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bremon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,853
The thread title is absolute perfection.

Did anyone else feel some temptation with prime days? I tend to browse and see things that seem useful and then inevitably just sit and let the deal pass by because I realize the "savings" is ultimately the main appeal. The sense of urgency that gets instilled in you with FOMO is really powerful and it's not surprising that people get addicted to consumption.
 
Oct 28, 2017
10,000
The thread title is absolute perfection.

Did anyone else feel some temptation with prime days? I tend to browse and see things that seem useful and then inevitably just sit and let the deal pass by because I realize the "savings" is ultimately the main appeal. The sense of urgency that gets instilled in you with FOMO is really powerful and it's not surprising that people get addicted to consumption.
Maybe when I was younger but being poor helps there.
 

bremon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,853
Maybe when I was younger but being poor helps there.
I've found that reining in spending on BS that hasn't improved my life has lead to a lot less financial stress. Minimalism has helped enable me to invest, and lower my cost of living, which has lead to much less stress in my life. Minimalism when you don't have any other option wouldn't have the same effect I don't think; scarcity just adds tremendous stress to life.
 

shoptroll

Member
May 29, 2018
3,680
Did anyone else feel some temptation with prime days? I tend to browse and see things that seem useful and then inevitably just sit and let the deal pass by because I realize the "savings" is ultimately the main appeal.

I think I've been disappointed by the previous two or three prime days that I didn't even bother looking this year 😂
 
Oct 28, 2017
10,000
I've found that reining in spending on BS that hasn't improved my life has lead to a lot less financial stress. Minimalism has helped enable me to invest, and lower my cost of living, which has lead to much less stress in my life. Minimalism when you don't have any other option wouldn't have the same effect I don't think; scarcity just adds tremendous stress to life.
Well, there is insectionality/orthogonality between Minimalism and Frugality.
 

Gilver

Banned
Nov 14, 2018
3,725
Costa Rica
Living in minimalism has been my home life for about 6 months and damn is it effective, you just learn to appreciate the small things more. Also just moved to a extremely small apartment and I cant go back to something much bigger since everything is where it needs to be and everything is close and i get everything clean in a small amount of time. The way smaller living space has really helped me relax
 
OP
OP
Oct 27, 2017
12,238
The thread title is absolute perfection.

Did anyone else feel some temptation with prime days? I tend to browse and see things that seem useful and then inevitably just sit and let the deal pass by because I realize the "savings" is ultimately the main appeal. The sense of urgency that gets instilled in you with FOMO is really powerful and it's not surprising that people get addicted to consumption.
I looked at what was discounted but honestly it was just a bunch of random stuff I don't need. Maybe you have to hunt for specific items and price errors but I don't find it that enticing.
 
Oct 27, 2017
21,518
I was doing this before it was cool. When I got divorced about a decade ago and had to downscale from a 4 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom apartment, I went HAM. I got rid of so much crap and I miss none of it.
 

bremon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,853
I think I've been disappointed by the previous two or three prime days that I didn't even bother looking this year 😂
A lack of work gave me the free time to browse for specific things I wanted (some woodworking tools), and there were some killer deals for things I already have and don't need more of. Nothing for things I actually wanted.

Living in minimalism has been my home life for about 6 months and damn is it effective, you just learn to appreciate the small things more. Also just moved to a extremely small apartment and I cant go back to something much bigger since everything is where it needs to be and everything is close and i get everything clean in a small amount of time. The way smaller living space has really helped me relax
I've basically been living out of a suitcase and a couple boxes for the past year. Joys of working away, and now the rest of what I own is in a storage unit and I don't feel like moving more permanently during a pandemic. It's certainly been manageable but my woodworking stuff and adjustable weights are in storage which would a) fill my days better and b) make my fitness regimen easier. Pros and cons.

I looked at what was discounted but honestly it was just a bunch of random stuff I don't need. Maybe you have to hunt for specific items and price errors but I don't find it that enticing.
It definitely has yard sale vibes.
 

Terrell

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,624
Canada
The thread title is absolute perfection.

Did anyone else feel some temptation with prime days? I tend to browse and see things that seem useful and then inevitably just sit and let the deal pass by because I realize the "savings" is ultimately the main appeal. The sense of urgency that gets instilled in you with FOMO is really powerful and it's not surprising that people get addicted to consumption.
Well, not supporting Amazon whenever possible certainly cuts down on that A LOT.

But yeah, if the things on sale aren't on my wish lists, I really don't mind not paying attention.
 

Fuu

Teyvat Traveler
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,361
I always had a problem with too much stimuli and options in my life, but it took me years to realize that. I spent those years only changing or adding more things around me (physical and digital) without ever feeling true satisfaction. Getting into minimalism earlier this year changed my life. Comprehending it's about intentionality and not having a specific number of things does wonders. Actually, all of my current practices mainly have to do with being deliberate and focused in a way that feels natural and light — minimalism, mindfulness meditation, stoicism, deep work. Learning to go easy on myself while putting in the effort.

I did the KonMari method during two weeks in November 2019, then kept adjusting it little by little. Now I can say I'm fully satisfied with the things I own and how my routine works. The good thing about the KonMari method is that it gets you face to face with everything, and it takes so much effort that you swear to never having to do it again, lol. It is very interesting and fun overall though, it's also about being intentional and getting your life in order. It's hard work, but it pays off greatly.

Minimalism truly shines a light on what matters most for you and makes space for the important stuff. Things have a cost that goes beyond the financial, I always keep that in mind now whenever I need to purchase something. Feels damn good to not be into the crazy consumption drive most people seem to be into too.
 

skeptem

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,745
I just moved and this seems like the perfect time to start selling off all my old video games and such. After moving boxes and boxes of vintage stuff, I need to lighten the load.
 

shnurgleton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,864
Boston
Not a minimalist, but my girlfriend is. Used to collect a lot of shit but have been trying to downsize a bit and limit it to my record collection. If anybody is interested in a bunch of video game shit I can start putting together a list of things for yall
 

Enthus

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,581
The thread title is absolute perfection.

Did anyone else feel some temptation with prime days? I tend to browse and see things that seem useful and then inevitably just sit and let the deal pass by because I realize the "savings" is ultimately the main appeal. The sense of urgency that gets instilled in you with FOMO is really powerful and it's not surprising that people get addicted to consumption.

I bought some eShop gift cards, some Hot Wheels sets on sale for Christmas presents for nephews, and a new SSD. So I spent a bit, but didn't really add to my "clutter". I was tempted to buy some records for B2G1, but I told myself I didn't need anymore since I still have a handful of unlistened ones from the past few months.
 
OP
OP
Oct 27, 2017
12,238
I just moved and this seems like the perfect time to start selling off all my old video games and such. After moving boxes and boxes of vintage stuff, I need to lighten the load.
Moving is the #1 factor that motivated me to get rid of my possessions. I just recently moved again and it was still a pain in the ass, and I don't have nearly as much now.
 

John Rabbit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,094
How do you all deal with a spouse that does not ascribe to minimalism?

About 1-2 times a year I go through a "purge" phase where I get rid of more and more things to the point where I'd say 70-75% of all the "things" in my home belong to my wife. She is not a hoarder by any stretch, but she does own and likes to own a lot of stuff and the presence of said stuff is sort of a constant...agitation...for me. It's not necessarily putting a strain on our marriage, it's more the reality of me noticing how much of this stuff she doesn't actually interact with/use/engage with in any way, shape or form, but when I suggest "Hey maybe we get rid of these Funko pops you never admire" it almost always becomes some kind of argument.

Also how do you all feel about things like yearbooks/photo albums? I have several yearbooks in a box in the closet and every time I see it I just...wish it wasn't there. But at the same time those are some very pointed and tangible sources of memories. I wish I could just reference them online or something. They're so heavy and take up space I'd rather have back.
 

Deleted member 46493

User requested account closure
Banned
Aug 7, 2018
5,231
Really need to "minimize" my kitchen - I have a kitchen larger than most in NYC but I keep thinking it's cluttered. Worst part is I barely cook lol.
 

Deleted member 4367

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
12,226
How do you all deal with a spouse that does not ascribe to minimalism?

About 1-2 times a year I go through a "purge" phase where I get rid of more and more things to the point where I'd say 70-75% of all the "things" in my home belong to my wife. She is not a hoarder by any stretch, but she does own and likes to own a lot of stuff and the presence of said stuff is sort of a constant...agitation...for me. It's not necessarily putting a strain on our marriage, it's more the reality of me noticing how much of this stuff she doesn't actually interact with/use/engage with in any way, shape or form, but when I suggest "Hey maybe we get rid of these Funko pops you never admire" it almost always becomes some kind of argument.

Also how do you all feel about things like yearbooks/photo albums? I have several yearbooks in a box in the closet and every time I see it I just...wish it wasn't there. But at the same time those are some very pointed and tangible sources of memories. I wish I could just reference them online or something. They're so heavy and take up space I'd rather have back.
You can't make somebody else a minimalist.
 
OP
OP
Oct 27, 2017
12,238
How do you all deal with a spouse that does not ascribe to minimalism?

About 1-2 times a year I go through a "purge" phase where I get rid of more and more things to the point where I'd say 70-75% of all the "things" in my home belong to my wife. She is not a hoarder by any stretch, but she does own and likes to own a lot of stuff and the presence of said stuff is sort of a constant...agitation...for me. It's not necessarily putting a strain on our marriage, it's more the reality of me noticing how much of this stuff she doesn't actually interact with/use/engage with in any way, shape or form, but when I suggest "Hey maybe we get rid of these Funko pops you never admire" it almost always becomes some kind of argument.

Also how do you all feel about things like yearbooks/photo albums? I have several yearbooks in a box in the closet and every time I see it I just...wish it wasn't there. But at the same time those are some very pointed and tangible sources of memories. I wish I could just reference them online or something. They're so heavy and take up space I'd rather have back.
You can't without causing strain in your relationship. It has to come naturally. My mother has tried for years to get my dad get rid of stuff and it always results in my dad being in a VERY bad mood for days. I'm afraid that's something you'll have to live with it until she decides that it is time to purge.

As for the yearbooks, I honestly don't care about that stuff. I just shredded it and threw it away (didn't have much of that stuff anyway).
 

Terrell

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,624
Canada
That much is clear. Just looking for anecdotes about people in similar situations and what they do.
I mean, if it's a big point of contention, maybe counselling? It's not just for people about to get a divorce.
I won't speak to your wife's state of mind authoritatively, but one could almost read her behaviour as spatial over-writing. Like because you've made the space, it's provided an opportunity to fill it with her possessions, to make the space hers instead of a space for the both of you.
 
Oct 28, 2017
10,000
How do you all deal with a spouse that does not ascribe to minimalism?

About 1-2 times a year I go through a "purge" phase where I get rid of more and more things to the point where I'd say 70-75% of all the "things" in my home belong to my wife. She is not a hoarder by any stretch, but she does own and likes to own a lot of stuff and the presence of said stuff is sort of a constant...agitation...for me. It's not necessarily putting a strain on our marriage, it's more the reality of me noticing how much of this stuff she doesn't actually interact with/use/engage with in any way, shape or form, but when I suggest "Hey maybe we get rid of these Funko pops you never admire" it almost always becomes some kind of argument.

Also how do you all feel about things like yearbooks/photo albums? I have several yearbooks in a box in the closet and every time I see it I just...wish it wasn't there. But at the same time those are some very pointed and tangible sources of memories. I wish I could just reference them online or something. They're so heavy and take up space I'd rather have back.
Honestly, one: I have rules where you don't buy me anything because I won't want it at all, two: I just make them responsible for their own stuff and I'm not helping you move it, and three: my half of reserved space is not for you and not for you to have more stuff. Assholish perhaps, I do have more rules but I won't accept anything less.
 

shoptroll

Member
May 29, 2018
3,680
About 1-2 times a year I go through a "purge" phase where I get rid of more and more things to the point where I'd say 70-75% of all the "things" in my home belong to my wife. She is not a hoarder by any stretch, but she does own and likes to own a lot of stuff and the presence of said stuff is sort of a constant...agitation...for me. It's not necessarily putting a strain on our marriage, it's more the reality of me noticing how much of this stuff she doesn't actually interact with/use/engage with in any way, shape or form, but when I suggest "Hey maybe we get rid of these Funko pops you never admire" it almost always becomes some kind of argument.

I hear you on this. My previous girlfriend and I went overboard with Amiibos and I think I started to loathe having them around all the time on display because we weren't using them. They were just... taking up space and collecting dust, and I think that started to get to me after a while along with all the other clutter that we had been accumulating. We never got to the point of arguing about it but looking back I can see where it might have been adding to my general stress/anxiety levels. All the figurines I took with me when we split are still sitting in boxes and it's just much more calming in my current living room which feels less cramped with fewer things in it.
 
Oct 28, 2017
10,000
I hear you on this. My previous girlfriend and I went overboard with Amiibos and I think I started to loathe having them around all the time on display because we weren't using them. They were just... taking up space and collecting dust, and I think that started to get to me after a while along with all the other clutter that we had been accumulating. We never got to the point of arguing about it but looking back I can see where it might have been adding to my general stress/anxiety levels. All the figurines I took with me when we split are still sitting in boxes and it's just much more calming in my current living room which feels less cramped with fewer things in it.
Yeah that what sucks about material possessions, they can serve as a reminder of lost/tied money or regretted decisions.
 
OP
OP
Oct 27, 2017
12,238
I hear you on this. My previous girlfriend and I went overboard with Amiibos and I think I started to loathe having them around all the time on display because we weren't using them. They were just... taking up space and collecting dust, and I think that started to get to me after a while along with all the other clutter that we had been accumulating. We never got to the point of arguing about it but looking back I can see where it might have been adding to my general stress/anxiety levels. All the figurines I took with me when we split are still sitting in boxes and it's just much more calming in my current living room which feels less cramped with fewer things in it.
Not to mention amiibos are a pain to clean!
 

shnurgleton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,864
Boston
Are you guys into like artistic minimalism too? I've been listening to this fresh recording of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians all day today
 

shoptroll

Member
May 29, 2018
3,680
Music for 18 Musicians is a great piece. But yeah definitely like acoustic minimalism pieces similar to that. It's like orchestral electronica.
 
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RatskyWatsky

Are we human or are we dancer?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,931
GameFly is also a fantastic option if there are a lot of older games that you want to play.
 

Fuu

Teyvat Traveler
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,361
For me it has been digital releases on PC for years now (on a Windows desktop attached to the TV with a wireless controller).

At first it was due to how expensive console gaming is in my country, but now I truly prefer it. Can't see myself buying another console or handheld again, PC + mobile is sufficient whenever I feel like gaming. I don't keep up with the newest releases nowadays either.
Continue my all-digital trend from the past 7-ish years and purchase fewer games/stop buying bundles and deeply discounted games I'll never buy.
Yeah, there was a point when I was knee-deep in bundle culture and my Steam library became gigantic. It got to the point where I started to treat it as a Netflix-style service of sorts, which is a good idea to take off the pressure of a "backlog".
I went through my Steam library and checked what games I'd never play and hid them.
Good idea. After being done with the physical space I've been fine tuning my digital organization, I might do something like that on Steam too.
 
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ara

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,001
Speaking of digital minimalism, I emptied my iPhone's home screen of all icons. Now the stuff I need on a daily basis, like messaging and browser, are in folders on the home bar thing and everything else is hidden away in the app library.

The point was more about reducing my phone usage (by simply making opening Instagram/Apollo/etc. take more taps I figured I'd use them less, plus I'm trying to extinguish my constant urge to buy new phones all the time lmao), but I think it fits with the minimalism theme? It seems it might have worked, the activity report I get at the start of each week said my phone usage was down 18%. I guess I'll see next Monday if the trend continues.

I have also finally started throwing useless shit away thanks to this thread. Kitchen cabinets are much tidier now, at least.
 

thenexus6

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,310
UK
Buy games on sale and sell them immediately after finishing them~

I've been doing this for years. Unless its a game I 100% will revisit in the future or as good MP I will finish a game within a week or two then resell and get back 80-90% of it's value. Best way to do it in my opinion. Kinda feels like i'm just renting it.
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
Speaking of digital minimalism, I emptied my iPhone's home screen of all icons. Now the stuff I need on a daily basis, like messaging and browser, are in folders on the home bar thing and everything else is hidden away in the app library.
I did this, too. Also deleted all social media. There are days where I put my phone on a charger out of sight and forget about it the whole day.
 

ara

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,001
I did this, too. Also deleted all social media. There are days where I put my phone on a charger out of sight and forget about it the whole day.

I've been thinking about deleting my social media accounts too. I genuinely never use Facebook anymore, but I'm guessing if I delete it, I couldn't use Instagram anymore? Which I sort of still use - to share dumb memes and cat and dog videos with the GF and others. My explore feed is mainly stuff like that, so scrolling through it is actually relaxing - no influencers, no bleak world news, no perfect beautiful super people, no nothing. Just cats and dogs and "quentined and tarantined by written directino".
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
I've been thinking about deleting my social media accounts too. I genuinely never use Facebook anymore, but I'm guessing if I delete it, I couldn't use Instagram anymore? Which I sort of still use - to share dumb memes and cat and dog videos with the GF and others. My explore feed is mainly stuff like that, so scrolling through it is actually relaxing - no influencers, no bleak world news, no perfect beautiful super people, no nothing. Just cats and dogs and "quentined and tarantined by written directino".
Yeah, I think you're right that you couldn't use it anymore, but I stopped using Instagram before I stopped using Facebook, so I'm not exactly sure. Being that you sign in with your Facebook it would make sense to me that you can't.