Enjoy this article to help you declutter your things from contributing editor, Tammy Strobel. About 15 years ago, my default response to trying new things was “no.” I liked my routines, and adapting to change was challenging for me. When my husband–Logan–suggested that we simplify our lives, I opposed the idea. I felt scared to make such a big change, and I didn’t think my parents or peers would support the idea. After a lot of conversations with Logan, I began to recognize the benefits of simple living. I realized that decluttering my things – and finances – would give me freedom. Also, Loga ..read more

Enjoy these minimalist tips from contributing editor Tammy Strobel. Simplifying my home revealed the true burden of my clutter. All of my stuff was a constant source of distraction and disappointment in my daily life, leading me to the realization that “a cluttered home is a stressful home.” (NYT) As a result, my husband and I decided to create a minimalist home. The effects were amazing! We experienced: a reduction in stress, heightened focus, enthusiasm for experimenting with minimalism, delight in our simplified home. Motivated by the positive changes, we have maintained a clutter-fr ..read more

I have some gut-wrenching, real world experience with the seduction of getting things done. Shortly before my multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2006, I was feeling completely overwhelmed. I was sick, tired and I had taken on too much (per usual). There was so much going on at work and with other commitments. I was going in so many different directions that it felt like I was failing at all of them. I felt like a terrible employee, a terrible mom and a terrible wife. Yes, I felt terrible all the way around. Even the good things I was doing like volunteering for my daughter’s school auction and tr ..read more

Note: This simple budget article is from contributing editor, Tammy Strobel. Learning how to manage our finances is one reason my husband and I simplified our lives. Uncertainty around money was a source of stress for us. We didn’t know how much money we had or how much we owed. In essence, not knowing how to manage our money created anxiety in our lives. We began to declutter our finances by setting a few goals. Those goals included following a budget and paying off my student loan debt. At first, I felt scared to start a budget. The process surprised me, though. Creating and keeping a simple ..read more

My husband and I decided to simplify our lives to enjoy benefits like saving money, reducing stress, building strong relationships, and investing in experiences. For example, we recently took an overnight trip to a nearby city, stayed at a lovely hotel, explored a museum, ate lots of good food, and spent time with friends. It was a wonderful getaway that reaffirmed why we simplified our lives. We didn’t have the time or money to travel before we adopted simple living. What Is Simple Living? Like minimalism, simple living looks different for each person. Therefore, the definition of simple liv ..read more

Simplifying my life changed my relationship with spring cleaning and makes me excited to share these spring cleaning ideas with you. Decluttering my stuff, shopping less, and moving into a smaller apartment has made cleaning so much easier. I don’t dread spring cleaning or doing my weekly chores anymore. That was an unexpected benefit of becoming a minimalist! Plus, spring cleaning is a simple way to refresh and renew my living space. I’ve also discovered that my tidy apartment makes me happy. Spring Cleaning Ideas (25 tips to make it fun and easy) Before I start cleaning, I set the mood. I o ..read more

If you are a beginner minimalist or restarting a simplicity journey, these tiny steps will help you move forward with less stress and more ease. If you are considering or curious about minimalist living, you may be thinking one of the following … 1. Let’s go! Where’s the dumpster. 2. No thanks – I don’t have a stuff problem, I have a space problem. 3. I’m interested, but I don’t know where to start. You may think all of these thoughts! As a beginner minimalist, you might be in search of a good decluttering process or simple living motivation. Less clutter and owning fewer possessions  is ..read more

The official definition of catch up or catching up is doing tasks one should have done earlier. The problem is that when one has too many tasks (as most do), catching up becomes a state of being instead of something we do once in awhile. If you always feel like you are falling behind and catching up, below are some suggestions that may provide relief for this chronic condition. When I think about the weekends that I used to spend at the office or staring at my computer catching up, it makes me cringe. I did it to make the week ahead easier. I did it to make more money. I did it so I could take ..read more

Recently, my husband and I talked about adult friendships, and if it was harder for us to make friends as adults. We both agreed that it is more challenging to make friends as “grown-ups.” The way we make friends has changed. We don’t get to spend time with friends on the playground or in the classroom anymore.  Also, our adult friends have commitments like: jobs, partners, kids, aging parents, time constraints, and more. Add a global pandemic into the equation and making friends seems even harder. Or is it? After exploring the research on friendship, I learned that I can make friends ..read more

If you want to simplify your closet, dress with less and save your time and energy for something other than answering the question, “what am I going to wear today?” or if you often find yourself thinking, “I have nothing to wear.” this list of things to eliminate from your closet will help. If you are a long time reader of the Be More with Less blog or newsletter, you know that I do not care what’s in your wardrobe and believe you should should wear whatever you want. This list includes things I’ve removed from my own closet and by eliminating these items, I realized that I didn’t need more cl ..read more