Being minimalistic does not mean....

That I never buy anything.
That my closet consists only of khakis and white t's
That i own 2 pairs of shoes (tennis and dressy)
That my walls are bare
That we don't have cable
That we only drink water and eat raw things
That we sing kum-ba-ya every day
That I don't have wedding rings
That we sleep in sleeping bags
That we camp a lot and cook our food by a real fire
That we never go anywhere
That I don't read Cosmo
That i don't know who the Kardashians are
That everything i eat is organic
That I drive a Prius
That my husband doesn't own a razor
That our furniture is tiny
That I wear clogs
That we take cold showers
That I have home remedies for EVERYTHING
That I don't see a doctor
That I don't wear makeup
That we eat raw food
That I am a hippie
That i only listen to indie music
That my child can only play with homemade toys
That i don't use a bank to store my money
That I never dream of being wealthy
That fashion is no longer my passion
That I use large words and talk way out of my league
That people meet me and KNOW I must be practicing minimalism
That I fast a lot for random reasons
That i drink LOADS of coffee (I Do that, but not b/c i'm minimalistic)
That my life is free from stress and hectic days
That I don't dream of a big vacation
That i don't often treat myself
That my bank account is bursting at the seams with $$$$$$$
That i plan to quit my job and go on a safari


This is MY list. MY list of the most common misconceptions with minimalism and things I have heard FIRSTHAND being said and questions I have actually been asked...

Being minimalistic DOES mean...

That I save money where i can
That i think very hard before I buy anything
That I like to donate items
That I enjoy buying things at second hand shops and yard sales
That my clothing budget is much smaller than the average 27 year old
That my daughter has learned to appreciate "gently used" items
That i do enjoy a cup of coffee at home, instead of going out and paying for it
That indie music is one of my favs simply b/c i LIKE it
That I try to do my best to save for an item I really want
That I have began investing in my retirement
That I DO actually save pennies
That sometimes we camp to get a vacation and not spend as much money
That we DO enjoy quiet nights at home by the fire place or the firepit
That my dreams of "wealth" now do not involve money
That my makeup is not some special name brand
That our furniture was carefully thought out to fit our room and not overwhelm
That the simpler(free and cheaper) things in life we partake in more
That I DO spend more time reading than watching tv (ill explain later)
That sometimes i feel guilty about having so many pairs of shoes
That I enjoy down sizing "stuff"

Favorite Blog of 2011

My favorite blog to read in 2011 was/is..... BECOMING MINIMALIST!!!!!

I love this blog. I read it every day, and re-read old posts when he doesn't have new ones available. PLEASE check out his blog.

My favorite post of the year is hard to pin point, BUT, I gained a lot of perspective and inspiration from the following post.

I hope since I love his blog so much he doesn't get mad at me for sharing it :)

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/2011/04/01/minimalism-quotes/

My favorite quote is...

“Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter.”

Remember this quote as you are either on your journey towards a minimalistic lifestyle OR as you consider living one...

As the new year approaches...

Well folks, we have already begun talking about our new years resolutions... but it seems as though I am CONSTANTLY adding to this list :) I told you about my financial new years resolutions in THIS post, but I failed to talk about my minimalistic resolutions.

I walked around my house this weekend when I was taking down all of my Christmas decorations and looked around at my "stuff". No matter how much I get rid of, there is always more to gain. No matter how much i want to not HAVE all of this STUFF... I do. So that got me thinking about New Years Resolutions in a minimalistic way.

While these resolutions may not be as cut and dry as my financial goals, they are still very real to me.

In 2012 I would like to accomplish the following:

1. I want to buy less. I do better each year, but still not good enough. I pray that I can be content with what I have and that I can fight urges to splurge.

2. I want to get rid of more. I want to downsize my closet, my cupboards, my storage building... I want to be content living on LESS!

3. I want to teach my daughter the value of a dollar. Whether that is going to be through an allowance, through having her pick items to donate, or what ... i haven't decided. But before 2012 ends, she will understand more about money.

4. I want to blog more about living on less. It keeps me accountible.

5. I want to give more. I want to give more money and more time to those less fortunate and those charities that NEED me.

6. I want to appreciate nature more. Sounds so silly doesn't it?But it's true. I get SO caught up in going, and doing, and hanging out with friends that I forget to appreciate the little things that are around me that GOD created for me to enjoy.

7. I want to spend more time reading. Granted I do read a lot as it is, but I want to spend more time reading.

There ya go. 7 Minimalistic Matthew's Resolutions.

Financial New Years Resolutions

It's that time of year... the time we sit down and think of "resolutions" for the upcoming year. It's always an exciting time... it's a fresh start and I HOPE that this coming year will be yet another fresh year in my financial future.

My financial goals are as follows:.....

1. Put $2500 in my IRA
2. Pay off my car by SEPTEMBER 1st (that would be exactly 18 months early)
3. Mantain my food budget of $100 a month
4. Donate more items to Goodwill, etc. (take write off's add up more than the cash in my pocket from a yard sale)
5. Teach my daughter about finances using allowance
6. Put $5000 in savings

Okay so 6 is a random number... but that's what I got :) What about you? have you given much thought to your financial goals for the year?

to read about my OTHER New Years Resolutions that will posted by the end of the week go to www.jereandcara.blogspot.com