In December last year, I began the process of using less and going minimal-ish. Along the way I've experienced a number of the hyped benefits and continue to work towards an elementary level of minimalism – it's not immediately obvious to those unfamiliar with the concept, but obvious enough to warrant a compliment on how clean, modern or 'minimal' my home has become. In this series, I'll share what I've learned and if, or how, it has affected daily life, as well as what you can do to reduce wasted time, money and energy.

::. More from the Going minimal series .::

Using less, reducing possessions, shopping mindfully and going minimal are lifestyle adjustments that are often touted as a tried and true means to improve health, wealth and happiness. Its wide-ranging benefits explain the appeal and rising popularity of minimalism over the last decade, but for many of us, altering ingrained habits and being wary of unnecessary consumption each day is a major behavior and lifestyle change that may take some getting used to.

one crucial tip that everyone on this journey must hear about before touching anything

The breadth of 'having less' spans from only keeping things that 'spark joy' (KonMari Method) to owning only the bare essentials which fit into a single bag. Because each person has unique circumstances, what you keep, buy and how minimal you go depends on you. There's no bar or standard and one of the attitudinal consequences of having less is comparing less - that is, comparing yourself to others and your possessions against others'. It seems the less we consciously choose to have, the less we'll value certain things, and that tends to cause us to compare less. And it makes sense.

Seven months in and I already keep and purchase much less. I enjoy the newfound space in my cupboards, it's easier to clean, I do significantly less laundry, I spend less time thinking about what to wear, there are less dishes to wash, a lower water bill and my otherwise unused savings account is finally trending up. When I think about a new notebook, pants, bag or the latest and greatest tablet, I scrutinize the benefits, price, storage, potential usage, cleaning and maintenance time, the effort required to sell or rid what it will replace, and all the things that were similar that I no longer have. One thing leads to another and the decision more often than not is that I don't really need or want it. That may already come easy to some of us, but as someone far from ever being thrifty, it's been a rather effortless feat. I also don't envy someone who has the thing I fleetingly desired, because I know why I don't have it and the benefits of that.

So how does one get started? You can read all the books and binge all the documentaries you like, and you probably should before you regret, forget or miss something, but there's one crucial tip that everyone on this journey must hear about before touching anything and that is, TAKE PHOTOS! This absolute must is tip 14 of 55 in Fumio Sasaki's book, Goodbye, Things, and it's something that's missing from other literature.

Sasaki's tips to take photos of things that are tough to discard was a godsend when it came to finally discarding a full drawer of dance party flyers, clothes and mementos that I'll never use again and rarely look at. My sentimentality saw this drawer move across the world, interstate and numerous apartments without a single use or gaze. When I spread each item out on to a table and snapped a quick photo with my phone I instantly experienced what Sasaki explains in his book: “throwing away your material possessions and throwing away your memories are two completely different actions”. And just like Sasaki, I surprisingly haven't looked once at those photos since I took them in December, but I know I have them and am happy about the wardrobe space I've gained whilst keeping the past in the past and the memories in a folder on a backup hard drive.

Until the next instalment of the series, you could start small to gain momentum and pick up a book or two to compare methodologies. Some of the easy to discard items can be found in:

• Bathroom cupboards
  • Check expiry dates. Some creams, medication and make-up can be toxic after expiry.
  • Only keep what you use at least once a week or once a month.


• Bed linen
  • If something hasn't been used for a while or you just don't love it, it has to go.
  • Think about how often you change your sheets, covers and pillowcases and how long it takes to dry them. One or two sets might be enough, plus a spare or two for guests.


• Boxes of souvenirs and knick-knacks
  • Most of this stuff can probably go. Remember to take a photo of each item and group related items in a flat lay photo (e.g. receipts and tickets saved from a city trip).

What to do with the stuff if it's in good condition:

• Donate it.
• Sell it online or to a nearby secondhand shop.
• Ask friends or family if they would like it.
• Reuse it for another purpose.
• Fix or restore it if it would otherwise be good enough to use and you really need it.
• Otherwise, if it's no good to pass on, pull it apart and put in recycling if possible. Depending on the item, there might be recycling centers nearby that would take it, even if it's very old or broken.

Books on tidying and minimalism:

• Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
• A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind by Shoukei Matsumoto
• Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus