As a member of alow-income minimalist family who recently sold/donated over 90% of our stuff, I am here to tell you that it is entirely possible to declutter when you can’t afford new stuff. IF you are willing to change your mindset from one of fear tocontentment, that is.
How to Declutter When you Can’t Afford New Stuff
Case in point: I am a 44-year old low-income wife & mother of three children. Ages 11, 15, and 19. I grew up in poverty. Like, no food in the house (and sometimes no house) poverty. Interestingly enough, my mother (who was usually single and on welfare) was a minimalist. She just didn’t have a title for it.
Throughout my entire adult life, I have never earned enough to be considered middle-class or above.
I’ve struggled with money, budgeting, and holding on to stuff out of fear I couldn’t replace it my whole life.
And yet, somehow, I have managed to cultivate a life free of clutter and full of contentment. I’m living proof that you can declutter when you can’t afford new stuff. Here’s how.
Know the difference between WANTS and NEEDS
If you’re trying to declutter when you can’t afford new stuff, it’s important to first identify your needs versus wants. Think about it, how many times a day do you find yourself saying, “I NEED to buy…” or “We NEED a new…”
Too often, our ‘wants’ trick us into thinking they are actually ‘needs’.
For example, 9 times out of 10, I don’t actually ‘need’ another pair of shoes. Especially when the 4 pairs of shoes I already own are all in good condition and do their job of protecting my feet from the pavement.
Also, do I really NEED to buy tons of kitchen gadgets when a simple set of minimal kitchen gear (think a pot, skillet, spatula, couple of knives…) will do the job?
Truly, we only NEED:
- food
- clothing
- shelter
- transportation to and from work (so we can purchase our needs)
- love
Of course, each of our needs will require additional purchases such as:
- Food-(enough to sustain us and keep us healthy} Pots, pans, dishes, silverware, cups, refrigerator, stove, etc.
- Clothing-{just enough to cover our body and protect it from the elements} Depending on the climate, a jacket, gloves, hat, and boots may be necessary. Also, proper work attire.
- Shelter-{someplace with walls, floors, and a roof} Electricity, heat, running water…
- Transportation-{good enough to get us to and from work, doctor’s appointments, etc.} Additional purchases include: maintenance, licensing, registration fees, and taxes. If public transportation is used, fares will need to be purchased.
- Love-{if done correctly, no additional purchases are required}
More stuff means more expense. And when you live on a low income, you need to avoid added expenses like the plague.
Once our basic needs are met, we are free to sprinkle in some of our wants. Unfortunately, when you live within the boundaries of a low-income, it’s easy to let your ‘wants’ dictate how (and even IF) you declutter. This is where we need to tell ourselves, “Enough is enough!”
Because the number one thing that keeps you from decluttering when you can’t afford new stuff is the urge to keep everything because you might NEED it someday. And, if you did end up NEEDING it, you couldn’t afford to buy it. Amiright?
Once you understand the difference between NEEDS and WANTS, it becomes a lot easier to declutter. Trust me on this one. You soon come to realize that if you were to lose everything in a fire, flood, etc. you would only end up wanting to replace a fraction of it anyway.
Related Post: 10 Things To Stop Buying Today (Because You Really Don’t Need Them)
Stop comparing yourself to others {AKA you don’t have to be a minimalist}
My personal definition of minimalism is:
Reducing the unnecessary in your life -stuff, jobs, relationships, bad habits, overspending and busyness- in order to make room for the necessary *loving & serving others, living out your faith, learning, creating, and traveling* Whatever is truly important to you.”
Notice the word ‘stuff’ appears only once in my definition of minimalism. That’s because minimalism has little to do with the things we own (or choose not to own), and more to do with our overall lifestyle. Which leads me to my next point…
Don’t count your stuff (Or count ON your stuff)
Whether you like to stockpile stuff or if your goal is to become an uber-minimalist, it’s important to let go of the notion that you need (or don’t need) ‘X’ number of items to be happy.
What IS important is that the stuff you choose to keep either supports and/or enhances your current lifestyle.
What I’m saying here is that it’s perfectly okay to store a few totes of clothes which your children will grow into…as long as you have the space to do so.
You can even keep multiples of things like laundry detergent, office supplies, canned goods, etc. so long as you have a genuine need for such items, you can afford to stock up on them, and you have room to store them comfortably.
And, if you want to be a minimalist (on any income) and choose to live with the bare necessities of life…that’s okay too.
Remember: if you want to declutter when you can’t afford new stuff, it’s never actually about the stuff. It’s usually how you think about the stuff.
Which is why you should also…
Quit assigning emotions to ‘things’ and stop letting things guide your emotions
Over the years I’ve had to learn not to become emotionally attached to stuff. When I was about 8 years old, my mother threw away all of my toys (because she thought my room was too messy). No, I didn’t get them back.
When I was in my teens, while living with my sister, she got evicted. The landlord took all of our stuff. Even my baby book.
I’ve had stuff stolen, broken, and downright destroyed. I’ve had to sell my most coveted possessions in order to pay the rent.
Through it all, I’ve learned that there’s no point in getting attached to ‘stuff’ because, in the end, it’s all temporary anyway.
I know, I know, Marie Kondo says you should ‘thank’ your belongings for their service and ‘greet’ your home when you enter it. While I agree with her methods, I do not agree with her philosophy.
Why? Because ‘stuff’ is not alive. It does not have a soul. Our stuff can’t communicate to us, love us, provide us with security. In the end, our stuff is just a bunch of plastic, wood, metal, and cloth. Nothing more.
Let go of the fear
Ultimately, it is fear which holds us back and keeps us trapped in a poverty mindset. We worry (needlessly) that we couldn’t afford to replace something if it were to break, so we hold onto all the things.
The reality is, if we can’t afford to replace something, maybe we could just do without it.
I’m not saying that if your car were to break down and you live 20 miles away from work with no neighbors or public transportation, that you can do without your car. Of course, you need reliable transportation to get back and forth to work so you can afford food and shelter.
What I’m saying is that if your dryer were to die tomorrow, or your microwave stopped working, or three of your dishes were to suddenly break, would it be the end of the world? Or could you get by without them for a while (even indefinitely)?
Not that it wouldn’t suck to have to hang your laundry to dry outside every day (or on a rack inside), heat up your food in the oven or on the stovetop (it really does take more time), or work around the fact that you have fewer dishes, but you could do it if you had to.
‘What If’s’ are the enemy of a clutter-free home. Can I get an ‘amen’?
This is where fear tends to gain the upper hand because it masquerades as common sense in disguise. OF COURSE, you might need (fill-in-the-blank) SOMEDAY! So it makes sense to keep it…right?
WRONG!
If you want to declutter when you can’t afford new stuff you should start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Can I borrow this later if I need it?
- Can I get this item for ‘free’ if I need it again?
- Do I already own another item that will do the same job?
- Do I even need this item, to begin with? Or can I live comfortably without it?
- Why am I {really} holding on to this?
Once you’ve answered these questions (honestly), you’ll know without a doubt if you are letting fear control your decisions to declutter. If you are, now may be time to deal with it. If you aren’t, congratulations! It’s time to declutter!
Cultivate a lifestyle of contentment (aka be happy with what you have)
I promise you, more money and more stuff won’t make you happier. In fact, for most people, the opposite is true. Consider this quote from Mrs. Frugalwoods:
What I’m finally learning is that my ‘enough’ includes quite a bit less stuff than I originally thought. The less money Mr. Frugalwoods and I spent inour extreme frugality approach, the happier we became. We ingrained amindset of immense gratitude, we became more content with what we have, we were liberated fromcaring what other people thought about us, and we stepped out of the rat race and off the consumer carousel of always needing more, more, more. I’m starting to see the wisdom of owning less stuff.The more I own, the more I have to clean, the more I have to store, and the more I’m responsible for.(read more here)
While I’ve done my fair share of low-income ‘boo-hooing’, I’ve learned to embrace a lifestyle of less and be happy with the little things life has to offer. And I’m confident that you can too.
Related Post: How To Be Content No Matter What Life Throws At You
Throughout the years, I’ve learned to let go of the fear that was keeping me in bondage to my stuff. I no longer allow my family’s financial situation to dictate which items I choose to keep. Over the last few months, my family and I have managed to let go of over 90% of our belongings and have moved into a tiny house.
Our needs are met, we are healthy, and we have each other. What more could anyone ask for?
READ MORE:
- How To Declutter When You Think You Don’t Have Time To
- Declutter Fast: With The Shock Treatment Declutter Method
- 10 Questions To Ask When Decluttering That Aren’t “Does it spark joy?”
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