Holiday season is upon us but something about the atmosphere isn’t quite right. Nobody’s talking about hampers, gifts, or vacations. The silence is deafening.
Everyone seems to be trying so hard to save even though the odds are against the idea. With prices of goods and services spiking weekly while salaries remain stagnant, it’s unlikely that you can still bargain with your favorite market stall without coming across as heartless and worse, half of a human being.
Let’s face it, times are hard. It’s even harder if you have at least 3 mouths to feed and still need to send something small home to your old boy/girl every month.
What if I showed you a hack to surviving the hardship while still having enough change to hang out with the boys or girls and do something fun on weekends? After all, if there is one thing we must mitigate at all costs at a time like this, it is stress. So let’s get right into talking about how you could become a minimalist to save money.
So, what does it mean to be a minimalist?
You’ve probably seen the term and at first glance, it may come across as being less ostentatious or a spendthrift. You’re not far off.
Practicing minimalism is all about having control over your choices. It means going for high maintenance, sustainable and reusable items. It doesn’t mean going cheap. Instead, it’s but being more inclined to acquiring assets instead of incurring losses.
Minimalism is not about having less, but about making room for more of what matters.
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For example, deciding to upcycle your used clothes instead of filling up your wardrobe with clothes you may use just once. Or turning used plastic into a work of art rather than purchasing one off the wall of a gallery you probably paid to even walk in, in the first place.
Get what I mean? You can easily adapt this lifestyle by following the guide below.
How to adapt the minimalist lifestyle
1. Thrift
I really don’t know why people are against the idea of thrifting because believe me, thrifting can potentially save our planet and will save you extra money.
By thrifting I mean, purchasing second hand products or store rejects. Just to be clear, second-hand does not necessarily mean used. Stores sometimes send out tons of new clothes especially when they can’t sell off all their seasonal stock before the next season hits. So yes, you can get brand new and yet cheap items from thrift stores.
So people, go thrifting and ditch the unnecessarily expensive boutiques with limited choices. You can purchase fashionable, quality designer products for as low as GHC10. I kid you not!
Check out these handles on Instagram which happen to be my favourite thrift stores for both ladies and gents. I highly recommend them.
Instagram Thrift Handles for Men
@dornmac (for fashionable shorts and Tees for men), @roundtwoghana (menswear), @vintage.veezy (tees), @_trendsonline (menswear)
Instagram Thrift Handles for Women
@vintagebyblema (ladies), @ranniesvintage (ladies’ wear), @wearmilux (ladies’shoes) @shop_with_rema, @comfy_thriftgh, @fooseplug
2. Buy what you need WHEN YOU NEED IT!
It is hard resisting the urge to buy something that just caught your eye that looks like it’ll come in handy, but you have no immediate need for. I know, I’ve been there and fell hard for the temptation. I know too well how you get home and realize you just bought a bunch of unnecessary items.
Making a list and going into a shop with a lean, realistic budget – not your entire salary – would help you buy what you need and save you a lot of money.
3. Choose Versatile and Multifunctional Furniture
Yes, the Transformers exist and they come as a couch that has storage space beneath, or can transform into a bed and a TV set that can function as a mirror. And Wiki How pretty much shows us how to, just tap this link.
Save up the space because we all know there’s still stuff in our parents garages that they have absolutely no clue what to do with, that could be you or me in the next 45 years.
Girl!, You know you don’t need a foyer, except to sit a pot of pampas grass and you, Bra Kwame, definitely don’t need that new piece of technology when the old one functions just right.
And yes please those tyre rims still function just fine, this is not the time to be pimping your ride please, SAVE THE MONEY or invest it into something that generates returns. This is the time to think, “what can I do to get what I already have to work for me”? Your answer could be as simple as Resisting or selling off old possessions. Yes, you thought right, garage sales!
If you want to upgrade, why not, but make sure you make money doing so. Sell off what you no longer need, thrift your antiques, your old PlayStation, phone, shoes, clothes, bags or wigs.
4. Pack Your Meals from Home
This may not favour the singles, especially guys who lack kitchen skills but this may be the time to take a few cooking lessons. Pack your own lunch if your work place does not cater for that.
Or, contract a caterer to provide you with lunch at work on a monthly basis. Do the math; you’ll save more money this way versus buying meals off a menu everyday, and paying to have it delivered. Likewise if you have kids, this is the time to introduce them to home-made meals.
I’ll end here by reiterating a quote I chanced upon which speaks volumes about the minimalist lifestyle.
Minimalism is not about having less, but about making room for more of what matters.
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