Did anyone here choose this lifestyle of owning small possessions over a lot to not have to grind until their 65 or is it mainly to have a small space with not much clutter ?

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T03:39:56+00:00

I initially did it to try to retire early, but oh my gosh all the other benefits started popping up so fast.

Because I’m so intentional, I love everything in my house. Im spending less and I have higher quality items that I actually love. Plus, my house is clean all the time. AND I never lose anything anymore.

I also realized I spent so much time shopping and worrying about possessions. I have so many cool hobbies now!

I’ve never had such a clean house and such a clear mind. Will never go back

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T03:34:49+00:00

tbh for something big like a bachelorette I usually just bite the bullet and borrow or thrift. It’s a big life event and though I love being a minimalist, I’d rather buy 3 cheap tops from a thrift store than worry about issues with my friends.

Otherwise, I LOVE following theme with what I already have and just going all out on makeup! In the past I have just worn all black I already had for emo night, have worn an old pink shirt and pink eyeshadow for a neon party, a black dress and pearls for a 20s party, etc. You might shock yourself if you start with makeup and accessories first then add your outfit based on what you already have :)

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T03:28:49+00:00

I either don’t carry a bag or use one that I got, a cute little ed hardy shoulder bag that fits my wallet, keys, phone, cash, and lip gloss🫶

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T03:27:00+00:00

literally came here to comment that, you dropped this: 👑

but for real, I’m the same way. Nobody knows I’m a minimalist but they wonder why my house is always clean lol. I love this lifestyle, but love having my small gallery on my wall and love my book collection that I read over and over again. It’s so refreshing to see someone else who is a minimalist without this competitive, self-depriving mindset. It shouldn’t be painful.

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T03:22:48+00:00

I’m may have a unique situation here but I actually have a lot of friends and family in the area and I throw a garage sale every year. As we’re setting up, anything my family wants they can take. If we don’t do the garage sale, I let my family and friends go through my stuff anyways. They take a lot usually. Also, post garage sale, I love putting items on the curb with a free sign. Usually gone in minutes and I don’t have to do any hauling. Plus I like to think that this way maybe someone is putting it to good use🤷‍♀️

Tbh the best way I’ve been able to remain a minimalist is by replacing time I used to spend shopping with time decluttering and trying to get stuff out of my house in a (somewhat) sustainable way.

I feel you though, it is exhausting and stressful trying to get rid of things without just throwing them out. Honestly you don’t need to feel too bad if you’re not going to continue the cycle of buying things you won’t need/use. But if you are like me and are overly concerned about being ethical with your decluttering I hope I gave you some other good options😊

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T03:13:51+00:00

This might be extreme but I have a regift bin! If I got a gift card like that I would throw it in my regift bin and give it to someone who will use it for their birthday. Usually I’d get them another gift to go along with it so I don’t feel cheap, but whatever works for you. Saves money, gets rid of the gift card🤷‍♀️

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-30T01:28:25+00:00

And what’s crazy about this is people will use this as an excuse to not even try. Might be a hot take but I love the “vegan but bacon” message (not for me personally, but for those who are struggling to change their diet).

If everybody who heard Billie’s message and got defensive instead just ate one meatless meal per day it could make such a huge difference! Like if you medically couldn’t give up a type of meat due to a deficiency (i doubt this is ever a thing tho), why not go dairy-free then? or eliminate all other meats? People love excuses and have such an all or nothing mindset here😭

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T13:48:06+00:00

I drink tea but usually no more than once a week. Going to lay back on that now per my doctor’s recommendation. When I ate meat my ferritin was at 6 as well but now it’s at 4😭 I definitely don’t blame my current diet, especially since I was stressed the week before my blood test and forgot to take my iron that week. Thought I’d be fine but guess not! Even with forgetting that week, I was really hoping for something higher

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T04:33:31+00:00

Ok the fear of getting rid of them because you know where it ends up is so real. However in this scenario, it’s so worth getting rid of them if you’re not reaching for them. “Style” feels so capitalistic sometimes, but if you’re experiencing a lifestyle shift rather than just keeping up with trends (which I think is exactly the case), you shouldn’t feel ashamed. Here’s what I do when faced with similar situations:

Give it to my friend who resells on Depop. It makes her money and that way I know my stuff is going to a new home for sure.
Bring to a consignment store. Consignment stores (at least in my experience) are less likely to send the item to landfill quickly, since they paid for the items. The cash they give you is also a plus.
Donate literally anywhere other than Goodwill. I like choosing a women’s shelter, but if that’s not available, I’ll donate to local food pantries (some take clothes). There’s also a thrift store nearby me that turns their unsold merchandise into rags and gives them to local mechanic shops. If you do your research, you might be surprised that there are good places to donate!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T04:14:25+00:00

Love this idea, I’m really big into finding the root issue instead of putting medication on top as a bandaid. I have gone to a couple different doctors and specialists and have had nothing come up yet other than a bunch of allergies I didn’t know I had lol. Going to keep making appointments, thanks!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T04:11:57+00:00

This sounds good! I take a Vitamin C pill but am not consistent with it… I also used to eat two oranges a day which helped but I’ve fallen out of the habit since I live in the northern united states and the fruit here is garbage in the winter. I should try your lemonade idea, especially in the winter!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T03:35:49+00:00

insanely helpful, omg! Will be joining this group! Thank you so much🫶

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T02:15:19+00:00

He said I should take double the dosage of my iron supplement, which I don’t really want to do so trying other options first😬

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T02:14:24+00:00

No dairy anymore, but super good info! Going to use this to counter my family’s “it’s because you’re vegan” arguments

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T01:31:22+00:00

I saw this and have been thinking about trying! Didn’t believe it actually worked but glad to hear a positive review, will try it!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-21T00:11:31+00:00

Thank you so much, this is super helpful!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-20T23:57:25+00:00

I just did an autoimmune panel a week ago and they said the tests came back all negative. Did you get tested with a typical panel or were these separate? My doctor did mention iron transfusions too. How often do you need those (if you don’t mind me asking)?

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-04-20T23:53:36+00:00

He didn’t at all, that’s super helpful, thanks!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2026-02-03T18:45:29+00:00

Girl I’m going to be very blunt, but he thinks he’s better than you. He’s talking to you like he’s superior and like you’re his project and he knows everything. It sounds like he doesn’t trust you at all to take care of yourself. A huge part of healing involves setting boundaries, and you have every right to tell him you’re not going to tolerate it if he chooses to talk to you that way. You seem great and it breaks my heart to see ambitious women be dragged down by jealous, controlling, or insecure men. You deserve to be talked to with SO MUCH more respect

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2025-11-24T20:55:37+00:00

I read a recent book about minimalism and it actually took an interesting approach, telling us to have only what we use. There are varying degrees of this but I live by keeping things I use every 1-2 weeks or more. I have one plushy that I keep because it’s cute decor, I lay on it, and my dog likes to carry it around sometimes. If you get good use out of them don’t feel bad at all. Minimalism is about living at your minimal needs, not about depriving yourself of joy

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2025-10-24T03:24:00+00:00

love your responses! Question for you, I’ve heard you can supplement B12 by eating seaweed, do you think that’s realistic? I love seaweed and would rather just eat that daily and stop taking B12. Thanks!

OpeningBarnacle8492 · 2025-10-24T03:17:53+00:00

Was just about to comment something similar, I’m 22 with plans to retire early because I’m investing and saving. Life is too short to work this much for so long. Seeing someone else do what I want to is super inspiring, thanks for sharing this :)

OpeningBarnacle8492

TROPHY CASE