Minimalist Crew � Misc I aware you on Minimalism

[tomcardno1]

in on this minimalist thread!

but yeah can get a lil OCD at times

[tomcardno1]

Are there any good books on the philosophy of minimalism?

^THIS. would like to know aswell, need another good book... or is having too many books not very minimalistic of me

[Ramy33]

^THIS. would like to know aswell, need another good book... or is having too many books not very minimalistic of me

Zen Habits has a few books (mostly digital format, of course :P) you might wanna check out: http://zenhabits.net/books/

Not aware of a lot of books though. Will research some more.

[dmaaack]

in.

[Cacophony]

i know this feel. imma baller on a budget. i like nice things, but refuse to pay retail for anything. for example i have 2 sets of rayban sunglasses, but i got both off ebay after patiently waiting months for a solid deal ($120 sets new for $40 and $45). after breaking numerous sets of ****ty 10 to 20 dollar glasses i bought legit ones. ive had them for several years now and they survive hella drops.

when i buy clothes, i always buy them used. these levi's i like. are $60 minimum in stores. i know my size, so i wait and score them for $15-$20 on ebay.

ive never purchased a car from a dealership. the most ive ever spent on a car was $10,000 and that was my first car and my parents paid half. since then my car purchases were $6,000, $3,000 and then $1,000. each one ive sold for roughly what i paid for it. ive never had a car payment in my life. also, considering my cars are old and not particularly valueable, i dont have collision. my insurance is LOL cheap for a sub 25 year old male.

the only thing i really indulge in persay is food. but even then, i hardly ever go out to eat unless its with a large group of friends. i buy quality food, but try to get it in bulk.

a few of my friends think im rich or something. but these same people spend all their money buying drugs, gas station crap and stuff that will never hold it's value like video games.

[Carson92]

Not sure if minimalist. I'm working towards moving into a high clearance 2.5 bay industrial building, and building a small loft overhead. Material wise I love cars, motorcycles, sleds, etc, but as long as I have those things and the tools to work on them I don't need much else. The loft will be a one room with kitchen/living room/bedroom and a seperate bathroom/laundry room. I also can be kind of OCD about things. While not cleaning/organizing often, when I do, I go haywire and everything has to be perfect and it takes me forever.

On a side note, I can't wait to go home over the holidays and throw useless crap away that's been piling in my room. Feels like a full body cleanse every time I do so.

[itshenry]

Good thread OP I've started to realize lately that minimalism is the way to go. Too many people only care about material goods, not enough about the things that really matter.

[suave2000]

soon.jpg















i'm a huge follower of minimalist architecture, as an architect it phucking sucks that 99% of clients loathe the concept of minimalism and they'll want something huge, vulgar and ugly. I would do a whole project for free if the client wanted something minimal with proper design. for example the house posted above would be very very very cheap to build, it's simple yet beautiful (and affordable) the quality of design ( which is priceless) will always trump size and banality.

One day i'll design myself a home like that for me and it will be phucking awesome!

changing the subject i do not have a smart phone or a data plan, i spend about $5 usd per month on my cellphone because i only use it for calls and texts ( both of them kept to a minimun too) and i can't tell you how much more free i feel compared to my friends with smartphones.

brb twitter/********/email/etc update followed by an annoying ring, brb i have to check that gimme 5 minutes while i stupidly stare at my phone every 30 seconds. No thanks jeff lol.

My closet is similar, i own few pieces of clothing but all of them mix and match well and they're all quality properly designed and well fitting clothes. Wherever i go i'm the best dressed guy most of the time ( no e-brag) and i spend a ridiculously low amount of money in clothing per year.

Most of the guys my age are enslaved by bills, cellphone bills, car financing, credit card debt, cable bills, etc. It's all really imprisoning i'm glad a lot of brahs here are trying to break free and choose another lifestyle.

[Ramy33]

soon.jpg















i'm a huge follower of minimalist architecture, as an architect it phucking sucks that 99% of clients loathe the concept of minimalism and they'll want something huge, vulgar and ugly. I would do a whole project for free if the client wanted something minimal with proper design. for example the house posted above would be very very very cheap to build, it's simple yet beautiful (and affordable) the quality of design ( which is priceless) will always trump size and banality.

One day i'll design myself a home like that for me and it will be phucking awesome!

changing the subject i do not have a smart phone or a data plan, i spend about $5 usd per month on my cellphone because i only use it for calls and texts ( both of them kept to a minimun too) and i can't tell you how much more free i feel compared to my friends with smartphones.

brb twitter/********/email/etc update followed by an annoying ring, brb i have to check that gimme 5 minutes while i stupidly stare at my phone every 30 seconds. No thanks jeff lol.

My closet is similar, i own few pieces of clothing but all of them mix and match well and they're all quality properly designed and well fitting clothes. Wherever i go i'm the best dressed guy most of the time ( no e-brag) and i spend a ridiculously low amount of money in clothing per year.

Most of the guys my age are enslaved by bills, cellphone bills, car financing, credit card debt, cable bills, etc. It's all really imprisoning i'm glad a lot of brahs here are trying to break free and choose another lifestyle.

Dat house hhnnnnggg

And wood hang out with you IRL for cereal, you so fkn get it man.

I have to admit i'm a bit guilty of the phone thing though. Working on it.

[takoma]

i'm a huge follower of minimalist architecture, as an architect it phucking sucks that 99% of clients loathe the concept of minimalism and they'll want something huge, vulgar and ugly. I would do a whole project for free if the client wanted something minimal with proper design. for example the house posted above would be very very very cheap to build, it's simple yet beautiful (and affordable) the quality of design ( which is priceless) will always trump size and banality.

One day i'll design myself a home like that for me and it will be phucking awesome!

Word.

My current desktop. hnnggggg



EDIT: Right-click > View Image for larger

[suave2000]

Dat house hhnnnnggg

And wood hang out with you IRL for cereal, you so fkn get it man.

I have to admit i'm a bit guilty of the phone thing though. Working on it.

thanks brah! would hang out too brah (っ◕‿◕)っ

and with your phone you don't have to drop it right away, just try to use it less and less every day, in a couple weeks you'll be at the point when you may disregard it at all and you won't miss it at all. I have to admit that smartphones come in handy in many situations the problem is that with the internet they become too connected and the pressure is always there to check if you're missing out on something (99% of the time there won't be anything relevant to check) and it's really hard to resist the urge.

And always remember brah if you value your time others will too. Disregarding a smartphone won't hurt your social life, on the contrary it when you get to see your friends/bishes face to face you'll have more to talk about.

[suave2000]

Word.

My current desktop. hnnggggg



EDIT: Right-click > View Image for larger

nice pic brah, what building is that? dat contrast between the structure and the blue sky hhhhnngggg

[LankyCollegeKid]

Quality thread, OP.

I would definitely consider myself a minimalist.

Same car my whole life, don't plan on ever upgrading because it has good mpg.

I have literally spent less than $150 on clothes, mainly because I use my older brothers hand me downs and my parents buy me more clothes than I need. I've never had more than 2 pairs of shoes, or wanted more.

I've been playing guitar for 7 years but I only have 2 guitars and I have played drums for 4 but only have 1 set because I invest and make educated purchases

I don't buy candy or junk food, I just eat whats in my parents house. No soda or coffee, just tea and water. Probably 95% of what I drink is either water or tea.

I'm legally blind and have been for as long as I can remember, but I still use the same glasses I've been wearing for the past 4 years.
Most of my product purchases come from replacing really old sht that just fell apart.

I spend most of my money on ski trips, concert tickets, musical instruments (i play drums too) and food.



I don't want a big house, and I don't really care about my future salary. I just want to love my work and have a low stress job that fulfills me.

[puddlestheduck]

How minimalist does one need to go to embrace this philosophy? I am definitely looking to cut things out of my life, but I've read through some of the links and some of it seems a bit extreme. For example, I can't see myself letting go of my smartphone/TV/wifi. Smartphone is extremely useful when I don't have access to the internet in terms of looking up places to go when I'm with friends, organizing my daily schedule with the calendar, finding directions, etc. I can cut out the social networking BS a little bit, but a smartphone has lots of utility if not abused.

Same with TV. I know lots of people claim it's an idiot box, but I love sports and some of the more intelligent shows that come on (although I usually stream these from other sites), so again, I feel as though if I use it for the right reasons, it's worth having (I don't buy HD programming and all that though).

Finally, the item that I do enjoy spending some money on is clothing (sperrys and polos crew checking in). That doesn't mean that I'm going to be an idiot and buy overpriced european stuff that goes out of style, but I like S&P's philosophy of buying higher-quality brands that aren't outrageously expensive like LV, *****, etc. and will last longer plus are classic/aren't trendy. I can probably avoid buying every shirt I think looks nice, but I do feel as though my closet would be a bit larger than a pure minimalist would like.

Other than these items, I 100% agree with the minimalist philosophy. I value my family/friends, education, health (this is super important...can't see myself working an 80 hr/week job that forces me to quit going to gym just for more money), experiences (mostly traveling), and intellectual challenges above all else. I don't care about having a huge house and would rather have a house that suits my needs and invest the money so that I can travel. Same with a cars (brb, buying a reliable Honda with good MPG versus an expensive Mercedes that costs more to repair and refuel) and other material goods that people strive to own.

My question is, how minimalist does one typically need to go and how much room is there for luxuries such as the ones I described above?

[KingContrary]

I'm a huge fan of quality over quantity. Items that will last long and can be repaired, not have to be replaced.

I also hate cheap sh*t, I'd rather have few things of high quality than many things of low quality.

I'm trying to find a balance between things that improve my life one way or another and things that actually just clutter it up.
I move around a lot and have got rid of just about everything I own and I love it. No bed, no dresser, really no extra crap just 4 duffel bags with all my clothes, recreation gear, some cookwear and my computer.

My goal is to buy a small condo / house / apartment, one floor with 2 bedrooms, den / lounge area, kitchen, 1 bath (maybe 1.5). Not exactly minimalist, but enough that I don't feel cramped, not so much as to be excessive.


A few things I want that will last a life time (or a very long time) if taken care of:

Cast iron cook wear
Kitchen knife set
A good watch
2 suits (1 grey, 1 black or navy, haven't decided)
A pair of brown oxford shoes (Maybe a second black pair)
A good leather chair
Straight razor and badger or boar hair brush (Have a DE razor right now)
Record player
Minimal pieces of hand built furniture (not sure what exactly I want, would decide after I have a space to put them)



Any bros have anything else along the same vein?

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

In.

[zindibad]

I think those links you listed go over board.

Most people are overly consumerist but the minimalist movement is overly minimalist imo

[dixon]

Nice suggestion on the phone. I have a $450 phone and I have an "unlimited" prepaid $45 plan. No contracts and I save some money in the long run.
.

How do you save money in the long run?

[dixon]

Are there any good books on the philosophy of minimalism?

walden

the power of less

life nomadic

early retirement extreme

the four hour workweek

"conscious spending" section of ramit sethi's "i will teach you to be rich"

vagabonding



all are extremely different angles, I would actually add The Fountainhead in here but people would probably disagree that it has much to do with minimalism.

[dixon]

How minimalist does one need to go to embrace this philosophy? I am definitely looking to cut things out of my life, but I've read through some of the links and some of it seems a bit extreme. For example, I can't see myself letting go of my smartphone/TV/wifi. Smartphone is extremely useful when I don't have access to the internet in terms of looking up places to go when I'm with friends, organizing my daily schedule with the calendar, finding directions, etc. I can cut out the social networking BS a little bit, but a smartphone has lots of utility if not abused.

Same with TV. I know lots of people claim it's an idiot box, but I love sports and some of the more intelligent shows that come on (although I usually stream these from other sites), so again, I feel as though if I use it for the right reasons, it's worth having (I don't buy HD programming and all that though).

Finally, the item that I do enjoy spending some money on is clothing (sperrys and polos crew checking in). That doesn't mean that I'm going to be an idiot and buy overpriced european stuff that goes out of style, but I like S&P's philosophy of buying higher-quality brands that aren't outrageously expensive like LV, *****, etc. and will last longer plus are classic/aren't trendy. I can probably avoid buying every shirt I think looks nice, but I do feel as though my closet would be a bit larger than a pure minimalist would like.

Other than these items, I 100% agree with the minimalist philosophy. I value my family/friends, education, health (this is super important...can't see myself working an 80 hr/week job that forces me to quit going to gym just for more money), experiences (mostly traveling), and intellectual challenges above all else. I don't care about having a huge house and would rather have a house that suits my needs and invest the money so that I can travel. Same with a cars (brb, buying a reliable Honda with good MPG versus an expensive Mercedes that costs more to repair and refuel) and other material goods that people strive to own.

My question is, how minimalist does one typically need to go and how much room is there for luxuries such as the ones I described above?

You definitely need to re-evaluate the TV or the Minimalist god Crato will unleash a pox upon you.

[dixon]

I would definitely consider myself a minimalist.

Same car my whole life, don't plan on ever upgrading because it has good mpg.

You mean from age 16 to age 19?

[Bonkies]

In to enjoy the simple things in life.

[abandonedship]

You never realize how much useless **** you own until you move.

I seriously was just throwing stuff away/giving stuff away for days. I'm a single dude too, like one person in my shoes should never have that much material bullshyt built up.

fukkin love minimalism.

[Bonkies]

You never realize how much useless **** you own until you move.
I seriously was just throwing stuff away/giving stuff away for days. I'm a single dude too, like one person in my shoes should never have that much material bullshyt built up.
fukkin love minimalism.

word, all you need as a single dude is a george foreman grill and a rice cooker

srs

[Darkwatcher759]

I have a bone to pick with the minimalist heros you see on the interwebs in their pristine houses. It takes a very dedicated effort to maintain a blog-worthy living space in the minimalist style.

There is no way every part of the house can look like this:


There are things which are not particularly expensive or consumerist, which any reasonable person should have, and **** all over any dreams of attaining this level of minimalism.

- Papers, documents, office supplies? Do minimalists not work at home?
- Sporting goods? Minimalists must always borrow their friend's cleats when it's time to play a pick up game at the park
- Tools? Minimalists don't build things, they never work on the house, and they get their neighbor to install their minimalist wall fixtures
- Biking equipment? Biking is pretty minimalist, I do it, but it comes with some **** that doesn't look too good, likes pumps and helmets.

That being said, my places looks like ****, probably because I'm too minimalist to purchase aesthetic storage implements for objects like that.

[OAHUGROWN808]

In. Good stuff.

[Deltrap]

In, love minimalism

[WastedLife]

good to see some smart ppl around.


my mom is basically a hoarder...

crowded house = crowded mind.


I get alot of clarity and stress relief when my room is clean and get rid of stuff.

[Aventus]

word, all you need as a single dude is a george foreman grill and a rice cooker

srs

this man speaks the truth. and also a food scale.

[tomcardno1]

this man speaks the truth. and also a food scale.

george forman steamer... best appliance i've bought to date.