This is Part 2 of my post. You can read Part 1 here
In Part 1, I forgot to introduce the concept of Margin Rate of Return
Definition of margins rate of return in the context of minimalism for me is the maximum amount of satisfaction from ownership or consumption.
Examples:
1) If hamburger is your favourite food, and you could eat 2 and a half hamburgers in one go before you no longer enjoy it, then a minimalist should eat no more than 2 and a half burger. Any more than that is a waste (of money, food, energy and cost required required to produce the meal)
2)You buy a hammer, it is not frequently tool used by most but provided it is well utilised in the time of need, then the it is not a waste. But if you own a few pair of hammers where most of them just sit ideally and never used, then the rate of return is extremely low and thus considered over consumption.
WHY BE A MINIMALIST
There are plenty of good reasons to be a minimalist, or at least someone who makes a conscious effort to cut down on wasteful consumptions.
1) Finite Resources – We live in a world where tangible resources are harder and harder to come by. Be it precious metals, oil, water or rare earth. Value of all these resources is rising because of its scarcity. Seeking resources from other planets is an alternative but not a solution.
2) Cost Saving – Buying less means spending less. Cost of maintenance and storage should also be put into consideration.
3) Healthy Lifestyle – When we have limited resources, we are forced to do more manual labour and challenge our minds to look for alternative solutions.
4) Hassel Free – Moving or traveling is easier for minimalist. It means less time packing and more time to enjoy the destination.
5) Ethics – Consumerism drove the economy of the past few decades, the ugly side of it has had a negative impact to waste, environmental degradation, social economy between the developed and third world countries.
6) Less Stress – Cleaning, location, replacing, repairing and storing tangible item takes effort.
7) Greater Appreciation/Gratitude – Someone with less generally have a greater appreciation on all tangible and intangibles such as time, relationships & value of their possessions.
8) Expand Your Creativity – When you have less tools and equipments, you are forced to think outside of the box and be creative.
9) It Gets Easier With Time – Like all habits, you will get used to it and it only gets easier as time progresses.
10) More Time For What You Love – Decluttered lifestyle give you less opportunity to be busy. Hence more time for meaningful activities.
11) Reduce/Eliminate Debt – Minimalist spend less and have more resources to pay off debt.
12) Environment – Everything we consume, be it electricity, water or electronic devices is sourced from all corners of planet earth. Impact of every decision we make can have positive/negative implications to our surroundings.
13) More Space – Obviously, less items around us meaning more free living space.
14) More Focused – We live in an age where we multitask, it is often that we have too much around us that we get forgetful.
GUIDES AND TIPS
Start Young – Like all lifestyle, religion and habits. It is best to start young. Once we are used to minimalism, it comes naturally to every decision we make.
Conviction – When there is a reason, passion will follow.
Baby steps – Start small, make small compromises and follow through.
Research & Survey – There isn’t a one-size-fit-all guide to minimalism. Best to spend time to do some research and then figure out a way to compromise to fit you and your family.
Plan Ahead – Impulsive consumption can greatly be reduced if one has an action plan.
Incentives & Rewards – Set an action plan to reduce spending, wastage or decluttering. Then break them down into achievable goals and clarify the rewards upon accomplishment of those set goals.
Competition – Healthy competition with friends and family is always a good motivation.
EXAMPLES
We sometimes receive free toys or dust collecting gifts for products we purchase and can just politely decline the free gifts.
When we are full and no longer need of any more water, say no the waiter who offers to fill up your cup.
Before you discard an item, challenge yourself to see if you can put it to good use.
Brightside on Facebook has a lot of useful ideas. If the item is to be discarded, then try to either donate or recycle where possible.Take quick showers, personally, I would play a song on my iPhone and I try to be all done before the start of the next song.
Be careful about good deals. If we get discount on items that will eventually be used, then it is a good idea to take advantage of the discount. On the other hand, buying something at a steep discount that we never use is a waste.
Try to adopt the 30 day rule on items we want buy. This rule applies to something you want, as opposed to need. If the urge to buy still exists after 30 days, go ahead and buy it. This is a good way to reduce compulsive buying.
Another method to reduce compulsive buying is to prepare a shopping list and shop for best deals.
Get a used or cheap blender for organic wastes. End product is suitable to make compost for plants around the house. Organic wastes can sometimes be food to wild animals.
Have a storage box for recycles and make it a weekend to bring the entire family to the recycling plant or donation collection centre. Trips like these are educational for family with children and good opportunity for family bonding.
Where possible, avoid taking elevator/escalator. A few extra steps are not only healthy but saves electricity.
Save energy on electricity by running regular maintenance on electronic devices or appliances. Physically cleaning or updating software may help.
Bring containers when buying food. Styrofoam and plastic casing are cheap and convenient but extremely bad to the environment.
Do not be shy to borrow or ask. If there is something you need that is not used by someone for years, just ask to borrow or buy for a low price. There is a chance that you may even get it for free.
Buy quality products for something that will be used to the end of life. Only buy cheap & low quality product for something that is rarely used.
Swiss army knife, hard liquor, salt, vinegar, rubber bands, modern cooking pots and any durable or discretionary multipurpose products are minimalists’ best friends.
I can write a few articles with more examples and maybe I will in the future.
Here is a good documentary that I enjoy:
Thank You For Reading My Post. I am most passionate about photography and eager to help fellow Steemians to improve on their photography skill. I am happy to give free tutorial, offer advice and step by step instructions to help you take better photos. You can contact me on Discord at orangila#9358
