Minimalism is a way of living that involves a “less is more” mentality, whether in terms of home, possessions, way of thinking or something else entirely.
Becoming a minimalist allows you to rid yourself of any form of clutter in your life, so you can live a simpler, more spacious life. There are many reasons why you could benefit from a minimalistic lifestyle, including money and time savings.
How do I become a minimalist?
If you choose to adopt a minimalist lifestyle, it’s best to begin by getting rid of unnecessary clutter in your life. This can involve removing items from your home, cleaning your desk at work, or taking a deep dive into your personal thoughts.
There are no official rules of minimalism, as you can live minimally in any area of life you choose. Regardless of the minimalist path, you choose to take, start by removing clutter and creating a vision of how you would like to live with a “less is more” attitude.
Should I become a minimalist?
Minimalism comes with a wide variety of benefits that can help you feel refreshed and more organized in your life.
If you feel distracted, overwhelmed, or stressed in your life, it is a good idea to explore the idea of minimalism to help eliminate the sources of these feelings. Even if you feel content with your daily life, you may still benefit from practicing minimalist habits.
45 Benefits of Becoming a Minimalist
As you embark on a minimalist journey, you’ll likely start noticing some positive changes in your life right away. Depending on how you like to live minimally, the benefits can be wide-ranging and permanent. Minimalist benefits you can achieve in your daily life can include:
1. Make cash from sold items
The first step to becoming a minimalist often involves getting rid of possessions that you don’t need. Selling items online or at a local community sale is a quick way to earn extra money on the side.
2. Improve your mental health
You are a product of your environment, and a messy, cluttered home can have a drastic effect on your mental health. A clean, minimalist environment may help provide more mental clarity while reducing stress and anxiety.
3. Work with fewer distractions
Maintaining a minimal desk or work area can help you stay focused on the job, as you are eliminating any visual distractions.
By putting away paperwork, desk toys and gadgets, and non-work related items, you can start your workday with a fresh mind.
4. Spend less time cleaning
The more items you own, the more time you’ll spend cleaning. On average, Americans spend about six hours cleaning their homes, which is time you’d likely rather spend doing something else.
Minimalists naturally have less to clean, and therefore, much more time for other activities.
5. Maintain a guest-friendly home
By becoming a minimalist, you won’t have to worry about de-cluttering your home before company comes over, whether planned or unexpectedly.
Your home will already be in a near picture-perfect state because it will be free of messes and eyesores.
6. Breathe better in a cleaner home
Fewer items in your home means less dirt and dust, fewer allergens, and an easier cleaning experience.
Minimal-style homes tend to smell better, as there are fewer sources of odors. Your nose will thank you for making this change.
7. Learn classic culinary techniques
There are tons of fancy kitchen gadgets on the market, which can quickly lead to overwhelming kitchen clutter.
By utilizing only the kitchen essentials, you can learn to cook like a professional and master techniques without specialized tools.
8. Save money on home decor
Home decor expenses can add up quickly, and there are serious cost-savings involved in maintaining minimal home decorations.
By embracing your “less is more” mentality, you can invest in just a few key decor items that truly speak to you and your style.
9. Create more storage space
Minimalists tend to have lots of closet space in their homes, as there are fewer items taking up valuable space.
While the aim of becoming a minimalist is often to own fewer things, the benefit of extra storage space may come in handy for housing larger essential items.
10. Have a safer driving experience
The benefits of becoming a minimalist can extend to your vehicle too. By reducing the clutter and distractions in your car, you’re less likely to cause an auto accident.
This is incredibly valuable for your health, safety – and car insurance rates.
11. Stress less about your child’s safety
If you have children, particularly toddlers and younger kids, you know that virtually anything can quickly become a safety hazard.
By owning fewer items, there are fewer opportunities for your child to accidentally become harmed.
12. Make travel preparations a breeze
Minimalism is a perfect lifestyle for those who enjoy travel, as there are fewer items to pack – saving valuable time and money.
Traveling lightly allows you to spend less time being accountable for your belongings, and more time relaxing and enjoying new experiences.
13. Move homes faster and easier
By becoming a minimalist, you greatly reduce the time and stress associated with moving homes.
You’ll spend much less time packing boxes, hauling items in a moving truck and setting up your new home when you own fewer possessions, making home moves much easier.
14. Benefit from healthier eating habits
Applying your minimalist lifestyle to your fridge, freezer and pantry can help you form healthier eating habits.
When your kitchen is stocked with few healthy essentials and fresh foods, you won’t have the temptation of snacks that have been sitting in the back of your pantry or freezer.
15. Invest your minimalist savings
Minimalism is associated with cost-savings in many ways, allowing you to save more of your income long-term.
You can use your savings to make smarter money choices, like adding more to your retirement funds or opening a new investment account.
16. Create more space for your partner
It can be common for significant others to compete over living space or feel crowded by each other’s possessions.
Removing any unnecessary items from your home allows both you and your partner have more space to store the possessions that you find truly valuable.
17. Value your possessions more
When your life is filled with lots of “stuff,” you may not value each individual item to the fullest potential.
By owning less, you may find yourself taking better care of your belongings and cherishing what you have a bit more.
18. Enjoy a clutter-free mentality
Once you embrace a clutter-free mindset, this way of thinking can affect many areas of your life including your home, vehicle, workspace, and even your way of organizing thoughts in your mind.
19. Focus on what matters
Most people would agree that at the end of the day, memories are far more valuable than tangible things.
By spending less time focused on the items in your life, you’ll have more time to be present in the moments that will someday mean the most to you.
20. Support a clean environment
Sooner or later, all of the items you own will someday become part of a landfill or otherwise recycled back into the Earth.
Choosing to own less can be a healthier choice for keeping the Earth cleaner and contributing less plastic and non-biodegradable waste to the ecosystem.
21. Find your belongings easily
It can be incredibly stressful to search for something you’ve misplaced, and you’re a lot less likely to experience this frustration by owning fewer items.
Minimalism makes it easier to be accountable for where your belongings are at all times.
22. Let go of your past
While it is a good idea to hold on to few items in your home you associate with good memories, it can be very refreshing to rid yourself of items that may bring back bad memories.
Removing physical items that make you sad can prevent unwanted emotional triggers.
23. Consider quality over quantity
Minimalism isn’t necessarily about owning nothing at all, but rather, it’s all about choosing your limited possessions wisely.
You will have a better mindset regarding your possessions if you invest in few quality items that will last a long time.
24. Feel comfortable living in a smaller space
Owning fewer belongings means you can live more comfortably in a smaller space, allowing for huge savings on rent, mortgage, utilities, and other home-related expenses.
25. Enjoy a new sense of freedom
Many minimalists experience a refreshing feeling of independence from embracing a simpler lifestyle, and you may feel like you live more freely and happily when you choose minimalism.
26. Make space for your hobbies and activities
By utilizing less of your home for storage, you can create space dedicated to the activities you enjoy.
For example, an empty spare room can be transformed into a home gym, painting studio or yoga space.
27. Embrace a “homebody” mentality
A minimalist-style home is less cluttered and messy, which can make it more enjoyable to spend time at home.
You may find yourself happier staying home as opposed to going out as often.
28. Improve your social media posts
If you’re a big fan of social media, you know aesthetic is an important part of making your pictures and videos stand out.
Your minimalist desk, home and outfits will give you Instagram-worthy content effortlessly.
29. Worry less about your pets
If you own pets, particularly puppies or destructive animals, you’ve likely had some of your possessions destroyed or at least chewed up with teeth marks.
By owning less, your pets are less likely to get into trouble when you’re not around, and there are fewer opportunities for destruction.
30. Teach your family to value experiences
A minimalist who is in a position to influence their families can help lead by example and teach the important lesson that experiences and memories can be more important than possessing tangible items.
31. Create more cargo space in your vehicles
Becoming a minimalist can mean no longer using your vehicle for everyday storage.
By opening up extra cargo space in your vehicle, you have more potential to use it for camping, road trips, special activities and more.
32. Control your allergies
Allergies are often triggered by dust, dander and pollen than can easily cling to your belongings and get trapped in your home.
The fewer items you have collecting dust or getting exposed to allergens, the less you’ll experience your allergy symptoms.
33. Enhance your fashion skills
There are many benefits to a minimalist wardrobe, including saved closet space and reduced decision time when choosing outfits.
Stocking your closet with just a few essentials – like a good pair of jeans and simple items designed for layering – you can mix and match your outfits with ease.
34. Produce less garbage
Almost every item you purchase comes with some sort of garbage, like tags, packaging and disposable pieces.
You may be surprised by how much less trash you produce after adapting a minimalist lifestyle.
35. Explore multi-functional items
Minimalism may prompt you to explore multi-function tools that can replace the need for several others.
There are many multi-functional gadgets available for kitchen, home improvement and cleaning purposes.
36. Clear out garage space
It’s incredible easy to let junk pile up in your garage, eliminating valuable space in your home.
By clearing out your garage, you can create room to park your household vehicle(s) to avoid rain, snow and direct heat.
37. Transform empty space into income
As a minimalist, you may no longer have a need for the extra room in your home. Consider leasing the room to a tenant for a steady stream of income on a monthly basis.
38. Satisfy your visual senses
Minimalist spaces look amazing, that’s why minimalism is one of the most popular styles of home design.
You’ll love the visual appeal of your clean home, desk, car and outfits once they are free from clutter and mess.
39. Avoid the hassle of broken items
From glass to technology, almost all of your belongings have the potential to break. By owing less, you’re less likely to break your possessions and need to replace them.
40. Prepare for emergencies
An emergency can happen at any time, and at some point in your life, you may need to pack up and leave in a hurry.
When you have fewer possessions, you’re much more prepared to plan for a natural disaster or family emergency.
41. Enjoy more time in your day
Minimalist habits save time in many areas of life, including cleaning, shopping and organizing.
You can use your extra time to be productive, or try to incorporate more relaxing moments into your daily routine.
42. Save money on insurance
High-value items often require insurance, and your renter’s and home insurance rates may vary based on the value of the possessions in your home.
By owning less, you may save on insurance premiums.
43. You can define minimalism however you’d like
There are many ways to define minimalism, whether you’re referring to physical items in your life, your style of home or your mentality.
You can personalize your definition of how you like to live minimally, without adhering to certain standards.
44. Inspire others to make a change
There are many benefits of adapting a minimalist lifestyle, and the people in your life will likely notice you thriving after you make a change.
You can inspire others to rid themselves of clutter and experiment with minimalism.
45. Start a new chapter in your life
Finally, becoming a minimalist allows you to create a fresh, clean slate in your life. Minimalism can help you start the next chapter in your life, leaving clutter, mess and disarray behind.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re pursuing minimalism for cost savings, improved mental health, better time management or any of the other exciting benefits, there is no doubt you can start living a better life after de-cluttering your life.
You can easily begin living a minimal life by starting with a plan, ridding yourself of the unnecessary items or thoughts that are holding you back and constantly reminding yourself that “less is more.” Are you ready to become a minimalist? Share your comments below!