The Experiment: Minimalism

As I cleaned out parts of my house this past week, I got to thinking, if there were a major disaster, what would I want to have strewn all over my neighborhood.  Is that crazy thinking?  Maybe so, but nonetheless, it's what I thought.

I have come to a point of cleaning out.  I mean seriously cleaning out. 

The garage, 3/4 of it, looks great.  I'm so happy.  It's funny when your kids bring friends over and you'd rather have them enter through the spotless garage than the front door where little brothers have left their Rescue Heroes and shoes all over the floor.

On our date last night, the Warden and I got to talking about our finances (we've decided to give the "envelope system" a try) and our children's consumption habits.  We decided we need to have a Family Home Evening lesson on needs and wants.  These thoughts and a number of experiences over the past number of years brought me to this idea--the next step.  

It's an experiment that I am taking on alone.  The Warden agreed to support me in it.  I have decided to try a minimalist lifestyle for a month.  I'm going to leave myself the bare necessities and pack the rest into crates and put them in that now spotless garage.

My hope is that with this experience will come some amount of understanding about needs and wants.

For now, I'm reading to figure out how and where to begin.  If you'd like to join me, here are a few blogs and sites:


Miss Minimalist (my fave so far)
Becoming Minimalist
Minimalist Life
Modern Aspirations


We'll see where this all leads, but I have no doubt it will leave some permanent marks on the way I do things.
Tomorrow, I start with my wardrobe.