We use, and we waste. Sadly, it is our environment that has to deal with what comes afterward by risking itself. And the result? A long list of environmental issues starting with air pollution, rising temperatures, changing climates, and natural disasters; it’s not surprising to assume that the environment might be showing that it is done with handling our mess. We live a waste lifestyle and the environment has to take the brunt of it.
Nevertheless, if there’s someone that can handle the situation – it’s us. And surprisingly, it doesn’t take a lot to do something good for the environment. All we have to do is change our lifestyle a little, be more conscious to reduce wastage.
So, if you’re someone who wants to contribute, and do your part, you must start somewhere and in my opinion, your kitchen is the best place to do so. It’s the home to harmful substances – the most deadly of that lot is PLASTIC. Your job is to reduce its consumption as much as you can.
But how do you do that?
Start with these easy kitchen swaps.
Zero-waste kitchen swaps
What not to use » What to use
Plastic Sponges » Cotton sponges
Liquid soap that comes in plastic packaging » Organic dish soap bars
Aluminum foils and plastic wraps » Beeswax wraps/steel lunch boxes (My favorite ones come from Nature Bee Wraps!)
Plastic food storage bags » Silicon bags
Plastic food jars » Glass/steel jars or mason jars
Polythene » Cloth shopping bags
Plastic vegetable bags » Cloth Vegetable trolleys
Paper napkins » Cloth napkins
Plastic straws » Steel/Bamboo straws
Disposable plates and spoons » Glass or steel plates, and steel spoons/fork (My new favorites come from Bentgo and I use these for the girls’ lunchboxes and silverware)
Plastic bottles » Glass/copper bottles
Teabags » Tea leaves
Plastic coffee tumbler » Stainless steel mugs
Paper cupcake liners » Reusable silicon cupcake liners
Plastic chopping board » Wooden chopping board
Plastic kitchen spatula » Steel/ wooden spatula
Plastic soap dish » Wooden soap dish
Plastic buckets » Steel buckets
Plastic bags / Plastic sachets » Brown paper
Cleaning agents in plastic packaging » Baking soda/ lemon
Plastic Tupperware » Glassware
Bottled water >> Reusable water bottle
Cotton balls >> Organic Cotton wipes or even washable makeup sponges
Drip Coffee Filters >> French Press
Other additional tips to reduce and handle waste
Reduce takeaways
Takeaways come in plastic packaging. Unless you choose a restaurant that emphasizes sustainable living conduct, try to reduce your takeaways. If the option is available, try to eat out in the restaurant itself – that would ensure that you’d have the option of using crockery (Glass, or steel) available at the restaurant.
This is one thing as a family, we usually don’t do, unless it’s dessert! We rarely eat leftovers, so they end up taking valuable space in the refrigerator we aren’t willing to give up. Plus, it’s less to carry away!
Only take what you can eat (Be mindful of the quantity)
This one is for reducing food wastage at your home. Only take the quantity you can consume. If you are not sure, take a little, and if you still have the appetite, refill. That way, you’d ensure you eat as per your appetite, without wasting food.
I practice this in our home constantly, especially when the girls say they are starving, yet only eat a little bit. It’s easier to have little portions to start than a whole plateful that goes to waste.
When you take more than you can handle, this usually results in using plastic wrap for storage or even paper towels to cover the food when warming up in the microwave.
Composting
Composting can be a blessing for both the environment and your garden. In fact, composting is the process of converting food waste into fertilizer that can be used to improve the quality of your plants. You can do composting at home, or contact the local authorities that provide the facility.
I haven’t personally composted, but I have seen some pretty great options which take the smell right away and are quite powerful. This one from Vitamix has great reviews.
Opt for loose food items
Some grocery items such as wheat and rice come in both plastic packaging and loose. Go for the stores that allow you to have refills, or collect these food items in your own packaging. Try to stay plastic free as much as possible.
I believe this will start to return into a post COVID world, but do the best you can to reduce the waste. If you must buy something with a “plastic” on it, make sure it’s made of alternative material so it can be recycled or composted.
Conserve resources
This goes without saying – we think we have the resources in abundance but we do not. Resources are limited and we must do our best to conserve them not only for the environment but for our budgets as well. Thus, always ensure that you conserve valuable resources like water and electricity. For electricity – do not leave the electric points running when you don’t need them, and for water – by ensuring you do not leave the tap running for long. (Even ten seconds of water wastage can be heavy.)
It is really important we teach the younger generation this especially with the growing amount of screen time and need to always be doing something. My two get distracted easily so this is an important reminder for them.
Go local
When you opt for local markets, instead of the big, commercial stores, you reduce your carbon footprint. You save the transportation, production, and packaging needs and resources that are usually incurred to meet your demand. Not to mention, these big commercial brands and retail stores are not eco-friendly and do a lot of energy wastage in the name of convenience. Be wise with your choices.
I love shopping local farmers markets as much as possible because I usually discover a new company or product I can share with my guests and family!
Go vegan
Going vegan can be highly beneficial for the environment. Among the many benefits, the most significant one is that vegan products use minimum resources and produce minimum damaging byproducts as compared to a non-vegetarian eating lifestyle.
I’ve been vegetarian/vegan since I was a teenager and I can attest that not only is it healthier for your own body, I find less waste in the kitchen as I don’t have a lot of the same trash as my non vegan/vegetarian family members. It makes trash day lighter and also keeps the refrigerator nice and stocked!
Grow your own vegetable garden
You’ll not only save the environment by reducing your carbon footprint but would also save a lot on groceries. So, if you love to maintain a yard, try to keep food-producing plants more than floral ones.
Well, that’s enough to get you started. If you decided to do as mentioned, you’re doing a marvelous deed for the environment. Be proud of yourself. These waste swaps are pretty easy to implement and are more than most people will try to do in their life, so every little bit helps!
Hey there, how do you reduce wastage in your kitchen? Feel free to share some tips with us in the comment section.
There are days when we go berserk; we would have a million thoughts going in our heads of the injuries of the past, memories of the bad decisions, worries about if we are going to make good use of life, and not to forget work stress. All these chaotic thoughts, in this little head of ours!
Well, it can drive all of us to the edge…Unless; you dump them like you dump your garbage every day. This is what a brain dump is, wherein you just scrap and let out every thought you have to feel better and lighter than ever. It’s simple you know, just perceive these thoughts like several unwanted guests. You wouldn’t want them in your house. Would you?
If that’s so, we are happy to help you drive away those thoughts. In this article, we will provide you a few ways that can help you do a brain dump for self-care.
How to do a brain dump for self-care
1. Grab a paper and pen
Let not your thoughts wander just in your mind, grab a pen and paper and let them be out on the paper. Be as vulnerable as you can. Write everything you feel. What are you sad about? Did someone say anything to upset you? Is there something you hate about the world or people in general?
Write everything, don’t miss anything. What you are doing right now is what Aristotle called catharsis. In simple words, it’s just letting out your feelings. Imagine your head like a balloon, the more thoughts it will fill, the sooner it will burst.
So even if you are angry, write it down. Write curses or abuses. Be assured that no one is going to read it other than you (Given that you tear it later). You are even allowed to clench your teeth or harshly scribble to let out your anger and frustration. Writing it out helps you release all the tension and frustration you might have in areas of your body causing pain.
Just let that piece of paper consume all that you are feeling and don’t feel the need to use punctuation or proper spelling. Get it all out of your brain and on the paper.
2. Use art
There are different ways of letting out. Some people choose to do it with a pen; others do it by channeling through different art forms. If writing doesn’t suit you, then you can paint, or draw to let things out.
You don’t have to be an artist for that. Just draw anything that describes what you are feeling. You can draw a cartoon, with a bubble over it putting words to your feeling, or literally anything. Remember, no one will see this, so don’t judge yourself when you are doing this. Let it all out.
If you happen to like music and singing, you can do a brain dump by writing a song. It’s okay if you haven’t done that before. It’s a good day to start. Don’t refuse it just because you think you won’t do a good job. You are letting out your thoughts for yourself, and it does not matter if the output is good or not.
3. Use an audio recorder instead
Find writing too exhausting for your fingers? Or perhaps you think that a piece of paper might not be able to contain all that you are feeling? No worries, make-shift for a voice recorder. Act as if you are recording something to send to your friends. So, just be as free you can. Vent it out, there’s no time limit to it. You can go beyond hours if you feel the need to. Because we have our phones and technology with us almost always, you can download a voice recorder app onto your phone and press play whenever and wherever you are. There’s no limit to when and where you can do a brain dump any longer!
You can even use the mirror if you cannot find a voice recorder. Just stand in front of it, and empty all that you are feeling.
4. Talk to a virtual assistant
How to do a Brain Dump for Self-Care
I know this sounds insane. But just so you know artificial intelligence can be your companion that might not be real ears and mouth, yet it would still feel like you are typing your heart to a friend of yours. Trust me, Siri would not judge you. You can say things and be as transparent as you can.
Sometimes, you will find Siri saying things that would make zero sense, and you would laugh, you would get angry, but hey, what else can you expect from artificial intelligence?
Final thoughts
When you are done with it and feel better, try to do it more often. If you can, do it daily, if not weekly. It will be a booster for your mental health!
Hey, feel you have some suggestions and ideas to spare or something I missed? Feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Everything about Christmas is worth smiling and being happy about. The Christmas lights, decorations, carols, gifts, and whatnot. However, there’s still one exception that can make you sweat despite the merriness and joyfulness of Christmas – The expenses. Christmas can mean overspending.
But not anymore! Wondering how? Read along to find out.
30 smart tips to save money during Christmas
1. Gift experiences
You cannot always gift materialistic things, you can also gift experiences. For instance, a go-kart experience for your kid! This is my number 1 ask of people gifting our girls, not just for Christmas, but for everything! An experience and time spent with the gift giver is far more important a memory that will last much longer than the toy or clothing item ever will!
2. Regift
Have a lot of gifts that remain unused and unopened? Feel free to gift them away. There’s no shame in that. As someone who always gets a ton of extra PR gifts I can’t ever use, this is one of my favorite ways to gift. I usually don’t open the item, or if I do, it’s carefully and barely used. It’s the perfect way to gift someone something that would normally sit around and take up space collecting dust!
3. DIY gifts
You can make Christmas cards, mixtapes, cookies, and cakes to gift someone. Even handmade cards are great DIY gifts!
4. Send out E-cards
Some websites allow you to do that for free! A few I found and have used before include 123cards and JibJab.
5. Make use of coupon codes and cashback
Don’t let them sit idle. The same goes for gift cards! These are money baby and you can use them just as you would use cash!
6. Shop Christmas essentials on Amazon
Retail stores tend to loot customers with heavy prices during the Christmas season! Instead, shop on Amazon.
7. Buy Amazon gift cards
Let people decide on their own what they want this Christmas. This works amazing for people you don’t know so well, or those who are extra picky! You can also get amazing deals if you buy them constantly throughout the year.
8. Pay attention to money-saving deals
Don’t turn a blind eye to deals that can help you save bucks. Watch out for sales, offers, and deals. Don’t hesitate to shop beforehand if you find a good deal.
9. Don’t shop last moment on Amazon
You might have to pay extra shipping fees to get the purchases sooner if you place the order late during Christmas days.
10. Shop on Dollar trees
Dollar trees are discount variety stores throughout the USA and Canada. You can get good products for as low as $1.
11. Save wrapping paper
Got a gift? Don’t just throw away the wrapping paper. Instead, open it with ease to use it again.
12. Go for wrapping paper alternatives
Don’t have used wrapping papers? No issue, you don’t need to buy new ones when you can settle for thin wrapping rolls or brown paper rolls. You can also decorate them with stickers for aesthetics. A fun thing which became popular last season was the Japanese style of gift wrapping called furoshiki, which uses fabric to store, carry, and wrap things. They are a specific size, but you can google the size and use any fabrics, or scarfs you want to gift or have on hand as the gift wrapping. It becomes a gift that keeps on giving!
13. Shop cheap Christmas tree decorations
If you are not at all in for using old Christmas tree decorations, at least do not buy decorations from high-end craft and stationery stores. Instead, buy them from the Dollar Store! You’ll get them at dirt-cheap prices and they have cute options always!
14. Save on dinners
If you are hosting a Christmas dinner, try to encourage your guests to bring one dish per family. There’s no shame in that – the wise ones will understand the stress and hard work one has to go through during dinner preparations. This also gives those of us who don’t always cook the ability to contribute something to the table when we otherwise wouldn’t be asked.
As Amazon reserves some portion for itself for every sale, some sellers on Amazon list their products higher to make up for their loss. Thus, you can get the same products cheaper at the seller’s website. You can also do a free store pickup or free shipping if you get it direct from the store versus on Amazon.
18. Go to a mall for a Santa experiences
If your kids love Santa, there’s no need to hire one for them. Instead, take them out to a mall. Malls have Santas dressed up to entertain kids for free.
19. Head to Shutterfly for coupon codes
If you’re looking for great money-saving deals, you can rely on Shutterfly coupon codes. Just register on the website, and you can get amazing coupon codes from time to time.
20. Stop gifting adults
Just ask yourself, how many gifts that you got during the years on Christmas remain unused? I bet there’d be plenty. But that’s not just you. So, stop gifting adults if your acquaintances share the same mindset. If you do decide to gift them, maybe a small gift card and a coffee cup is sufficient. Nothing extravagant is needed.
21. Go for boxed Christmas cards
You can find such boxes in Target. Since they are in bundles, you can get several for cheap. You can continue using them for years if you still have some left to give. These take up less time and energy, thus maybe you will get them in the mail on time!
22. Gift meaningful gifts
Instead of shopping for something expensive for someone, gift them something meaningful. For instance, if your partner loves reading books, gift them one. A gift card to their favorite store is also a meaningful gift that shows you care.
23. Buy an affordable turkey beforehand
You don’t have to buy one from a lavish store. Don’t fall for the packaging and store aesthetics. Especially this year, the shortage of many things will cause for increased prices and higher demands, therefore shop early!
24. Book tickets in advance
Have to be elsewhere for Christmas? Book your tickets beforehand – before ticket prices soar to new heights during Christmas. A little note about this one — have patience and understanding as many people in the service industry are overworked and getting very little pay.
25. Don’t borrow on Christmas
If you can manage the expenses through savings, don’t add loans. You’ll also have to pay interest. The same thing goes for spending all of your paycheck and not putting anything into savings like other months. Now is not the time to skip on your future!
26. Do a secret Santa
Doing a Secret Santa means buying gifts for one person – not everybody. Hence, lots of money-saving. Another tip is to set a limit on the amount spent for the person. It allows people to get creative with their gift giving or to let people pick one gift for that dollar amount.
27. Start money-saving early and create a reserve
Reserve a little money for Christmas every month to prevent the financial blows later.
28. Invest in an artificial Christmas tree
They are cheaper and they won’t destroy the Christmas vibe, but help you save money. Plus, they don’t make a huge mess and require watering, adding to the stress of Christmas.
29. Find local events
If your locality happens to host free events, don’t think twice. Ditch the fancy day-outs. Growing up, the Christmas parade was something we looked forward to each year. We got to see cool floats that threw out candy and it always ended with Santa on the sleigh. We then got to go sit on his lap and get a bag of goodies and tell him what we wanted. Give those same memories to your kids.
30. Lastly, Save for next year
I know it’s a little too early, but hey starting early can help you save more.
Merry Christmas! If you happen to try these tips, let me know how they work out for you in the comments below. Have a great time this year!
I’m guilty of obsessing about how to manage my time better. There’s just so much to do, and the 24-hour daily window is just not cutting it. Since time is a finite resource, it’s essential to handle it well, not crash and burn.
It’s all about making choices. When you want to boost your productivity and have better work quality, good time management is always on top of the strategies. When I want to create better opportunities for myself or advance my career, I struggle to determine how to go about it since I always feel like my time is constrained. But lo and behold, once I try different ways of managing my time, I see that I can do more even when there’s less time. It also results in minimizing work stress, making me more focused and effective.
On the other hand, time management is just as crucial for your personal life. How managing your time wisely can help you create a healthy balance between your personal and professional life. It can make you take control of your day and can positively affect your entire well-being. Much has been written about why it’s essential to work on time management to improve your professional life, but I’d like to dedicate this post to give more insight into its effect on your personal life.
Importance of Time Management in Personal Life
When you control your time, you also take back control of your life. As you grow old and take on more roles, a lot is expected of you and being able to manage your time well possibly reflects on the quality of your personal life. Throw kids, pets, and a spouse into the mix, and you’ve suddenly got yourself some more time restraints. This can cause your personal life to derail if not addressed and fixed. Some of these indications are:
Less stress
One of the best and effective time management tactics is making your important tasks and thoughts. Through this, you can review your tasks and go about your day knowing that you are handling everything alright. It automatically means stress-free. When you control your time, you’ll also gain more extra time for yoga, golfing, reading, or dancing to get your energy moving. It also results in having a better sleeping pattern.
Less distraction
Importance of Time Management in Personal Life
Why is it so difficult to avoid distractions? And if you’re like me, then you know how ideas can be fleeting, even good ones, and you tend to forget about these golden nuggets of insights. The good news is that I found out that time management is the answer to this. List the most important tasks you need to complete within the day. Knowing the enormity of what you’re supposed to accomplish and giving yourself break times keeps you more motivated and focused on getting them done.
More energy
Having a better work-life balance means having sufficient energy. No burnout, no feeling exhausted all the time, both are benefits of time management. By understanding the value of time, you also have the clarity of your goals, including having enough time to spend with friends and family.
More time to think and do things that you love
Don’t we all want time freedom to think and do things that we love? I always hear someone say that working smarter is way better than working hard. Time management is all about setting your priorities straight, which gives you the chance to pursue new interests. Putting a value on time creates more opportunities to take action and, of course, the possibility of fulfillment in all aspects of your life.
Improves self-discipline
A great time management strategy means having the ability to control your actions, feelings, and thoughts. In other words, it’s about self-discipline, which focuses on one’s self. Some people struggle with this, and it’s just too easy sometimes to give in to procrastinating. But if you have efficient time management, your self-discipline improves your life by developing good communication skills, and you get to spend your time with things and people that truly matter to you.
Make better decisions
Since time management skills help you get enough sleep, you also have a better decision-making process. When you’re not stressed about something, you also tend to see the whole picture or the situation because you have free time. It makes for sound decisions, whether it’s on your relationships or career, what difference exhaustion makes when trying to achieve your goals. Since time management skills help you get enough sleep, you also have a better decision-making process.
Improves quality of relationships
In maintaining relationships, having time for each other is essential. Although it’s also filled with pressures and decisions, the time has the most impact on keeping your relationships survive when balancing work and personal life. Making each other a priority is supposed to be a given, and once it gets disrupted, intimacy and trust might suffer. So time management helps you improve your relationships by being aware of each other, accountable for your responsibilities, and of course, spending time together.
When it comes to time management, it’s important to remember that quality is better than quantity. Sure, you may be able to get more things done if you rush through them, but the work won’t be as good as if you take your time. Instead of trying to do everything at once, try to break down your tasks into smaller goals that you can achieve more quickly. This will help you to not only meet your deadlines, but also to improve your time management skills overall.
Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to time management is the importance of priorities. Not everything is equally important, so you need to be able to distinguish between the things that need to be done right away and the things that can wait. This will help you to focus on the most important tasks and get them done faster.
Finally, don’t forget about the role of technology in time management. With so many distractions available online, it can be easy to waste a lot of time without even realizing it. To avoid this, try to set some rules for yourself about how much time you’re allowed to spend on social media or other online activities each day. This will help you to stay focused and get more done in less time.
Most conventionally, people prefer bigger homes. However, in recent years, the trend has changed. People are preferring to downsize for plenty of reasons – budget issues, the irrelevance of a bigger home, and most importantly hassling of organization. Taking up the last, it’s a given that big homes come with big challenges. It’s much more difficult to keep a large house organized, it’s harder to clean and there’s unnecessary clutter that keeps adding because of a big space.
But, if you like open spaces and don’t want to move in order to downsize or you just find the process of moving chaotic and don’t like to start over, don’t worry, you can still downsize.
Wondering how? Read on!
8 practical ways to downsize without moving
1. Minimize storage space
More storage space means more space to add clutter. However, when you minimize storage spaces, it will be at the back of your mind that you don’t have cabinets to keep things, so you think twice before buying something.
Therefore, cut down on your storage spaces. Eliminate things like cabinets, tables, drawers, wherever you use to store things. The same goes for containers and shelves. They can be the storehouse for a number of things. You don’t want that.
I prefer a kitchen with a feature wall of tile or pretty shelving. I don’t like upper cabinetry so I did as little as possible in our kitchen and bathrooms when our designer and my husband insisted we have it. So I compromised and did short cabinets and a feature wall above and below the cabinets. I also don’t have a single cabinet with anything on the top shelf, which further proves the point that I don’t like upper cabinets.
2. Sell things
Did you intend to downsize because you were struggling financially? If that’s the reason, think again. Downsizing itself comes with additional stress and extra costs of packing, moving, transporting, setting up, and many more. Therefore, what you can do is sell out things you don’t need anymore.
If you have a heavy financial crunch, then you can start with selling your car. If not you can sell out storage spaces and other things you don’t need and the ones that you can cash out for a higher value.
3. Clear paper clutter
From piles of newspapers to drawers full of old bills, our homes are full of paper clutters. They can make a mess of your house, and make it look untidy even when it is clean. Therefore, eliminate them from time to time. You can go for e-newspapers and kindle to reduce your paper clutter. And as for the bills, throw them away when they are unnecessary, or if keeping them is important, arrange them in a file properly.
If you want to keep your kids’ drawings, or school work, or other things, you can download certain apps like Keepsy and keep their drawings and important things but not the clutter. I believe you can find apps that will email the photos or mementos to an email and keep it for later as well. Another idea is to create an email address specifically for mementos, drawings, or other paper clutter.
4. Clear out heavy furniture
There would be tons of furniture pieces that you don’t even use, and they’ll still obstruct the free space. Therefore, consider eliminating them.
For instance, if you have a table that you do not use other than to keep things on, consider selling it off.
People often come to our house and wonder if we recently moved in because it appears our home isn’t fully furnished. In reality, our house is fully furnished, but not cluttered. We have seating for our family and a few other people, but we also have floorspace and no clutter. It feels light and airy and free not tight and stuffy.
5. Own fewer clothes
Trivia time! Have you ever wondered how we are all alike? Well, most of us are individuals whose closets are filled with clothes. And interestingly, most of them are those that we do not even wear.
So, why give them space? Let’s guess, you think, “It’s a good top, I can use it someday.”. The truth is, that “Someday” never comes. If you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in a long time, you are not going to wear it anytime soon. So throw them away, even better donate them!
A tip I found helpful a few years ago — When you wash clothes and hang them up, put the hanger the opposite direction so you know you wore it. Go through a season and continue this process and figure out the hangers that didn’t get turned around are the ones you can donate or sell.
6. Cut electronics
In this technologically savvy world, electronics have become our lifeline. We are so dependent on them that we have forgotten what life was like without these technologies. Yes, it makes our work easy, but at the same time, it adds to our electrical bills. So be smart, and consider going traditional where you can. For instance, you can discard your dryer and opt for air-drying the clothes.
An option we went for when building our home was solar. This helps us take advantage of the sun we experience almost 365 days a year and helps convert it to energy for our home. I know in the Midwest where my parents live, wind power is big. There are so many options these days to help conserve and save money.
7. Lock extra rooms
For a family of four, you would not need a home with five rooms. Yes, it does make sense, however, if you don’t live on rent, how about locking your extra rooms instead of moving out? If you own houses, you can always consider big homes as profit generation assets in the future, hold onto them.
In the past year or so, having more space or an escape, from your family every once in a while might have been nice while we were stuck at home. Now that things are starting to shift, see if that extra space is still necessary, or if you can lock it up again.
8. Consider changing or selling vehicles
Vehicles are not anymore a thing of luxury thanks to growing consumerism. Nonetheless, if you think you have an extra vehicle that you don’t use much. Consider selling it off for extra cash.
We all go through seasons in life either with kids, pets, or other adventures where we may need a bigger vehicle. When those seasons end, it’s not always necessary to keep the same sized vehicle. Plus, it’s nice to have a change every once in a while and maybe a little cash in your pocket!
Downsizing your living space doesn’t have to mean moving. There are plenty of practical ways you can downsize without packing up and leaving your home town. We’ve outlined some tips for you to get started, but we want to hear from you. How are you going to simplify your life without downsizing your home? Tell us in the comments below or on our social media pages. We can’t wait to hear how you plan to declutter and streamline your life!
You might have heard plenty about minimalism, as to how it changes lives for the better. Being parents who only want the best for their kids, I bet you would wonder if it can help your kids in some ways.
Good news! It can, it can do some amazing things for your kids! Read along and find out.
Amazing Things Minimalism Can Do for Kids
Here are 5 amazing things minimalism can do for your kids:
1. Help them differentiate between wants and needs
Wants and needs are not the same things even when they sound similar. A need is something you cannot do without. For instance, if you have a few assignments to submit, and you don’t have a laptop for the same. In this case, you would NEED a laptop. As for wants, they usually are desires; you can do without those things but you want them because you like them.
When your kids learn the difference between the two, they will be in control of their shopping instincts. They would not point fingers at things and demand that you buy them. They will think through and avoid unnecessary expenditures.
2. Helps them be grateful
Not just kids, but we all have to be grateful for things we already have. As adults, we are mature, but kids in their innocence and stubbornness can stop being grateful for things they already have.
Being minimalists, your kids won’t desire more, they would be satisfied and grateful for what they have. They would not look at other kids and feel sorry for themselves for not having the things others have.
3. They would not be materialists
Our world is cursed by materialism so much so that we don’t value experiences and memories until they are gone. The reason we do not value them while we have them is that we are all materialists who find happiness in things and objects, forgetting it’s just temporary happiness. Real happiness comes with family, friends, and other people who love you.
Minimalism can combat materialism since it emphasizes on having fewer possessions. It can teach your kids that their world should be beyond tangible things; it should be all about memories and experiences that make life beautiful and worth living.
4. They make better decisions in life
When you are practicing minimalism, you are deciding what to discard, and what to keep. At the same time, you are deciding what to buy and what to not. You compare things, and the values they hold in your present and your near future. In a nutshell, you think through things before making a purchasing decision, and that harnesses your decision-making skills.
When your kids grow up and transform into independent adults, they have to exercise their decision-making skills. They have to make decisions that affect not only their lives but others as well. Being decisive right from their foundation years can help them in this light. They would not overthink, they would be mature and pragmatic in their approach. In the end, they will make better and wiser decisions in life.
5. It will help them be organized
Amazing Things Minimalism can do for Kids
Organization is necessary if you have to live your life smoothly. But let’s skip the bigger picture and narrow down our focus to how organization can help your kids’ day-to-day affairs.
For starters, organizations can drastically reduce obstacles. Your kids would not have to find their socks in a closet full of clothes and everything else. When they would have a fixed place for socks, they’ll find it easily. Moreover, they would not have to look for hours for their books they are supposed to study if they are organized about their possessions. In addition to that, they would not have to spend another hour cleaning the mess they created in between looking for things.
Phew, in a nutshell, organizations can save a lot of time for them to be more productive and dedicated towards their work.
It’s been so great sharing all of this information with you! I truly believe that minimalism can change your life – and your child’s life, too. If you’re on the fence about trying it out, I urge you to take the plunge. It may be hard at first, but it’s so worth it in the end.
One of the best things about minimalism is that it can be tailored to fit your family’s needs. If your kids are young, you may want to start by decluttering your home and creating a capsule wardrobe. This will make getting ready for school and playtime much simpler. You can also start practicing mindful spending, so your children learn how to value what they have.
If your kids are a little older, you can introduce them to the concepts of minimalism and see if they’re interested in adopting a minimalist lifestyle themselves. This can be a great way to teach them about responsibility and living within their means. And who knows – they may even inspire you to take your journey into minimalism!
You can have them read books by Joshua Becker and Marie Kondo to help them understand on their own, which I felt helped Leila get it instead of me trying to drill it in by yelling!
Whatever stage your family is at, I hope you’ll give minimalism a try. It is life-changing magic.
can consume. If you are not sure, take a little, and if you still have the appetite, refill. That way, you’d ensure you eat as per your appetite, without wasting food.
In fact, composting is the process of converting food waste into fertilizer that can be used to improve the quality of your plants. You can do composting at home, or contact the local authorities that provide the facility.
loose. Go for the stores that allow you to have refills, or collect these food items in your own packaging. Try to stay plastic free as much as possible. 
also save a lot on groceries. So, if you love to maintain a yard, try to keep food-producing plants more than floral ones.
as you can. Write everything you feel. What are you sad about? Did someone say anything to upset you? Is there something you hate about the world or people in general? 
different art forms. If writing doesn’t suit you, then you can paint, or draw to let things out. 
your kid! This is my number 1 ask of people gifting our girls, not just for Christmas, but for everything! An experience and time spent with the gift giver is far more important a memory that will last much longer than the toy or clothing item ever will! 
would use cash! 
as $1.
shame in that – the wise ones will understand the stress and hard work one has to go through during dinner preparations. This also gives those of us who don’t always cook the ability to contribute something to the table when we otherwise wouldn’t be asked. 
partner loves reading books, gift them one. A gift card to their favorite store is also a meaningful gift that shows you care. 
tip is to set a limit on the amount spent for the person. It allows people to get creative with their gift giving or to let people pick one gift for that dollar amount. 
roles, a lot is expected of you and being able to manage your time well possibly reflects on the quality of your personal life. Throw kids, pets, and a spouse into the mix, and you’ve suddenly got yourself some more time restraints. This can cause your personal life to derail if not addressed and fixed. Some of these indications are:
working smarter is way better than working hard. Time management is all about setting your priorities straight, which gives you the chance to pursue new interests. Putting a value on time creates more opportunities to take action and, of course, the possibility of fulfillment in all aspects of your life.
process. When you’re not stressed about something, you also tend to see the whole picture or the situation because you have free time. It makes for sound decisions, whether it’s on your relationships or career, what difference exhaustion makes when trying to achieve your goals. Since time management skills help you get enough sleep, you also have a better decision-making process. 
Therefore, consider eliminating them.
are filled with clothes. And interestingly, most of them are those that we do not even wear.
don’t live on rent, how about locking your extra rooms instead of moving out? If you own houses, you can always consider big homes as profit generation assets in the future, hold onto them.
do without. For instance, if you have a few assignments to submit, and you don’t have a laptop for the same. In this case, you would NEED a laptop. As for wants, they usually are desires; you can do without those things but you want them because you like them. 
are gone. The reason we do not value them while we have them is that we are all materialists who find happiness in things and objects, forgetting it’s just temporary happiness. Real happiness comes with family, friends, and other people who love you. 
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