When Is Enough, Enough? Simplifying Your Home for a Minimalist Lifestyle
Common Household Items We No Longer Own—And Why We Don’t Miss Them.
Is your home filled with things you don’t actually use? After multiple moves, we’ve learned what’s truly essential—and what we no longer need. From ditching the toaster oven to skipping streaming services, here’s why simplifying your home and life might be the best financial move you make.
Recently, a friend came over to help us move a giant, clunky air conditioner that I sold on Facebook Marketplace (seriously, why are these things so heavy?). To thank him, Mr. DINK took him out for lunch.
At some point during lunch, our friend—let’s call him Russel—casually mentioned, “Wow, your apartment is kinda… sparse.” It wasn’t a judgmental comment, just an observation. He knows we’re eventually moving, so it wasn’t shocking, but it got me thinking.
When Mr. DINK came home, he mentioned this to me. I looked around and thought to myself, “Is there anything that is missing? Or is the lack of things creating challenges?” Nope. We have everything we need (and honestly, still a few things we don’t).
Our Journey to Less
We’ve been on this simplification journey for a while now. It started with an 850-square-foot home with an attached two-car garage and an oversized detached garage. When we sold our home in 2022, we downsized to the essentials. Then we moved two more times (yes, we’re in our third apartment in three years!) and continued to shed unnecessary stuff along the way.
Each move made it clear: we were hanging onto things we never used. Did we really need to keep moving the same unopened boxes? Probably not.
Now, let’s talk about some of the common household items we’ve ditched—and why we don’t miss them one bit.
Common Household Items We No Longer Own—And Why We Don’t Miss Them
📄 Printer -
It’s been a few years since we had a printer. I got tired of spending money on ink to print a few pieces, then it would dry out before I got to use it all up.
Solution:
✅ Our local library offers printing for $0.25 per page.
✅ The local UPS store has a friendly staff and makes printing painless.
This whole thing creates a little bit of friction but it’s not enough to become a barrier. We only print things that we absolutely need to print.
🔨 Big, bulky tools -
Since we no longer have the storage space for big, bulky tools we simply don’t have them.
Solution:
✅ Borrow from friends or neighbors. People love helping (seriously, it’s a thing).
The bonus? No maintenance, no storage issues, and no buyer’s remorse.
🍞 Toaster Oven, Air Fryer, and Excess Dinnerware -
We don’t own a toaster oven or an air fryer, and we have exactly four dinner plates.
Solution:
✅ Want toast? Use a frying pan with butter.
✅ Need to reheat something? The “big” oven works just fine.
✅ Craving air fryer recipes? Cook at a friend’s house and make it a social event!
✅ Hosting a dinner party? Ask guests to bring extra plates—or book a table at a restaurant.
There’s no need to buy, store, maintain, and clean things we rarely use.
Why Simplifying Saves Money & Reduces Stress
Are you noticing a theme here? You don’t need to buy, store, maintain, and clean all the things. Let’s be real: owning less = more freedom.
💰 Less spending: No need to buy what we don’t need.
🧼 Less maintenance: Fewer things to clean, store, and organize.
📦 Easier moves: Every relocation is simpler because we own less.
People often think minimalism is about deprivation. It’s not. It’s about being intentional with what we own—and what we don’t.
What Else Can We Let Go Of?
I’ll have to look around to see what else we don’t have that others might find “different.” Living simply allows you to put your money towards more experiences, earlier retirement, pay off debt.
Now I want to know: What have YOU stopped buying or keeping in your home? Comment below—I’d love to hear what’s on your list!