If you’re thinking of becoming a minimalist, you’ve likely heard about the benefits you can expect, such as saving money, time and space. However, minimalist living comes with some drawbacks as well.
In this post, I’ll share 10 surprising things that will happen if you embrace minimalist living – the good, the bad and the ugly.
10 Things Happen When You Become a Minimalist
Here are 10 things you can expect to happen when you become a minimalist.
1. Your Home Will Rarely Get Messy
I can’t remember the last time I looked inside my kitchen sink and felt overwhelmed by the amount of dishes I had to wash. Or spent longer than ten minutes folding laundry.
The thing about owning less, is that messes simply don’t pile up. If you only own two plates, you’ll only ever have two plates to wash. With a paired down wardrobe, you’ll never try on a million outfits before settling on the first one and needing to put away a mountain of clothes afterward.
As a minimalist, things rarely get messy. But they do get dirty.
Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you’ll never have to clean your house again. You’ll still have to wipe down your countertops and mop your floors. But as far as messes go, you’ll have far fewer to clean up because you won’t have the stuff to make messes in the first place.
2. You Will Ask to Borrow Things, a Lot
Being a minimalist means letting go of any ‘what if’ or ‘just in case’ items and only holding onto things that you truly need and use. As you can imagine, this approach isn’t always practical, especially when it comes to emergencies.
Owning only the essentials means that you won’t have certain items on hand when you need them, like a fancy dress for a special occasion or a specific tool for a home repair project.
While renting the things that you need can help, it may not always be feasible or convenient. It can also get pretty costly.
What I’ve realized over the years is that being a minimalist means needing to borrow things, a lot. Luckily, my friends are supportive of my lifestyle and are always willing to let me play dress up in their closets or borrow extra chairs if I have guests over.
3. You Will Be Resourceful
As a minimalist, extreme or not, you’ll want to pair down your belongings. This means letting go of certain things that you’ve become accustomed to using but deep down, know you don’t really need.
For me, this meant challenging my belief systems surrounding my stuff. I began asking myself if I really needed some of the things I owned or if I was just used to seeing them in other people’s homes or wardrobes.
For instance, one of the first things I got rid of as a minimalist was my bath mat.
Bath mats have always kind of grossed me out. There’s just no easy way to clean them and they just lye there, collecting water like a sponge and getting moldy. When I started downsizing, I knew I wanted to get rid of it. So, I had to be resourceful. What could I use instead?
A hand towel.
I’ve been using hand towels in place of a bath mat for years now. I own two of them, and at any given moment, one is either being used as a hand towel or as a bath mat. Sure, it might not be as aesthetic as a bath mat because let’s be honest, there are some really cute one’s out there. But it’s so much more practical for me.
Being a minimalist means finding ways to make items serve multiple purposes. It’s about questioning whether you truly need something or if there’s a simpler, more efficient way to do things. Like giving up your toaster and toasting your bread in the oven, or in my case, using a hand towel as a bath mat. Sure, it might seem unconventional, but it works, and that’s all that matters.
4. You Will Be More Attached to Your Belongings
Many people think that minimalists don’t care about their stuff, but on the contrary, minimalists probably care about their stuff way more than most.
I mean think about it. If you use the same mug every single day, you’ll become pretty attached to it since it’s the only one you have. Instead of leaving it around with an inch of coffee left at the bottom, you’ll wash it immediately and probably by hand so you don’t risk breaking it in the dishwasher. Whereas if you own 20 mugs, what’s stopping you from being rough with them? After all, if a few end up stained or chipped, you’ll still have plenty of clean mugs at your disposal.
As a minimalist you’ll find that you’re way more attached to your belongings. Even ordinary household items.
5. You Won’t Always Save Money
There’s this common belief that being a minimalist automatically means saving loads of money, and in most cases, it’s true. But not always.
You see, the minimalist lifestyle isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about shifting your focus from owning things to investing in experiences. And let’s be honest, sometimes those experiences can be pricier than a new pair of shoes.
As a minimalist, I’ve saved so much money by breaking my shopping addiction. But this money doesn’t always go straight into my savings account. Instead, I’ve been treating myself to festival tickets, spontaneous trips, and flights more than ever before.
So, if you’re a minimalist trying to save money, you’ll need to be mindful not to funnel all that cash your saving into experiences, at least not all the time.
6. You Will Get Teased for Not Owning a Lot of Stuff
Some people are uncomfortable with empty spaces.
Just the other day, a coworker came into my office and teased me for how bare it was. He even offered to give me some event posters to put up on the walls.
Friends, family members and even my landlord have also poked fun at my undecorated home, saying that it looks like I just moved in. Again, these exchanges usually end in someone offering me their lamp, unloved art print or rug to fill up the space.
As a minimalist, you’ll have these conversations time and time again.
7. Gift-Giving Holidays May Be Awkward
As a minimalist, you’ll also have to have some hard conversations with your loved ones about gift giving.
After all, if you declutter your home just to accumulate a bunch of stuff over the holidays, you’ll never dig yourself out of the clutter.
But these conversations can definitely be awkward. After all, gift giving is a love language and your friends and family may become upset with you if you ask them not to give you material gifts or tell them you don’t want something they’re offering you.
Although having these conversations is difficult, it’s necessary. Just approach them with patience and understanding.
8. Your Home and Wardrobe Won’t Necessarily Be ‘Aesthetic’
As a minimalist, I’ve learned that the ‘minimalist aesthetic‘ and minimalism isn’t the same thing.
When I was decluttering my home for the first time, I decided to keep the stuff I loved, the things I actually wore, used, and needed. And you know what? They didn’t all match some Instagram-perfect aesthetic. They were just things I genuinely liked.
If your goal with minimalism is to make your home and wardrobe look picture perfect, you might end up tossing out stuff that’s perfectly functional and that’s not really what minimalism is all about.
9. Your Home Will Bring You a Sense of Peace
You know that saying, “cluttered space, cluttered mind”? Well, for us minimalists, the opposite is true.
Now I’m not saying that our minds are always clutter-free, no way. But I am saying that our homes bring us a sense of peace instead of overwhelm.
As a minimalist, everything in your home has a purpose and a place. You’ll never find yourself rummaging through a pile of random trinkets to find your keys or losing your favorite shirt in the back of your closet. Instead, your home is a reliable and calming space.
10. You Will Become a High Maintenance Shopper
It took me three months to buy a sun shirt. I’m not kidding.
I knew I needed one, but I also wanted to make sure that it was exactly what I wanted. I did tons of research, compared prices, and finally landed on the perfect sun shirt. And now, it’s one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe.
As a minimalist you’ll become a high maintenance shopper. You’ll spend a lot more time researching things to buy, but buy a whole lot less. Sometimes, you’ll even spend weeks contemplating buying something just to realize that you don’t actually need it after all.
This is because when you truly love everything you own, you’ll become addicted to that feeling of simplicity. You’ll find that the bar is set a whole lot higher for anything extra you bring into your life.
In Conclusion
It’s impossible to summarize every single way that minimalism has changed my life, but I hope that this post gave you a better idea of what happens when you become a minimalist.
In the comments below, let me know what being a minimalist is like for you!
Betsy says
I’m trying to move things out but I’m seeing I have too much. I’m married and when I donate my husband gets nervous. We have so many artistic friends and they give us beautiful items. I appreciate it but don’t want it. I can admire something but not have to have it. Christmas is coming and I love the holidays but I don’t know how to gently break the gift habit.
barefootminimalists says
Hi Betsy! I completely understand your situation. It’s challenging when thoughtful gifts contribute to clutter. How about gently letting your friends know that you prefer consumable gifts? Things like soap refills, chocolates, or even experiences like concert tickets. This way, your friends can still give you gifts without cluttering your home. Open communication is key in expressing your feelings, and genuine friends will understand and support your choice for a clutter-free space.