Category: Personal

No Spend Week

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Do you ever realize that you just spent too much money? My wife and I did this weekend. To even out the budget, we’re going to have a “No Spend Week”. Fortunately, this fits in with the Minimalist Experiment quite nicely.

The concept is simple, we won’t spend any un-necessary money this week. So what do we consider necessary?

  • Gas. The tank’s about half-full, so we’ll have to fill ‘er back up in a few days.
  • Charitable donations. We’ve already planned our donations for the week and set the money aside, so it will be given just as we planned.
  • Rent. As with the donations, the money is already set aside. That and we like living here and don’t want to have a hard time with our landlords.

That’s it. Nothing else.

We have a fridge full of left-overs, and a well-stocked pantry. We certainly won’t go hungry this week, even without a trip to the grocery store. At worst we’ll have to forego fresh fruit with our lunches, instead breaking out the bag of frozen fruit we’ve stashed away.

It will be easy to avoid shopping, as we simply won’t head to any stores. We have enough daily-use items that we aren’t concerned about running out. I’ve already simplified my clothes so I know that I can get by without anything new for a while.

The hardest cut-off will be our coffee shop visits. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings I use them for their parking spaces. Those mornings I am playing taxi for my wife, waiting while she’s in class. It’s easy to find parking and I can generally get some work done (many posts have been hammered out in the 50 minutes I’m sitting on the sofas in the back.)

This week I’m hoping for nice weather, so that I can head over to the arboretum and possibly get some sketching done. This time of year, when the flowers are just beginning to bloom, it’s a beautiful place to be. If not, I’ll find somewhere else to while away the time.

While this week will provide us with some challenges, we know that we can do it. It will be quite an exciting feeling to know that we won’t have to be checking our account balances, since they won’t be changing this week!

Not-So-Simple Spreadsheet

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As I mentioned Monday, I’m working on a new financial tracking/planning system. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish it yet, but I have made good progress.

I have the budget and tracking sheets put together. There are a few more equations that I want to include, and then it’ll be ready to expand to a full year (each set of pages covers one month). After that, a quick “averages” page to help me see how my money is generally spent, and it should be good to go.

You might wonder how this work fits into the Minimalist Experiment. I’m not approaching minimalism as a way to stop doing things, but to get rid of the clutter. My previous tracking system grew to the point of being unwieldy. It became a hassle to use it.

I tried out Mint.com which does everything that I want my system to do, but it doesn’t recognize the credit union that I am a member of, so all of my data is not in one place. This meant I still had some extra steps to go through.

To make my financial tracking/planning as simple as possible, I want a streamlined system that shows me an overview of all my information in one place. I want to spend as little time entering information as possible. Furthermore, it needs to be easy to read.

While it might take me more work up front to create my own system, it will do everything that I want it to. I will know how it works, so that I can make any necessary changes. In the end, this extra work will allow me to work (and stress) less in the long run. Simple finances, what a great concept!

Simple Finances

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I find it amazing how complicated one can make their personal finances. Especially since all it really amounts to is “spend less than you earn.” (This is something I struggle with, as well.)

I know I’ve written about personal finance before, but I’ve recently been wanting to redo my tracking/planning system. As part of the Minimalist Experiment, I’m going to try and make it as simple as possible.

The tracking/planning system needs to be easy to use, take little time, and provide a lot of useful output. To these ends, I will be sticking with a spreadsheet. One page will be an over-view of my finances, and the other 12 will show each month’s budget and expenses. Since I’ve already created a tracking system, it shouldn’t be hard to come up with a newer, simpler one.

Hopefully I’ll have this ready to share by Wednesday. Check back to see what I come up with!

Minimalist Packing

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Cleaning out my closet really helped me as I packed for my spring break trip. It’s harder to over-pack when you don’t have much to carry in the first place!

I’ve already talked about how important it is to pack light when traveling, but in light of the Minimalist Experiment, I thought I would revisit this topic.

My wife and I are just finishing up our week-long spring break trip to San Antonio. Because of the added cost for any checked baggage, we made sure to bring everything we wanted in our carry-on luggage. Since I only kept about a week’s worth of clothing, this was a simple enough task. I just took everything I had. (Not really, but I did clear out a few drawers.)

So, the rule (1!) of minimalist packing: Don’t take anything that you won’t need. It’s that simple.

It’s very easy to pack extra things, “just in case”. One extra item in each category, and you quickly wind up with far more than you need or want to carry. Do you really need a separate outfit for every day, or can you get some laundry done at your destination? Can you just use the toiletries at the hotel instead of carrying your own (and having the hassle of airport security)? Will you really get so dirty that you need an extra outfit?

Our trip involved a good bit of work, would include working out three days a week, and, of course, a couple of plane rides. I didn’t need to dress up for anything, which always makes it easier. I managed to fit everything into my carry-on.

Packing List

  • 2 jeans – for working/ painting, etc
  • basketball shorts – for running, sleeping, lounging
  • 9 shirts – 1 for each day, and one for exercising
  • 9 socks – 1 for each day, and one for exercising
  • 9 underwear – 1 for each day, and one for exercising
  • hoodie – for the chilly night temperatures
  • 2 handkerchiefs – they take up no space, and are handy for many things
  • toiletries – since I will be sharing my room, I decided not to rely on hotel toiletries – deodorant, soap bar from last trip, toothbrush, and toothpaste
  • sketchpad, watercolors, waterbrush – I’m working on sketching more often throughout the day, I’ll get lots of practice in the airport/on the plane
  • notebook – studying to do, and also lets me write out my ever-present lists
  • book – distractions for the airport and before bed
  • assorted – camera, charger, phone, phone charger, water bottle

This might seem like a lot. However, it was planned so that upon returning home, everything I have has been used, and the only clean clothes are the ones I’m wearing. While I could have packed lighter and done a bit of laundry half-way through the week, I didn’t want to. I minimized the work necessary while still providing me with everything that I needed.

The trip was wonderful, and easier because I had less to deal with. One backpack is quite manageable. Flying with carry-on only is the way to go when possible!

Minimalist Art

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When I first started reading about minimalism on ZenHabits and mnmlist, I began thinking about what minimalist art would consist of. Would it be a solid-colored canvas? Perhaps a color field painting? Maybe a stylized landscape? Would my choice fit another minimalist’s criteria?

As a portrait artist, I tried to create a minimalist portrait. It took me longer than I thought it would, but I managed to capture Leo in the fewest details necessary.

You can see the picture I worked from on his about page. What do you think, did I create a successful minimalist portrait?

Simple Food

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Since beginning the Minimalist Experiment I have been wondering how I can simplify my food. Do I eat less, limit the number of ingredients that I use to cook with, or should I switch to only organic foods?

The simplest (and best) answer I’ve come up with is to eat consciously. I am guilty of eating quickly, then realizing that I didn’t taste a bite of what I just ate. I have to make myself slow down and pay attention to my food so that I can enjoy it.

Having started doing this, I have begun to notice more about my food; its flavors, textures, and aromas. Since I’m paying more attention to the flavor, I’ve discovered that I need less seasonings to make food enjoyable. Simpler foods have also begun to catch my attention. Before, I preferred foods that were spicy or included lots of ingredients, because I wasn’t paying enough attention enough to really appreciate the less-complex flavors.

Just a few days ago I finally tried a local restaurant that I’ve been hearing about for some time. The meal sounded simple enough on the menu but was surprisingly delicious! The Hoppin’ John included 6 ingredients: black-eyed peas, brown rice, Creole tomato sauce – topped with diced onions, green peppers, and cheddar cheese. The meal came with a wonderful slice of home-made bread and a heavenly bowl of soup (tomato bisque!)

Those six ingredients combined to create a wonderful, filling meal. (In fact, there was enough that I was able to get two meals out of it.) What truly helped to set the meal apart, however, is that I made myself slow down and eat consciously.

Pay attention to what you’re eating, and you’ll be surprised what you discover!

Exercise Simply

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Isn’t it amazing how complicated we tend to make things? To exercise, we so often think that we need a personal trainer, a gym membership, all of the equipment that we could ever think of, and special outfits. In reality, we need some good shoes, a set of appropriate clothes, and maybe some basic equipment.

My favorite weight-lifting routine focuses on a few exercises and requires only a few pieces of equipment. My preferred exercise, running, is very simple. (Preferred is not quite the right word. Least-disliked might be more correct. I love the feeling I have after exercising, but hate having to make myself do it.)

As part of my 2010 Action Plan I decided to complete three challenges: 100 Push Ups, 200 Sit Ups, and 200 Squats. I have delayed starting these challenges until now; I wanted to ease back into running first, so that the two sets of exercises would not interfere with each other.

Now it’s time for me to start working on those challenges. As suggested, I started out by testing myself to see what I am currently able to do.

  • Push Ups – 35
  • Sit Ups – 50
  • Squats – 50

Based on these results, I will follow the instructions on the respective challenges’ websites and work my way up the routines until I can complete the goals.

I feel that this basic routine successfully gives me a minimalist workout routine. It effectively captures the spirit of the Minimalist Experiment by cutting out the “extra” exercises so that I can focus on some basics and build from there.

Well, enough talk, time for me to go on today’s run!

My Minimalist Clothing List

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As part of the Minimalist Experiment, I got rid of many of my clothes over the weekend. As I cleaned out my closet, I kept less than half of the clothes I started with. Here’s a list of what I currently have:

  • 7 undershirts
  • 4 fleece/hoodies
  • 4 jackets/coats (including one for rain and a leather jacket)
  • 5 pants (jeans & dress)
  • 3 sleep/sport pants
  • 10 t-shirts (two of which are seasonal)
  • 5 long-sleeved t-shirts
  • 4 polos
  • 6 button-down dress shirts
  • 3 sweaters
  • 15 pair long socks (6 daily, 6 dress, 2 hiking, 1 seasonal)
  • 10 pair ankle socks (4 daily, 6 new)
  • 14 underwear
  • 2 shorts (1 is swimtrunks)
  • 1 sport coat
  • 1 vest
  • 2 suits

96 items of clothing, and I still feel like it’s too many. I don’t wear the sport coat or vest often, nor do the polos see much use. It would be easy to replace the sweaters with the hoodies and fleece jackets. However, this is only a first step.

Some of the items I kept won’t be used often, but are worth keeping for when I do need them (such as the suits). Some I am not sure how often I wear, so I wanted to keep them to see. Some of the socks are still packaged, so I am keeping them to replace the older ones as they wear out.

I am not striving to reduce my clothes down below a certain number. I just want to make my life simpler. When I get dressed in the morning, it is now easier for me to decide what to wear for the day. Also, I like the idea of being able to replace worn-out clothes with higher quality ones.

This is a good starting place. I have all the clothes I need for a daily basis, and some extra ones for special occasions. As I work with this wardrobe, I can weed out the clothes that I don’t use often enough to keep around, and remove them.

Clearing Out the Closet

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I noticed when I was cleaning up that I had too many clothes that I never use. In fact, this project is one of the main things that made me want to undertake the Minimalist Experiment.

I’ve known for some time that I have too many clothes. When my wife and I moved in together, I donated a lot of clothes. When we moved apartments, I got rid of more. And still, I have too many clothes. I have clothes that have not been out of the closet or dresser since I put them in there. They’re wasting my space, taking up time to look through them as I decide what to wear, and are generally just clutter. So it’s time to do something about them!

I followed the simple system that I read about on Becoming Minimalist to narrow down my clothes.

  • I pulled everything out and spread it on the bed.
  • From there I sorted it into three piles:
    • keep
    • relocate
    • discard
  • Then I took care of the piles.

Everything on the Bed

Wow… my clothes covered the entire bed, nearly a foot deep. That’s just too many! And this is after two rounds of getting rid of stuff.

Keep

Deciding what to keep is easy. Deciding what not to keep is hard. I know that I kept too many items, but this gives me a good reference point for further minimizing later on. I kept less than half of the items that I removed from my closet and dresser.

Relocate

One of the problems that I have with getting rid of certain clothing articles is that I think I may need them. I used to work outside during the winter, so I have a collection of nice warm clothing. However, I am no longer doing that type of work, so I need only a few select pieces. Years of habit make it hard for me to pass on good work clothes, however.

To help prove to myself that I don’t need many of my work clothes (and some of the dress clothes, as well), I packed the clothes that I have not warn in awhile into a duffel bag. This bag will go into the storage area. If I haven’t missed the clothes when I next open that bag, they will be donated.

Discard

I have used the relocate method in the past. While bringing down my clothes, I ran across a stack of shirts that I had previously set aside. Since I had forgotten they even existed, they certainly had not been missed. This stack was quickly tossed into the growing “to be donated” pile. The collection has over-grown its bag and will soon be dropped off at GoodWill.

The Results

My closet is much lighter. My clothes are no longer smashed together. I have half a shelf of empty space (room for my art supplies!) and my morning decision making will be much easier.

Minimizing my Computer

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This post is part of the Minimalist Experiment, in which I am clearing away the clutter so that I can focus on the truly important aspects of my life.

I spend far too much time on the computer. Sometimes I’m being productive: writing blog posts, commenting on other blogs, researching, or doing homework. Often, however, I’m just killing time. I can look back over the day and realize that I’ve spent hours doing nothing productive at all.

I decided to combat this in three different ways.

  1. Organize my computer better
  2. Limit my sessions on the computer
  3. Leave the laptop at home

These three ideas will all help me to spend less time on the computer, time that I can spend on worthwhile parts of my life. I will be able to work on my reading list, spend more time with my wife, and complete some of the projects on my todo list.

Organize my computer better

I’ve talked about this before, but apparently I needed to do it again. I found a new minimalist background to help unclutter my desktop. I discovered that I had let far too many icons creep back onto my desktop, so I created a folder called “desktop clutter” and moved everything into it. Now there are only two icons visibile, the Recycle Bin and the Desktop Clutter. It’s such a relief to have a nice, calm image with only a few distractions!

Limit my sessions on the computer

Part of the reason I spend so much time on the computer is because I check it randomly throughout the day. I sit down “just to check my email,” get distracted, and before I know it I’ve lost an hour. To help stop that, I’m only going to get online three times a day. Once in the morning, once in the evening, and a random time during the day. this should be more than often enough to do email, read all of the feeds in my RSS reader, and check the online comics that I read. Ideally, I want to knock off one of these sessions, so that I only get online twice a day. We’ll see how this week goes, and go from there.

Leave the laptop at home

I don’t like lugging the laptop around all the time. That sucker gets heavy! I started out the school year with it at home, and then started carrying it for one of my classes. Realistically, I don’t need it. Today it’s sitting at home, where it belongs. I am writing this on one of the computers in the school’s library. All of the files that I might need are saved on my thumbdrive.
Without the laptop, my backpack weighs half as much. I am able to carry a smaller bag, so it’s more maneuverable. I’m more likely to pull out my book or sketchpad and do something productive with my time.

This is an area where I will have a hard time. I know that it will be worth it, however, so I’m going to make it work. More time that I can spend with my wife is well worth any inconvenience!