Thirteen Ninety Eight: Owning Less

“Owning less is far more beneficial than organizing more.”

Over the past year or so I’ve been cutting down on clutter. I’ve given away over 6 bags of clothes, purses, and shoes that I no longer want or need. Most items I held onto for years because, when it came time to donate them, I somehow had an emotional connection with them and just couldn’t let them go – even though I never wore them!

At first I was somewhat sad with the empty spaces in my closet. I thought, Will I have enough clothes to wear to work? Will I have enough clothes to wear on the weekends?

Now, a year later, I can’t even remember what I gave away. I’ve survived without all those shirts that I somehow couldn’t live without. There isn’t one item that I donated that I wish I had back.

There are still a few clothes that I need to donate, especially jeans. I have an entire drawer full of jeans, but I only wear about 2-3 of them. So why keep the rest?

I’m currently down to about 8 blouses, 10 casual shirts, 7 dresses, 10 pairs of exercising shorts/pants, 10 exercising tees/tanks, 15 jeans/capris, 4 khaki/jean shorts, and about 13 pairs of shoes. I have a shit ton of cardigans, maybe like 25. I wear a cardigan almost every single day to work because of my tattoo.

I’m just estimating with those numbers, but it gives you an idea. I'm actually looking forward to donating more. Writing these numbers makes me feel like I actually have a lot more clothes than I should have.

I rarely buy myself new clothes because I enjoy my minimalist closet. I used to shop all the time. I always wanted something new for my closet. Something new to go out with my friends. Some new purse because, oh my god!, it’s on sale and I just need it. Man, has my attitude towards material things changed or what?

I sometimes worry that people at work will realize I’m wearing the same things over and over again & if it comes off as unprofessional, but then I think, So what? Have you heard that some people are starting to wear work uniforms (when their offices don't require it)?

Clearing out the clutter has been an amazing experience. I have more space. More room to breathe. More room to grow. Plus, when you only focus on buying the essentials, you save more money – and that’s always a positive.

Read more about minimalism here.

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