchen towels and napkins
- Reusable coffee filter
- Cloth shopping bags and produce bags
- Wax-coated linen wrap for food storage
- Elasticized cloth bowl covers
- Reusable cutlery and water bottles for lunch boxes
7. Move toward a paperless home office. While going completely paperless at home may be impossible, there are ways to reduce the mountain of paper that enters our homes. Take your name off marketing lists, sign up for paperless bills and statements where it makes sense to do so and scan documents to backup online.
The Great Paper Push: Just Say No
The Great Paper Push: Just Say No
8. Digitize old home movies. If you have a backlog of home movies sitting in a box somewhere, why not make this the year you finally have it all digitized? With all of your home movies on a single, watchable format, they will take up less space and you’ll be a lot more likely to view them.
What to Know About Digitizing Your Home Movies
What to Know About Digitizing Your Home Movies
9. Declutter kids’ toys. An abundance of toys may seem like a positive thing for kids, but having too many choices crammed into a space actually makes it more difficult for kids to enjoy and use what they have. Keep the process positive and get kids involved by selecting favorite, beloved toys and games and giving these pride of place. You may be surprised at what your child is willing to let go of and share with another.
Stop the Toy Takeover by Changing the Way You Think
Stop the Toy Takeover by Changing the Way You Think
10. Carve out your own space to get Zen. Boost energy and relieve stress during the winter (and beyond) by creating your own private space to meditate, do yoga or simply relax. Ideally, choose a sunny corner of your home where you can get a bit of morning sun. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just a spot to roll out a yoga mat or sit with a cup of hot tea is all you need — the important part is to keep this space protected, and avoid filling it up with clutter. Using it daily will make it easier to maintain.
11. Save up for one “forever” piece for your home. Part of the minimalist mindset has to do with valuing quality over quantity — and sometimes that means spending more on fewer pieces for the home. Of course, this is often easier said than done! So if you have your heart set on an iconic Eames lounge chair or vintage midcentury credenza, don’t just dream — start saving. Each month put aside a little money earmarked for your forever piece.
Iconic Armchairs That Stand the Test of Time
Iconic Armchairs That Stand the Test of Time
12. Clear the decks once a week. Once you put all of that energy into getting your home clutter free, keeping it that way can be a challenge. Try scheduling a regular cleanup time on your weekly calendar to declutter surfaces, recycle old papers and fill a bag with giveaway items.
Tell us: Are you making any New Year’s resolutions for 2018? Share them in the Comments!
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Tell us: Are you making any New Year’s resolutions for 2018? Share them in the Comments!
More
8 Life-Enhancing Home Resolutions for the New Year
11 Easy Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
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Shopping in the bulk bins is a win, win for me. The same products usually cost less since I'm not paying for extra packaging.
Even when I can't buy in bulk, I always unbox everything, especially, nuts, cereal, pasta and baking items, and store those things in glass containers. They keep better, are easier to see on the shelf, plus doing so eliminates cardboard packaging which is one of the easiest way to invite unwanted guests home from the market,
One of my favorite finds are silicone lids. You can use them in the microwave, fridge and on stovetop pots to replace that lost lid. I almost never use plastic wrap. I like the flat silicone lids for large items in microwave, and get the smaller stretchable silicone lids for the fridge items like cans. I rarely use plastic wrap anymore.