American Peoplae in minimalist lifestyle

Brutal recession and lingering economic stagnation have massively expanded the ranks of Americans who espouse a minimalist lifestyle. Reduced income and assets forced reductions in spending. Voluntarily making further cuts in spending offers a way to regain control.
It’s fun to read blog posts written by someone who sold or gave away all of his possessions and now lives out of a backpack. But who wants to live with a maximum of 25 material possessions? Or even 100?Different Approaches to Minimalist Lifestyles
Minimalism refers primarily to a philosophy of living rather than a one-size-fits-all set of rules. Eliminating unnecessary possessions that waste resources and don’t add meaningful joy to life forms the core of a minimalist philosophy. People implement that philosophy in a way that best suits their individual preferences.
Members of the Small House Society practice minimalism by living in ultra-compact homes as small as 140 square feet. And some minimalists have no permanent home; they live essentially as nomads. Both approaches are too extreme for most people. A minimalist can also live in a “normal” sized house by making other changes - mostly getting rid of a lot of excess property.
Going minimalist all at once could be too much of a shock and lead to failure. Instead, minimize in phases to gradually adjust your minimalist comfort zone. In each phase, sort soon-to-be eliminated items based on whether you will trash, donate or sell them.Step 1 - Basic De-Clutter
In Step one, inspect all areas of your home and car. Spend no more than ten seconds making a decision on any item. If you can’t get comfortable with eliminating something within ten seconds, keep it for now. The goal in Step one is to build some momentum.
Much of what you eliminate in Step 1 will fall into the trash category. It is harder to part with something that still has value (even if it is worthless to you).Step 2 - Scale Down Your Possessions
Schedule a garage sale. Inspect your remaining belongings again. Focus on identifying items to sell. Assembling a good inventory for the garage sale provides a financial incentive for vigorously discarding excess possessions.
Commit to unloading any possession you have not used for a certain period of time. Choose a time period no longer than one year that matches your comfort zone.
As soon as you conclude the garage sale, donate everything that did not sell (and anything you previously set aside in the donation category). I usually donate my stuff to Goodwill. They open their donation receiving area every day, which makes it convenient.Step 3 - Refine and Simplify Your Life
Steps 1 and 2 generally don’t require much time, maybe just a single weekend. Step 3 is an ongoing advancement in your minimalist lifestyle. Regularly scrutinize your remaining possessions. Pare them down until you only keep what you really want.
Eliminating excess possessions frees up space in your home. Living with less clutter can have psychological benefits too because seeing the clutter can create stress. Clean surfaces and more open space have a calming effect.
As I write this hub, I have only just barely completed Step 2. Getting rid of lots of stuff I don’t miss at all was fun and inspired me to move on to Step 3.
To learn more about the minimalist philosophy, check out Leo Babauta’s zenhabits.net. Babauta’s blog even sports a calming minimalist design to complement the content. It includes a series of educational posts organized under “Start Here.”