What is the difference between minimalism and economy

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Minimalism is in many ways similar to such a human quality as frugality. The goal of both the first and the second is to cut off the excess in order to make your life as comfortable as possible. Savvy minimalists successfully mix ideas from a wide variety of philosophies to find the right solutions that will make their homes comfortable and their lives meaningful. The habit of saving helps them.

We have already touched on the topic of minimalism in one of the publications, discussing what advantages can be derived from an ascetic environment, in which there are no superfluous, unnecessary, and even more unloved things. It's nice and convenient, you must agree. In addition, it helps to save money, because, in theory, you save yourself from rash purchases and empty items of expenditure like subscriptions to glossy magazines or an annual subscription for pizza delivery.

However, not all aspects of minimalism, without exception, are associated with a careful attitude to finance. Some things can come at the cost of expensive mistakes. So what shouldn't you do? Let's try to figure it out.

To be or not to be

Not so long ago, I decided to start cleaning the house in the hope that it will turn our - mine and household - life on the right track. And I also consoled myself with the thought that the house would finally cease in its appearance to resemble Bilbo Baggins' dwelling after 13 merry dwarfs had a feast in it.

To begin with, all combat power was unleashed on the excavation of my desk drawer. Cheering ourselves up with a jubilant "Aha!" and “Well, hold on!”, with a decisive movement, I grabbed into an armful of scribbled ballpoint pens, broken mechanical pencils, paper clips and a number of other artifacts, which immediately went to the trash can.

It seemed like I was seeing many of these items for the first time. Among these was a construction marker, writing in silver.

Of course, according to the law of meanness, within a few days a situation arose in which his participation would have come in handy. The garage doors sagged and stopped closing, so they had to be leveled with a grinder, having previously marked the cutting line.

Perhaps ordinary chalk would have been good enough for marking, but unlike a marker, I never had it. The problem was solved by the nail, which, of course, coped with the descriptive function, but the marker was still a pity - it was worth initially settling it in the garage.

A certain tension in the relationship between economy and minimalism has formed a long time ago. In order not to accumulate trash, we, as a rule, throw away some of the things. However, almost every item you decide to get rid of one day will definitely be needed later. But until the moment when it ends up in a landfill as unnecessary, years and decades can pass. Maybe forever.

Murphy's Law states that lost small and fragile items are found after a replacement is purchased.

Just in case, think twice, and preferably three times, when, during the next general cleaning, your hand reaches out to throw this or that trinket into a municipal container.

But in most cases, the thrifty followers of minimalism manage to find many original solutions to satisfy their aesthetic (and not only) needs: borrow, rent or lease, find on the street - after all, why not? After all, minimalism should justify itself.

A few words about aesthetics and silverware

True minimalism views aesthetics from a different perspective from the philosophy of economy. For example, many minimalists like Apple and Moleskine products primarily because of their aesthetic appearance and solid functionality.

As for aesthetics, there is absolutely nothing reprehensible in it, except, perhaps, one single thing: you will have to pay a lot for beauty, which contradicts the meaning of economy.

There are other nifty, but not very practical items. Take table silver, for example. To this day, many people collect it on the mezzanine, which your grandmother personally wrapped in newsprint to improve the quality of storage conditions. I bet you: you don't remember that holiday, when these devices were last on the holiday table. For the same reason, collectible knives and forks are not the best wedding gifts for young people.

Comfortable life on the run

The conclusion suggests itself: trying to combine minimalism with economy is for the most part a dead number. Most likely, you will have to sacrifice your own comfort and acquire a number of new habits: give up semi-finished food, get to the office by public transport, and give homemade gifts to friends for birthdays.

Try to live like this for at least one or two days, and you will understand how many things that we are used to using without thinking help us save time. No wonder they say: time is money.

Although both minimalism and economy urge us to approach any choice consciously, most minimalists are aware of what they sign up for. Perhaps, I do not know a single person who, having sold his car, would sincerely rejoice at the opportunity to take a ride to work on the subway with the "commoners". This is reality.

In addition, not all the time costs actually seem obvious. For example, buying a gift for a loved one can be a much bigger problem than you might imagine. So is cooking. Tell me, do you remember what proportions of water and cereals should be observed when cooking buckwheat porridge? So I don’t remember either, because it’s easier to take a product that is almost ready, in a special bag for cooking just once. Ten minutes in boiling water and you're done.

What do we end up with

With minimalism, as with all other worldviews, you can go to extremes. Remember: even the wisest philosophy of life has drawbacks that can end up costing you money or causing you certain inconveniences.

On the one hand, you can be guided by the principle of "less is more" and live surrounded by high-tech things made of high-quality materials and endlessly pleasing to the eye.

On the other hand, a lot in our modern world is only imaginary values and household items imposed by the laws of marketing, created with the aim of getting as much profit as possible.

Don't you sometimes think so? We sit for hours in front of flickering screens and panic if we can't remember where we put our mobile phone. It is important to understand that we are changing the world, and at the same time it changes ourselves.

So what should be minimalism when implemented? Have you ever thoughtlessly parting with things and regretting their loss later? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.