Every time the seasons change, I like to take a look at my habits, and decide if there’s anyway to streamline them, to minimize them, or to reduce my consumption.
Can I reduce my expenses in any way? Can I stop consuming something that I’ve always thought is necessary, and what do I really, truly need to add to my home this fall to make life a little bit easier to live?
I find these reflective questions to be an excellent way to intentionally and mindfully reduce the volume of stuff in my home.
As a minimalist in a 400 square foot house, I feel that it’s important to continually try to minimize and remove clutter from my house. I’m always trying to weed out the stuff that I don’t need, keep only the functional or beautiful items, and find new homes for the stuff that no longer needs to be a part of my life.
Here are a few ways I’m going to keep my minimalist philosophy in play this fall.
Decorations
With fall, comes the urge to decorate. Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner, and the crispness of the fall air makes me want to put up new art, and invest in a few decorations. This fall, I’m going to try to only purchase compostable or recyclable decorations. There are a few ways I’m going to achieve this:
Plants – I love fall Mums. They are a gorgeous colour, they handle the cold air well, and they remind me of fall in a big way. The best part? When they are finished for the season, I can toss them in the compost pile and not have to worry about storing them for the next fall.
Jack-o-Lanterns – I haven’t carved a pumpkin in ages, but I think this would be a great way to get in the Halloween spirit without having to accumulate more stuff. Plus, pumpkin pie perhaps? Yum.
Printables – A printable is a free graphic that you can print out with your home printer and frame. They are typically free but you can find very high quality ones for a low fee. The best part? Because they are free, they’re easy to swap out as the seasons change, and toss into the recycling when they’ve outlived their novelty.
Halloween Costumes
For the last few years I’ve dressed up for Halloween. This year, I’m not sure if I’m going to. I’m not really crazy about the idea of a bunch of useless costumes taking up space in my closet. I could donate them, but odds are they’d end up in a landfill eventually, so it might be easiest to just abstain. Better for the wallet too!
Do you plan on dressing up?
Warmer Clothing
Whenever the seasons change, I get the urge to shop. To combat this, I make sure to dig out all of my winter gear that has been packed away for the summer. I wash it all and make sure it’s ready to be used, so I can make a mental inventory of what I already have. No need to buy duplicates.
Summer Stuff
Before I pack away my summer stuff, my dresses, my sandals, my patio furniture and camping gear, I make go through everything. I try to pick out stuff that I didn’t use, that no longer fits, or that doesn’t make sense to keep, and I try to get rid of it. What’s the sense in packing stuff away if it has no benefit to me?
Fall is one of my favourite seasons. The trees change, the warm sweaters and gloves come out, and the wonderful smell of wood smoke permeates the air. It’s also a great chance to take a look at some of your habits of consumption and trim them down to help save money, clutter and environmental impact.
What’s your favourite part of fall?
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