For the past few years, minimalism has been a major buzzword. You might have seen Instagram pictures flaunting minimalist designs. Going small or bare minimum is a big trend recently, but its less-known cousin, downsizing is also beginning to make a splash?
What is Downsizing
In 2018, the average American house is 2,386 square feet. While this may seem like an adequate size for a family, it’s way too big for singles or couples. Many people have exchanged the rather conflated size of the standard house for something smaller. Some have settled for a quarter of the standard size, and some go as far as reducing their living space to 120 square feet.
Buying a smaller, and often cheaper property means that they’ll save a lot of money, and the small home means having to spend less on upkeep. Having a smaller real estate allows people to focus on their passions; not having too much that they’re distracted all the time.
The question of “do you really need all of these” is something that’s inherent to both philosophies and is something that everyone should ask their selves at some point.
Should You Downsize?
Simply put, if you can afford to downsize your home and would want to reap the benefits of living in a low maintenance house, then by all means. You can even have a custom home built to your taste. And with the money that you’ll be spending on a smaller property, you might just have enough to build your dream house, albeit smaller.
However, if you’re not in a position to spend on real estate, don’t worry. While downsizing is often used to shifting from living in a large house to a smaller one, the concepts that the philosophy holds apply to everyone. Especially one of its major tenets: decluttering.
Downsizing and Decluttering
Downsizing and Decluttering go hand in hand, as you cannot really live in a smaller house if you bring all of your things with you. Even if you’re not moving to a smaller house, decluttering brings a certain sense of satisfaction. You might find that you have more space in your house than you initially thought, or fewer items mean you fewer distractions around the house. Whatever your reason may be, here are some tips on how you can declutter your home.
1. Start Small
You don’t have to immediately dedicate a day to decluttering. Especially if you’re a busy person. Instead, what you can do is make a box that’s marked “declutter”. Go about your everyday life, and every time you spot something that you don’t use anymore, drop it in the box. Soon enough you’ll find that you’re due for donating a bunch of stuff you don’t need.
2. Pull Out the Bottom Layer of Your Wardrobe
If you fold your clothes and put them in a cabinet or drawer, chances are the clothes at the top layer are the only ones you’re actually using. You can grab the bottom-most clothes, and see if they’re bound for decluttering. You might also find that favorite shirt you’ve always been looking for.
3. Empty Your Cupboards
We tend to push back ingredients we don’t often use deeper into our cupboards. This results in having 6-month-old jars of chili and other spices. Dedicate a weekend to picking your cupboard clean, throwing out whatever it is that you never really used- and it’s a great way to tell yourself never to buy these ingredients again. This can save you money as you know you have no use for them anyway.
4. Unload Your “Junk Drawer”
Almost everyone has a drawer that’s filled with junk and trinkets they’ve accumulated over the years. This is mostly filled with things that we find fascinating at some point and lost interest after. If you’re confused about how to start your decluttering, this is a great place to start. Emptying out your junk drawer is a great way to start your decluttering journey.
5. Sell or Donate Old Gadgets
With the rapid advancements of technology comes a constant need to upgrade our devices. Phones barely last 2 years anymore, with newer and faster models released in less than a year. This has resulted in most of us have a large amount of unused technology. You can make quick cash off of these, or even donate them to those who need it.
Downsizing isn’t as extreme or aesthetic as minimalism, but it’s just as valid. It sounds crazy when you’re simply reading it, but to these people, downsizing was a personal decision that would enable them to better spend their energy and finances on things that matter to them.
