Living with a Nonminimalist

Classic psychology, eh? But its true, and generally people resent being forced into anything. (Imagine if they tried to make you a maximalist?) Not everyone has to be a minimalist. WOW. It may seem strange, especially if you’ve reached the point where you feel that minimalism is a great way to live. But everyone has a different way of going about things. If your loved one comes to a realization that minimalism is the best method for them- awesome! But remember that you had to reach a particular point in your life before exploring it, and maybe they do too.

Just do your thing. Seeing a simpler way (when its not being pushed down your throat) can really appeal. For example, after seeing how little I pack for trips, my husband was intrigued and started asking me for packing advice. Of course I was delighted! And all it took was packing my bag. Another small example is my bedside table. I keep it pretty minimal. Over the past few years my husband’s bedside has also become more and more minimal.

I will admit that I did not exercise as much self control as I should have when I first started learning about minimalism. Guys, its so exciting, you just want to share all of the new and fascinating information! Its ok if you did this too. Just try to be cognizant that your roomie may be a little freaked out by what might seem like a radical way of living. I have an advantage in having a great husband who is always open to learning. He is also very patient as I’ve explored minimalism and talked out my personal developments and journey. Maybe that helps too though, because it makes it more about what I’m learning and growing in and less about lecturing or nagging him to do the same. Give them time.

Example: I offered to go through my husbands receipts. They build up a bunch and he hates sorting through them. I put together a system of a couple different jars for him to make it easier. Eventually we stopped saving any receipts except work expenses, but he felt grateful and was open to more change after he saw minimalism working for him. Find a painful clutter area and offer to fix it (then use minimalism.)

Maybe you don’t need fill-in-the-blank. If they express frustration with something, offer to help with a minimalist alternative. One of the best choices (and most tentative) was getting rid of our printer. It was a pain for us to go out and get the cartridges at the last minute and though we used it multiple times a year, it really wasn’t often enough to justify the space it took up and the cost of the cartridges ($70 each! Crazy!) I knew it was a big stress for both of us, so I presented him with an alternative idea: printing at Staples. It was scary to get rid of at first, but now I can’t imagine why we kept it so long. Staples, Office Max, Office Depot or any print shop can do the job easily and its now cents to dollars a year instead of double or even triple digits per year for those little ink cartridges.

I found a great toothbrush that utilized reusable batteries, was electric, very small, easy to travel with and the stand doubled as a case. Since I was getting one for myself I casually offered to order my husband one too. I explained the benefits and he liked. Now we both have one and I have gotten rid of our old brushes, travel cases, and chargers. Ha!

In another situation, I started using shampoo bars for easy travel and less plastic. When he expressed interest, of course I offered to let him to use them anytime. Now I’ll be ordering more, but in peppermint since he likes the scent. No more ugly plastic bottles!