Mooi artikel: minimalistisch leven!
In ons kleine appartementje is ruimte sowieso een gewild item, en alles
wat we niet gebruiken komt al gauw weer in een kringloopdoos terecht,
of wordt opgespaard voor vrienden en familie waarvan we vrij zeker weten
dat zij het leuk zullen vinden. Past het bij jou om eens grondig door
je materieel heen te lopen?
Dit artikel geeft zeven tips om te beginnen:
7 Ways to Sample Living With Less
1. Clothes. According to statistics, we wear 20% of
our clothes 80% of the time. That means that many of us have closets
full of clothes that we no longer like or no longer fit us correctly.
They are just taking up space. The simple exercise of going through your
closet and removing all unused clothing leaves your closet lighter,
your mornings less stressful, and your wardrobe full of things you love.
Give your lighter wardrobe 30 days to work its magic… you’ll never miss
those unused clothes.
2. Decorations. Many of the decorations in our homes
hold no personal value to our lives. They just simply happened to match
the color of the carpet or be on sale when we walked into the store.
Unfortunately, they are distracting you and your guests from the
decorations in your home that share your story and highlight your
values. Take a moment to walk through your home with a discerning eye.
Leave only the decorations that are the most meaningful and the most
beautiful. Your home will begin to share your story in a beautiful way.
And your old decorations will likely end up on sale at your next garage
sale.
3. Toys. Too often, we fall into the line of
thinking that says more is better… and so do our kids. We begin to
purchase and collect far too many toys for our children. As a result,
our children have no need to learn how to be creative, helpful, careful,
or sharing. In that regard, fewer toys may benefit your kids in
numerous ways. Although you may want to consult your children before you
relocate their unused toys, there’s a pretty good chance that after
only a few weeks the old, unused toys will be forgotten (except by
whomever used to pick them all up).
4. Cooking Utensils. There never seems to be enough
storage space in our kitchens. Yet most of our grandmothers cooked far
more often, far more elaborately, and far better than many of us today…
in much smaller kitchens. The truth is that when it comes to cooking,
simple is almost always better. We need far less cooking utensils than
we currently own. As a result, our drawers, cabinets,
and countertops can be far better organized and useful if we simply
owned less. To give this experiment a shot, check out this article from
the New York Times:
A No Frills Kitchen Still Cooks. Then,
store all your unnecessary utensils in a plastic bin, put them away out
of sight, and see if you just enjoy cooking a little bit more in your
new, clutter-free environment.
5. Televisions. According to
Nielsen,
the average person watches 4 hours, 35 minutes of television each day.
And the average American home now has more television sets than people.
That threshold was crossed within the past two years. There are 2.73 TV
sets in the typical home and 2.55 people. In the average American home, a
television set is turned on for more than a third of the day — 8 hours,
14 minutes to be exact. We are literally sitting on the couch while
life passes us by. Experiment with owning less televisions. As a result,
you will watch less. And when you do, you will be more apt to do it
together as a family.
6. Counter-tops. Clutter is a form of distraction.
It pulls at our attention and redirects our thoughts – even for just an
instant. Everything sitting out on your countertops competes for your
attention. Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to these
distractions that we don’t even notice them anymore… until they are
removed. Experiment, even for just 7 days, with keeping your countertops
completely clear. Store things in drawers, cabinets, pantries, or
temporary storage boxes. After one week, you’ll likely return some of it
for the sake of convenience, but I’d bet my bottom dollar that you
won’t return all of it.
7. Furniture. It may require some heavy-lifting, but
if you’re up for the challenge, removing excess furniture from your
rooms will immediately open up significant space and airflow in your
home. The rarely-used pieces of furniture in your home are quickly
recognizable and taking up more space than you realize. Oh sure, this
experiment requires a place to store your furniture during the trial
period, but it’s a quick and easy way to remove some of the largest
clutter from your home.
