Okay, I confess: I’ve never been a new year resolution-er. It’s not that I have anything against them, I’ve just always felt that goals and ambitions hit me at different times throughout the year and I tackle them as they come. If you are a resolution-er and 2020 is the time for you to simplify your life and cut down on material items–outstanding! Here are some tips that have worked for me:
- Unfollow retailers on social media – out of sight, out of mind
- Recycle coupons as soon as you receive them in the mail; similarly, unsubscribe from marketing emails and delete them immediately
- Only buy items that you can use regularly throughout the year (ie, avoid holiday dishes or costumes for parties)
- Look to rent – you would be amazed at what you can rent and avoid owning
- Keep your wardrobe minimal
- Own a few pairs of jeans/pants – nobody will notice re-wearing those with different tops
- Buy timeless clothing, not trendy
- Borrow from friends for special occasions
- Keep some basic pieces of jewelry that will go with anything
- Understand that your friend that has everything is likely deep in credit card debt and may not have much of an emergency savings
- Go easy on yourself – a shift in mentality doesn’t happen overnight
Beating the marketing game is tough, but feels so good once you conquer it. You will slowly start to notice your lifestyle changing! Here’s to a simpler 2020.
the single minimal(ist) 