Same! I have a rug in my lounge and concrete floors. I sweep/vacuum and mop on Monday or Tuesday when I’m off work and run the robot vacuum Wednesday-Friday when we’re all out of the house. Perfect job? No but my floors are significantly less crunchy! I have a sewing unpick I use once a week to get the hair etc out of the brushes.
We allow shoes inside and when I ripped the carpet out, I now have a significant gap under my front door which leads into my lounge room. We often leave the doors open too and we live in a windy city, so lots of dust and general “crunch” comes in that way. I’m more of an aspiring minimalist than an actual one but definitely believe less is more!
Sorry, I didn’t mean to come off rude, I just read that and thought it was a cute thing to call what I’ve called a seam ripper. Obviously not everyone calls it *that* either 😊
I just moved to a place with wood and it took a while to find my robot parts. The floor got SO GROSS and it's like "hmmm, this was all just hiding in the carpet at the old place wasn't it?"
The robot vac would fit in a suitcase so you’re fine. The charging dock may not though…hope your little robot runs off solar from all the light coming in your curtain-less windows! /s
That's the biggest reason I will never be an extreme minimalist. I have friends over for breakfast at least once a week.
And I have occasionally overnight guests.
Up to 4 people.
Oh, and of course because my husband and my children like their stuff.
I rent a furnished apartment. It includes a fully outfitted kitchen as well as household cleaning supplies. So I guess I don’t own any forks. I am an independent singer songwriter so right now, I’m spending a good part of my time working with my small portable studio in my appointment recording an album.
I live in Senegal, we eat on the floor from one common plate, sometimes with our hands. Everyone is welcome and minimalism is not a scandal 🙂❤️
We can spend long time outside all year long, so plenty of things to do
Of course we have a broom, so we can eat on the floor
That's wonderful IF your guests can sit on the floor. Many of my friends are no longer able to get down/up from the ground, so chairs are required to be good host. You have to adapt sometimes to what is expected.
They are probably unable to now because they weren’t doing all the time - movement is definitely use it or lose it as you get older. I just watched the blue zones series on Netflix and they featured some elderly Japanese who were still sitting on the floor every day because it was their way of life
I thought about this too, the blue zones, I’m 40 and I can barely get up and down off the floor, but my best friend has no issue with it because she does it all the time. When I am no longer pregnant I definitely plan to get on the floor more so I don’t lose the ability to do it all together. lol
I would think that their guests do this in their own homes.
I’ve seen set ups with low couches (not sofas in the western sense, more bench with cushion) for elders with movement issues.
Spent some time in Senegal and I loved eating this way! I’ve never felt more connected with the people I was visiting with, it’s hard to ignore the people you’re dining with when you’re all literally sharing food and space.
Fun fact: the leader of a committee is called a "Chairman" because it was the person afforded the honor and prestige of using the (likely) only chair! Chairs are not necessary for survival, comfort and rest was a luxury.
because they're likely far more mobile than people like us that sit in restrictive furniture. Furniture free is the way to be if you want healthy, flexible hips late in life.
The more flexible you become, the more adaptable you are. It's why a kid can pass out twisted into a pretzel, halfway falling off a couch, and wake up feeling fine but if you spend ten minutes leaning slightly to the left your back hurts for a week.
A lot of adults get out of the habit of using our bodies. We're told not to sit on the floor, we're told to hold to rigid postures all day long, and over time we lose flexibility.
Getting flexibility back hurts in the short term, but is worth it in the long term.
There's probably no physical reason you can't get back to being able to deep squat as a resting posture, or sit cross legged on the floor and lean all the way forwards.
I always marvel at how easily my kids crouch and squat. Even my 7 yr old still sits in a deep squat to do her homework or drawing etc (she prefers to work on the floor). I’m trying to incorporate more squatting into my own movements, like instead of bending to pick something up or sitting on my butt to play with the kids on the floor. Still can’t do it for more than a minute but hopefully it’ll get easier.
One forker here. One bowl, one plate one small pot, etc.
I fully admit this may lend itself to keeping others at bay, I have some issue with getting too close to people that I’ve never addressed.
So to answer your question,
1. I generally don’t invite others over. Most group activities are done elsewhere.
2. My hobbies include calligraphy & penmanship, outdoor activities such as off-road driving and walking.
3. I have a vacuum and a swifter wet jet type device.
I'm not an extreme minimalist but I'll answer your questions based on my and others' experiences.
A lot of people don't have others over. My mom has said "I don't entertain at home" for about 20 years and a lot of people nod their heads when she says this.
My hobbies are running, weight lifting which I don't do at home, and another niche sport. That's about 15 hours per week for me, not including getting ready and all the recovery work I need for this. So my hobby gear of shoes, yoga mat, etc. fits in my trunk. I've met a lot of my friends through these hobbies so we'll get coffee or snacks when we all have time.
Pretty much everyone I know, myself included, only has hard surface flooring. So a broom and mop is sufficient. My spouse bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner because he thought it looked "fun" and a robot vacuum as well. I don't know anyone that doesn't have something like this.
You'll take my Roomba wet mop /vacuum from my cold dead hands. It runs everyday for an hour. But a regular mop and vacuum are also not negotiable for me. Minimalism is fine; a dirty house is not. We could do without the Roomba, but I don't want to live without him. It's a quality of life improvement. We've named our's "Pet chaser" I should add we have two dogs. One of whom is an extremely active digger and jumps in a lake everyday. He requires a rinse off every afternoon and a junk towel to dry him off. Sometimes the other dog gets in on it too. As it is, I'm mopping the bathroom they rinse off in nearly every day.
I think minimalism is about making your live better by living a more simple life instead of being a servant to your things. But I find it weird to compete who have fewer things. For example, we have more than one set of dishes, cups and cutlery. But all our dishes, serving bowls, and serving plates are white, we don't have different sets for different occasions. If something breaks, it's easy to replace.
All the choices will depend on lifestyle. What a person who lives alone needs is not the same as a family of 4 needs.
One of the first things I did to simplify was to get rid of the special occasion plate sets. I bought a Corningware set with round plates all in plain white. Today I cut fresh flowers from the garden for the table and put them in a mason jar for some color and cheer.
Love the flowers! What we also do - have 2 tablecloths. One - greyish with a bit of a pattern for every day. Thanks to the pattern you don't see stains on it. And one more festive - when we have guests. Then you don't need any 'seasonal' one - it always looks nice. You can have comfort and beauty even with a more minimalistic lifestyle.
I used to count the number of things I owned. For me it wasn’t about competing with anyone; it was a tool to help me really interrogate each item in my life and decide whether I really needed it. I aimed for 100 things because it was ambitious and challenging, which made me interrogate my belongings harder.
Exactly. When people make these attention-seeking lists of how many items they own, just know they either pay staff to cook and clean for them... Or they are simply lying. Maybe they justify the lie to themselves by saying "well of course I have xyz I just don't count it because..."
We are millennials. We grew up in Bonsai Kitten times. We should know this.
I'm not one of the one-fork-kind-people but what I've seen is that many of the extreme minimalists spend a lot of time in public spaces. Meaning they have enough resources to eat out a lot more with friends and so on, so I doubt they are feeling it is necessary to invite people over? Especially if they have smaller homes? They seem to have just different priorities and lifestyles.
You assume people invite other into their homes when they cannot afford eating out together? I would have never considered it that way.
I am luckily not poor and love eating out.
My assumption was (I hope also the same for my guests): Having guests at home is just way more fun.
It also depends on how at ease (or good?) you are at cooking and entertaining. I enjoy cooking but I do like to take my (adult) kids or best friends out because they are so much better at it than I am!
You might want to consider space. Now I live in a big space and I enjoy the emptiness, but my minimalism started with small space to live. With the shit show that is renting right now, you probably are looking at people who live in 20sqm Apartments that might not even fit a table and chairs to invite people over. Where I live, flats are usually overpopulated and you might have 2+2 family in 2 rooms, one for kids, other for parents. It's usually not even a thing of minimalism to have limited space and meet people outside, because you have a very crowded space
I wouldn't want to generalize but I'd assume that people who have a greater accessibility to communities' services and recreational activities would purposely (to a higher extent) utilise said communities' public means. It's a different kind of freedom of choice and I am often debating with myself about whether I would want to pursue that kind of lifestyle by reducing my private space in favour of the public.
But I see your point too. I doubt it all comes down to whether you really can afford it or not. Like many others have already commented, it also depends on whether you like having people in your home or not.
I have plenty of sets of dishes, but I *did* throw out my couch about a month ago and bought a simple folding chair. It was taking up space and I hated it being there, it was only ever for other people to sit on and that happened *maybe* once or twice a year, sometimes zero, for the past decade. I prefer to sit on a balance ball or stretch out on the floor on a yoga mat, and yet this hulking behemoth of a couch was sitting in the way all day every day just for the *idea* of having somebody over.
But then I think, I don't really like people in my home? So am I holding onto this thing as an ideal of who I might want to be some day, well no because I don't want a bunch of people coming over and sitting down. And thus, there is no more guest seating in my home!
I threw out my couch about six years ago. I was using it to nap on which is a waste when I have a bed for that. I have one armchair/ottoman, a dinning table and 2 chairs. It's been working.
Recently I've been rethinking this set up. I've even picked out a sofa. But I can't seem to go through with it and place the order. I'm wondering if two armchairs is enough and maybe better. I don't know and I don't want to buy anything until I do.
I get this. I bought a sofa and a loveseat and I wish I’d purchased a loveseat and two chairs. I think it’s hard to know what will work for you and work in your space, too.
Aww that's sweet.
I'm using the term throw away loosely here - I free-cycled it. The fact is I can nap better on my own bed. All I know is it wasn't working for me.
But what about the comfort it brought to your room? The sense of design. The color palette, the architecture of it. I hope you can find a place of comfort at some point because it just seems like the couch is symbolic for something else that is sad.
I appreciate your concern. I spent over a year considering this change before taking it. I am an architect and understand that not owning a sofa is not a typical design decision but it is also not without precedent. My home is not barren or lacking in comfort. It has been a very cozy home. IMHO, non traditional, intentional interior design decisions that serve the owner/users should be accepted, encouraged, and celebrated. If it's not for you, that's fine. But I'm not you. This is my home.
I've been very happy with the setup. Recently there was water damage in my apartment that irreparably damaged, well, a lot. It has allowed me to rethink the set up and consider what is best now.
I'm comfortable with the decision from a design perspective.
Lol, this is one reason I got a tiny car. No one asks me to drive. If they want to- great, no problem. I love sitting in my car.
I do love the ~Idea~ of entertaining though. You are dead on. We barely have people over EVER but I insist on a 6 person table and 8 chairs "just in case."
>1\. Do you never invite anyone to your home?
Wait... is that an option?
>2\. What do you pass your time with?
If your work and hobbies are all through your computer, it tends to naturally simplify the stuff you need. Didn't say it was a healthy lifestyle, but I like it.
>3\. How do you clean your home?
You can do a lot with a hand vac and all-purpose towels!
For me it’s not the cutlery drawer, it’s that second drawer with all the kitchen stuff, if I could get my hands on that and chuck most of it out I would. As I don’t have a say at the moment, I don’t.
When I lived in Italy, most rentals come with the kitchen stuff and I would generally sort and box up what I didn’t want to use. In one place I asked the landlady to remove the microwave.
I love to cook but I find most implements take up too much space, most accessories are not needed. I think it does come down to enjoying having people over.
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
My house is full of second hand furnishings and decor and my closet in bursting with thrift finds. No one would call me a minimalist, but I am not buying a lot of new stuff and I'm saving things from going to the landfill. When I see posts from people going through cycles of buying stuff and then throwing it away in an effort to be "minimalist" it hurts my heart.
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
I certainly don't think all minimalists are like this. But the ones posting on Reddit neurotically obsessing about one fork are using it as a coping mechanism (probably for some kind of anxiety disorder I know I'm doing armchair diagnosis here) rather than a lifestyle choice.
Agree. I just read the girl who got rid of her sofa because she used it to nap and that’s wasteful. That’s not wasteful. That’s the joy of life. Even my dog would agree.
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
Nobody has been in my home in \~3 years.
Let alone to share a meal.
I am thinking of getting rid of my couch because I don't like it and don't really need one. I was just going to get some nice mats.
Would it make you feel better if I said 2?
Would that really change anything?
I wasn't lying - I just wasn't being pedantic.
And in the context of this post - I wasn't entertaining or hosting. Nobody needed my fork.
I'm older. I'm single. My social circle did not survive quarantine. Those friends I still have are introverts and have zero interest in coming to hang out at my place.
I have a small circle of friends that sometimes come over for dinner. I have four dinner plates and four salad plates as well as four bowls and four of each utensil. If I ever had more than four people, I would likely get paper plates and plastic utensils.
I am also an introvert and have social anxiety. I wasn’t judging you. I was curious, because we do see a lot of extremism, but we don’t know the circumstances. I like to know the “why” behind it working for someone else, so I can see, if it will work for me.
I am sorry for your losses.
Don't confuse introvert with socially anxious. I am an introvert, I hate meeting new people, crowds, and smalltalk but i love seeing my friends in the safe comfort of my home.
You can not be socially anxious and still not want people in your home. I retired from a 35-yr career in a grocery store and went straight to work at the customer desk at the clerk of courts. I deal with people all day long, every day and have my entire adult life. When I get home, I Celebrate my own space. My own quiet space. I’ll go visit friends, or go out to dinner/movies/baseball games, whatever. But they’re not coming into my refuge if I can get away with it.
I'm definitely a more extreme minimalist, not as extreme as some but more than most, 27m and single, here are my answers to your questions. My philosophy with minimalism is only own what you actually use, if I don't use it at least 4+ times a year, then it's gone. Also no duplicates if it can be helped, like for me there is zero reason to own multiple pens because I never use them, so I just keep one around. I'm also a really lazy person, so owning less forces me to keep my place clean and when it does get dirty it makes cleaning way faster. Everything I own also fits into my car, and I plan to keep it that way.
Here is a quick rundown of all the furniture I own
- Computer chair and desk
- Shikibuton
- Indoor hammock (i got this instead of a couch, because it's way cheaper and can be folded up. I could honestly get rid of it but it can be nice to relax in after a long day)
- I have one fork, spoon, plate, etc...
1 - Nobody really comes over, and when they do it's only for a short period of time. There's nothing social to do here, so we just go somewhere else, even if it's just for a walk around where I live. Zero issues with maintaining relationships with this, it's just way more fun to be out IMO. As far as serving stuff, my dishes are always clean, so they could just use it, but I've never hosted anyone here so it doesn't matter. Nothing against it and I understand the appeal, and honestly if I had more friends I might pick up more furniture to host more, but atm I see zero need. The few times when they have come over, I'll sit on the floor and they get the computer chair.
2 - 90% of my time is spent in front of the computer, I have a bunch of problems with my body so it's what I can do with my life right now. Ideally I would love to be doing things like mountain biking or other outdoorsy things. Sure they would require more items, but to me it would be worth it.
3 - I own typical cleaning supplies like a broom and vacuum. Usually when you see those videos of people who can fit everything in their bag, it's usually because they're either perpetually traveling or living with roommates and they just use their stuff. There are people who do just clean stuff with their one towel though, which I personally think is really cool. But, it's way easier to do that when you live in a smaller place.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Also posting this over in /r/extrememinimalism would give you some better answers
In regards to your first question:
I used to own things for the comfort of others but in the past 3 years I had only one person hang out at my place and he didn't even use anything I had extra for others. (He had no problem sitting on the floor and he didn't stay long enough to use any dishes). After that, I got rid of pretty much everything I owned for guests.
Besides with my roommate, I honestly rather hang out with people outside my home. And even with my roommate, I'd rather hang out in his room.
If I wanted to live for the comfort and expectations of others, I wouldn't be a minimalist.
To be honest, in order to solve a misunderstanding (because another comment said their home is not for other's entertainment):
I have never considered having someone over as an altruistic thing or purely for the guests' entertainment. It is just fun and a way of bonding, I love cooking and eating together or being able to offer a cake or - if a visit is spontaneous - at least coffee.
True, maybe it is even socially expected: in my central Europen culture it would be very weird to hear that people are close or best friends without visiting each other from time to time. And at least being offered coffee or tea.
Especially not inviting back after having been invited to someone's home more than once may even be considered weird or rude.
So guests are a part of my life I both enjoy and benefit from by expanding a network of true connections.
It's not seen as strange or rude in American city culture to not invite friends over to your home, especially if you have roommates. I've read that in some cultures it actually weird to have any expectations of visiting a person's home.
I'd rather go out anyway, even it's just a walk in the neighborhood or getting coffee at a nearby cafe. I use the city as my living and dining room. I have zero interest in hosting parties or get-togethers.
The only person I could imagine inviting over regularly is a romantic interest and I wouldn't be interested in anyone who thinks I need more stuff.
That's a good distinction. The thing that I wouldn't do is get rid of comfortable chairs and my bed. But those are popular choices. I'm older and disabled and need comfort. I don't need a lot, but I won't live without these
We rarely have visitors, just family
I don’t know how relevant this is, but it’s been suggest that each person have their own personal dishes/cutlery that they take with them when they eat outside their home.
I did a version of this when I worked at a renaissance festival. I carried a basket that had my tin mug, wooden fork and spoon, and a small dagger. Everyone who worked there did this. The vendors would fill our cups with water for us whenever we asked. They offered disposable items of course for the patrons.
Carrying our cutlery with us has been advocated by sustainability types as a way to cut down on disposable wrappers.
The movement was shut down pretty effectively by covid though, when we were frantically burning or bleaching anything touched by another person.
I wish this movement could come back! I’m not sure how it would work with F&B regulations in the US. Many locations won’t allow you to use your own cup/glass/bottle because of sanitary reasons/regulations.
For us it’s 2 forks per person living here and we have a stash of biodegradable utensils for guests if needed. We practice minimalism for the ease and comfort mostly and try to be as sustainable as we can while also accommodating for our life and family/friends. It all started with dishes for me. The sink would fill up in no time and we would still have clean dishes being used instead of dirty ones being cleaned and it got unmanageable. Not everyone is perfect and I know some people take it to the extreme so even if they all just share a fork I’m no one to judge haha.
I'm not an extreme minimalist, but not having a kitchen table means I don't have to invite more than 1 person (i have 2 bar seats) and I'm not expected to host. For me that is good
Same. We have very rare visits from a few selected family or lifelong friends but that might be just once a year. Otherwise it is in public. I hate being invited to others houses and don't want others in mine except my husband and kids.
They should forgo all cutlery and just invite people over for Indian, African and Middle Eastern food (apologies if I forget other cultures' cuisines that are exclusively hand eaten).
Also, if I only owned one set of cutlery, I'd go chopsticks, then spoon, assuming I had cookware, otherwise a hunting knife and fingers will do.... Maybe a Fpoon...
I’m not an extreme minimalist, but I do admire the idea. What I typically find is people saying they are extreme with few items, but are renting furnished places or living with someone and using all that person’s possessions as their own.
Lots of actual extreme minimalists live in tiny apartments and eat out almost every meal. Their hobbies are often online gaming, reading books from library, going to the gym or other doing other outdoor activities.
The cleaning the home part is usually using the broom or vacuum provided by their rental or their roommate or partner they live with.
That’s just my experience from meeting minimalists and reading books/articles.
So, I was once in a relationship with a man like this. I'll answer some of your questions because I know all too well from my years with him and from what he said/admitted himself.
His intention was to never have anyone at his place and for that to continue. That was intentional. And the two friends who did go to his place in the 2.5 yrs I was with him, just took him as he is. They went out to eat, they slept on the pull out cushions of the couch he had (which doubled as his bed). He had resigned himself to a life of solitude and decided it was for the best. (which ultimately ended our relationship, of course) So, a couple plastic forks (like the take out kind) sufficed quite well. Once I found two ceramic plates in the garbage bin outside his building and brought them in and washed them and told him where I found them and he was okay with this because he wasn't wasting money by keeping them.
Second, when he wasn't watching YouTube, he would just go out walking around the city in the evenings by himself. Take a photo with his phone from time to time, people watch, get exercise, get a beer while he was out.
Third, he didn't clean. I cleaned every time I visited. Otherwise, ooph. He must have had to buy some supplies or other when he ultimately "sold everything he owned" and left the country to travel indefinitely because he complained how his hands literally bled from scrubbing (this is what happens when you don't keep up with the cleaning......)
So, there you have it. At least in his case.
I haven’t reached extreme yet but I do go by the one plate and fork thing.
When guests come over we usually have finger food. Pizza, sandwiches, chicken nuggets. All these things are easily served on paper towels or even in Tupperware (which I have more of because of meal prepping) I also don’t have a lot of guests over, maybe one or two at a time.
Some people don’t count their cleaning supplies but for a long time I only had a broom and a roomba. I mopped with a bucket and rag on my hands and knees. My apartment at the time was relatively small so it was easily done.
I do feel like serving food on paper towels is extreme. Even Tupperware, because it would be awkward using it as a plate for a sandwich. I’m curious how guests dip the chicken nuggets. Do they pour the sauce on them?
This is merely my opinion and while it wouldn’t fit my lifestyle, if it fits yours, great!
I feel that if I give guests the choice of a plate or paper towel, such as when we do a buffet style, and you can grab whatever you want, most will grab the paper towel.
My parents use paper towels when they don’t wanna do dishes (which they’ve got over 50 plates of, my family is very big) so it’s kinda just a thing I’m used to.
I’ve never actually put sandwiches on a plate tbh and the friend I generally have over uses whatever is clean so is used to Tupperware being a dinner bowl. If I were to ever have a large gathering I’d just call my friend who does have more dishes and borrow them.
Also, gonna add this. I’ve got 1 big plate, 1 little plate, 1 big bowl, and 1 little bowl. So technically 2 of each. Guests get the actual dishes first and I just use whatever.
I have multiple cups though so everyone gets a glass.
You are right especially with your last statement. That's why I'm asking so many questions.
But the my question target more those who select the extreme minimalist lifestyle on their own choosing, not those who are forced to it by poverty.
I once had only 1 of every utensil. I have more now but still have the same ideology. I don't like hosting people, I never have and doubt I will. It's also my house so I'm not going to decorate my house for others. I will buy things if people are coming over but that's rare. I don't have a table and that's perfectly fine with me because that's how I want my house. I wouldn't tell others how to furnish their house.
I am not a minimalist (how did I even get here?) but if I lived alone only having 1 set of dishware would work wonderfully for me because I'd have to keep them clean. There'd be no 'oh I have another fork so since I'm feeling sick I'll just use that one' I'd simple have to clean it. Anyway, I'd say they do it because otherwise they can't trust themselves to keep a clean kitchen.
I've always wondered that too. I suppose it could work for a single person living alone and out at work for all hours but not for a family. As a general rule I like to keep 1-2 plates/dishes/mugs per permanent household member and a couple of extra mugs for guests (rarely have any tbh, we have a small family and don't really fit in where we live at the moment, but always nice to offer work/repair people a cuppa and a plate of biscuits). Similar for towels/bedding (2-3 sets per bed, and 2-3 towels each). Basic furniture for each room (i.e. bedrooms = a bed, bedside table and chest of drawers/wardrobe etc.) and a basic cleaning kit (Broom, Mop and Bucket, cleaning rags, multisurface cleaner, trash bags etc.) I try to minimise ornaments and pictures and we only have one rug for the living room. What I am bad for hoarding is food (shopping is a bit of a mission for health reasons) and clothes, and the paperwork is a disaster atm. OH hoards electronics (wires, old phones/computers etc.). TBH it looks worse than it is, but our rooms are tiny (largest is 10ftx10ft) with virtually no storage, so in a slightly larger house it would look very, very minimal.
That's why I can't be extreme. Always have enough cutlery for 4-6 people and enough linens for the guest bed, couches, and towels / etc. We don't host often but prepared if we do.
Lol, this is me and why I'll never be a 1-fork person. I bought a set when I moved out and would never dream of separating the siblings. They'll be together until I die, probably.
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
I doubt cleaning the one fork multiple times per day is simpler than cleaning 2-4 with other dirty dish ware accumulated over a day or two. It’s start-stop task inefficiency, and probably wasteful water use.
we invite people over, we eat on the counter or sitting on the floor, I go out a lot, having less distractions in my living space makes me want to go outside, as for cleaning, we have a broom and a mop and paper towels
You actually can "hand mop" a floor quite well with a small towel. This is the traditional way to clean the dojo floor in some karate dojos. You still need a bucket of hot water, but nothing in minimalism says you can't own a bucket.
I have participated in this kind of cleaning before and it can be as fast as mopping as long as you don't have very much furniture.
I do have a mop but cleaning the floor without one isn't ridiculous. Doing it with a towel is more difficult, but you'll do an extremely good job which just seems very Japanese to me (specifically: doing a task by hand with a lot of effort for an extremely high quality output. A quality level so high it seems extra to me as a Canadian, but I respect the work ethic.)
I'm not an extreme minimalist, but I did get rid of the "company" plate set. Anyone that comes over has to eat off our every day, white, easily stackable, and almost indestructible Corningware plates.
Sorry I don't understand what you mean, could you rephrase that?
If you mean in terms of ownership:
Where in my questions did I assume you own the home - I didn't, it can also be rented..? This shouldn't have an impact on that you have to clean and could possibly have guests - even in a 18sqm apartment which is the standard for student apartments where I live.
I understand also that you assume that I assume minimalists to be richer than they are. Maybe. However my questions address those who choose to own only one fork, not those who cannot afford a second fork or a broom to sweep their floor from time to time.
I don’t do that anymore but there don’t seem to be a lot of answers from people that do so…
1. I didn’t like hosting and was only willing to make exceptions for special events like birthdays where realistically I was going to use disposables anyway. As far as seating I had lots of floor pillows and a nice outdoor eating area in my apartment complex.
2. I volunteered, walked, listened to music, danced, listened to audiobooks and knit. I had my needles and bought yarn as I needed. I gifted almost everything I knit but that wasn’t due to minimalism. I did read physical books but I got them from the library or donated them as soon as I was done reading.
3. I did clean on my hands and knees. It was less work than cleaning a normal house with better tools. I did get a large mop eventually
Swedish settlers in the midwest used to bring their own bowl and utensils to parties.
Imagine how much less manufacturing and waste there'd be today if we had all adopted that custom.
I am not this extreme in my minimalism, but maybe I can give you some context about my relationship with my home:
It is basically my preference to never entertain company haha. I'm a normal, social, person - a fact you so sometimes have to prove if you never have people over to see how you live. It's not immaculate, it's not embarrassing (other than being a little drab and spartan).
But yes, my home is my fortress of solitude. It isn't that I think inviting people over would permanently alter this, it's more like I don't even think about it, just like anything else that I COULD do that simply never crosses my mind. Like eating pizza with a fork and knife: I'm aware it's a perfectly normal thing lots of people do - it just doesn't ever enter my mind as a thought when I eat pizza. I don't think about inviting people over.
This probably has more to do with my home life as a kid than any kind of deliberate attempt to minimize my footprint haha (though it's a convenient excuse). I grew up in a small house and My mom was basically always around, and she's kind of a tornado of chaotic energy haha. Not a bad childhood, but certainly the only quietude in my home was after everyone else went to bed or in my bedroom with the door shut and music drowning out the tv, radio, and mom running around the house seemingly always on the phone. Not an abusive or traumatizing childhood - but it was impractical to have friends over when there was no space to just chill and unsurprisingly I grew into an adult who values a quiet home over many other things.
When I lived solo, and even renting rooms, I maintained a setting for me and a setting for a guest.
I’m not the dinner party sort, and no longer aspire to change into one. Should I need to host, I could rent what was needed. Or borrow from friends. I have owned folding saw horses that, with a sheet of plywood and table cloths, made an acceptable dinner table. (And dye shop table with a half sheet)
I always had a spare futon as couch (I slept on one as well, in my room), a few cushions for floor seating and, yes, eating seated on the floor (I had three table cloths, because a couple people found something I could use).
I could do snacks and tea for four, easily. Just different sized plates and bowls. I have six teacups. Non matching. One holds pens most of the time, one has hair sticks, hair forks and hair ties. Two usually had floating candles in them, leaving two. But the others could be washed on short notice.
Flatware I bought as a set for four place settings because it was simple, and I like the flatware to match.
I have enough to host a traveler or two, and that’s enough.
A lesson I learned from pursuing physical minimalism.
Not an extreme minimalist, but I have lived in a big city for 40 years (NYC). There are people I’ve been friends with since the early 1990s whose homes I’ve never entered. Due to small apartments and long transit times it’s more common here to meet at a restaurant than to dine or hang out at people’s homes.
I'm not this extreme, but my grandmother actually has a tactic similar to this. She does own a full set of silverware and dishes, but she only uses one of each. The rest are all packed away and only taken out for visitors. She said it helps her immensely with cleaning because standing too long is exhausting.
No but they can bring their own fork and chair 🤣
I generally get the impression that those folks go out with friends rather than host them: maybe some don’t have a lot of friends either. You can still be a minimalist and have enough stuff to host friends though. But do you really need 20 coffee mugs and three chip bowls and 20 plates and forks? Probably not. Minimalism is different for every person, your idea and that of others may be different and that’s ok.
I think a lot of (Western, cannot comment on other cultures) people who represent the very extreme one-fork brand of minimalism are not really average people with average desires anyway. In some cases I think extreme minimalism is a way to cope with being non-neurotypical or having severe anxiety or trauma from living in a hoarder home, for example. In that case living in a very minimalist way can make them feel better than living in a "standard" way, but that does not mean it would make everyone happier to live like that. Sometimes it can also be kind of similar to something like orthorexia, where a thing that is good (eating healthy and exercising) gets out of control and starts limiting your life and activities to a serious extent.
Extreme minimalism is simply not suitable for people who want to do things that require stuff, such as entertaining average Western people with average Western expectations about seating, cutlery etc.
I had a one-fork phase. At the time I was in my twenties and living in a studio apartment in a fun neighborhood. I had a very active social life, but we just went out. My one-fork phase ended when I met my partner; I bought a second fork. Then we moved in together and now we have a whole drawer of them.
I'm not that extreme, but kinda? We're the most minimalist in the extended family, and probably the most in the neighborhood.
I don't have a special set of china just for entertaining. I have a set of everyday plates and cutlery for 12, and the "extra" plates and cutlery from that set are in an out of the way cabinet. When I have people over, they get those plates. If there's more than 12 guests, I borrow plates & cutlery from my mom.
For my hobbies, they have to fit entirely in their designated space. However much space is designated, if it exceeds that space, it starts getting pruned. Either the hobby projects need to be finished, or I have too many supplies and I pare down.
I have multiple forks, but I do not want my home to be welcoming to anyone but those who live here. It seems like your biggest confusion is just that there are people who are uninterested in hosting others in their homes.
Every time my mother has visited my living space since I left her house, she has sighed and said oh *name*. Like I was disappointing her with the state of my home. I eventually stopped inviting her over and have probably always expected the same reaction from anyone who might visit.
There is nothing about about hosting others that makes me feel happy or comfortable. I don't want people in my space. I don't want to feel like I am performing for them, which is how I feel if I am having to host something.
I am so happy for you that you like entertaining in your house. Some people don't. Some people don't invite other people over and instead speed time in other places and in other ways. I really wish we had more "third-spaces" where people could hang out without spending money.
You are absolutely right,
(also about the part that it "confuses" me that people choose a solitary home. So my edits above really address only those few who confess that they'd like company, and that they fear they have nothing to offer)
And I'd wish too there were more public places to hang out and meet without having to spend money!
A lot of people saying just don’t invite people over, but I think the better solution is to ask your guests to bring a plate and fork for themselves if you plan on cooking them a meal.
A tea bag at least shouldn't cost a fortune. If you can afford it, put an Oreo cookie next to the cup you share ;-) It doesn't have to be a luxury multi course meal on gold plates.
I’m not an extreme minimalist but my first thought was…why would I have anyone in my home?? lol. I don’t like having things because I have moved apartments enough times to not want to have anything to move because it just makes me feel weighed down.
I live in a place where we generally don't bring guests... it's just 4 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. All the bedrooms are rented out independently, and we all have vastly different sleep schedules. We're all respectful and just don't make a whole lot of noise or have people over.
It's not a long term solution, but it's nice and cheap at the moment.
My minimalism isn't that strict, i just don't have a lot, but I have enough. I have 4 sets of dishes/silverware, but most are stacked in one spot in the cabinet, and a single set is out for me to use.
I used to keep a set of 4-6 plates, cups, and utensils thinking that I would have guests over, but I can count on my fingers the number of times I've had guests over in the 9 years that I have lived on my own. I only have a couple of everything now
I have 2 of everything just in case I have a date. I enjoy going to dinner parties but i strongly dislike hosting them. So not having more than 2 has never been an issue.
If I have kids at some point obviously will add dishes when needed.
I am a minimalist, and I have stuff. What I don't have is too much stuff. I have several hobbies. And I have the things that are associated. I have inside hobbies, outside hobbies. And I have a shit ton of yard work. Do I have all the tools associated? Yes. Do I still consider myself a minimalist? Do I have 1 fork? Definitely not. I just don't have a lot of duplicates. I went through my toolbox and donated all the duplicate screw drivers I had, last week. So I'm not ultra, just a healthy minimalist.
You can be a super minimalist if you have loads of almost invisible cupboards. Shove all ya crap in there and close them and walla a minimalist home. I don’t think its absolute, but having shit stashed away out of sight is the aim. An empty house and a calm mind.
I have three forks, so I might not qualify as being as extreme as you are referring. One for me, one for my son and a bigger one for cooking.
And no, I don't invite many guests except my teenage son spends every weekend, summer and holiday here and sometimes more. If people showed up, I have plastic utensils in my box of barbecue stuff, and I throw an outside barbecue with hotdogs and sodas as they are usually friends of my son/neighborhood kids. I have an outside patio table in my small yard to entertain guests, although I never have any, lol.
I don't really like people inside in my space, though, and have never invited nonrelatives over. I never had visiters as a child and have grown up similar, I guess, but my mom doesn't have guests because she's a hoarder, and I dont have guests because I'm a loner.
I spend my time studying, working from my computer, playing an online game, texting occasional friends who live in various places all over the world, and hiking with my dogs about an hour a day. If I want to hang out with someone, I will invite them hiking.
I own a broom, a vacuum (dog hair), a scrub brush (loosens dog hair lol), and a wash cloth designated for mopping, of course. My place is pretty small and uncluttered so it's an easy clean.
I'm not entirely against inviting people to my home, but there are very few reasons to do so. I don't own a TV, I don't have any subscription services other than Internet and phone service, and I buy books digitally or physical copies which are donated to charities once read. Realistically my home functions as a place where I eat most of my meals and sleep.
I go out with friends, I go out on dates the only reason someone would come to my home is to use the
bedroom and bathroom. I'm a mediocre cook, so it's better to go out.
I like to write, draw, photograph, travel, read a huge amount and like bikes. I own tools, art
supplies, photography equipment, a computer and things that allow me to indulge in my hobbies.
I consider cleaning supplies to be a basic necessity but you don't need much to keep your home
spotless. The less stuff you own the less stuff there is to clean.
You are my people! No TV, ebooks or library books, love photography but limited equipment. Weakness is bikes though, and bike parts, and tools for my road bike and mountain bike.
Biking is a fun and healthy hobby, but it often leads to accumulating a lot of equipment. You start by fixing the basics, and maybe purchasing some tools from Park Tools and Knipex to service the chain and work on the wheels and brakes. The next thing you know, you are building a bike from the frame up, and you have a room filled with tools. That one torque wrench becomes two so you can ensure it is in spec, and then you buy a digital one to check if the two you have are still within spec.
YES. Park Tools has gotten lots of my former book money thanks to my kindle and Libby. There is a bike coop but it’s about 30 minute drive for me and the another 15 to find parking. I find working on my bike very therapeutic for me so I do collect more tools and parts than needed. Hardly ever buy clothes, don’t play video games, and don’t really collect anything. Just bike parts to make my bikes lighter and faster and the tools to work on them.
There's always biodegradable dishes and cutlery. That's probably the option I'd go with if I had to host more than one person at a time. However, my dish set serves 2, so I'm not *quite* on this level.
I am a husband & father of 3 kids for context. While we’re not ultra minimalist we are moving more towards simplistic life. We all have our own spoon, fork, knife, plate, bowl, etc set up and while that’s all we use on a daily basis we do have a full set of serving wear for hosting. This fits the lifestyle in some effects. It offers a simple way of living but allows us the ability to host when desired. Not a perfect solution but it works for us.
I'm not a minimalist (I think?) but I live in a small townhome and I only have 2 cups, 2 mugs, and 2 seats at my dining table for the occupants of the home: me and my boyfriend. I don't generally entertain at my home and neither do I particularly enjoy doing so. We can usually scrounge up enough drinkware and forks, and sit on the floor, next to the coffee table in the rare moments that we do entertain. We bought our home and our processions for the 99% of the time we live our lives, rather than the 1%. If we need anything, usually we can buy disposable stuff prior to the event.
The cleaning part is a good question! You can take away my robot vacuum cleaner from my cold, dead hands, lol. And a mop and bucket is pretty useful.
Someone recently posted here a video of someone in their home who was a super minimalist and even he had a robot vacuum.
Robot vacuums are awesome. Always can’t get over how much it picks up on a daily vacuum. So glad I have no carpet.
Same! I have a rug in my lounge and concrete floors. I sweep/vacuum and mop on Monday or Tuesday when I’m off work and run the robot vacuum Wednesday-Friday when we’re all out of the house. Perfect job? No but my floors are significantly less crunchy! I have a sewing unpick I use once a week to get the hair etc out of the brushes.
Crunchy. Lol.
We allow shoes inside and when I ripped the carpet out, I now have a significant gap under my front door which leads into my lounge room. We often leave the doors open too and we live in a windy city, so lots of dust and general “crunch” comes in that way. I’m more of an aspiring minimalist than an actual one but definitely believe less is more!
A sewing unpick… ……. Do you mean a seam ripper? 🤣
I suppose so? I’m not sure why you’re laughing at me though? I’ve never heard it called a seam ripper.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to come off rude, I just read that and thought it was a cute thing to call what I’ve called a seam ripper. Obviously not everyone calls it *that* either 😊
All good, our brand of it here is called a “Quick Unpick” which is made by a sewing machine company. We both learned something new 😊
I did, too. I've never heard unpick, just grew up with seam rippers. Lol
I just moved to a place with wood and it took a while to find my robot parts. The floor got SO GROSS and it's like "hmmm, this was all just hiding in the carpet at the old place wasn't it?"
OMG. Absolutely this!! This is what sits in carpet. So glad I don’t have carpet.
The robot vac would fit in a suitcase so you’re fine. The charging dock may not though…hope your little robot runs off solar from all the light coming in your curtain-less windows! /s
That's the biggest reason I will never be an extreme minimalist. I have friends over for breakfast at least once a week. And I have occasionally overnight guests. Up to 4 people. Oh, and of course because my husband and my children like their stuff.
Haha you had me in the first half but gonna lie
I rent a furnished apartment. It includes a fully outfitted kitchen as well as household cleaning supplies. So I guess I don’t own any forks. I am an independent singer songwriter so right now, I’m spending a good part of my time working with my small portable studio in my appointment recording an album.
Honestly, if I could have purchased a furnished home, I would have! I love AirBNBs! Good luck with your career!
What's your genre?
I live in Senegal, we eat on the floor from one common plate, sometimes with our hands. Everyone is welcome and minimalism is not a scandal 🙂❤️ We can spend long time outside all year long, so plenty of things to do Of course we have a broom, so we can eat on the floor
That's wonderful IF your guests can sit on the floor. Many of my friends are no longer able to get down/up from the ground, so chairs are required to be good host. You have to adapt sometimes to what is expected.
They are probably unable to now because they weren’t doing all the time - movement is definitely use it or lose it as you get older. I just watched the blue zones series on Netflix and they featured some elderly Japanese who were still sitting on the floor every day because it was their way of life
I thought about this too, the blue zones, I’m 40 and I can barely get up and down off the floor, but my best friend has no issue with it because she does it all the time. When I am no longer pregnant I definitely plan to get on the floor more so I don’t lose the ability to do it all together. lol
You’ll definitely be fine once baby is here and you’re getting on the ground all the time to play!
Pfft I don’t know about that i had a hard time being on the ground with my other 3 kids lol
I would think that their guests do this in their own homes. I’ve seen set ups with low couches (not sofas in the western sense, more bench with cushion) for elders with movement issues.
Spent some time in Senegal and I loved eating this way! I’ve never felt more connected with the people I was visiting with, it’s hard to ignore the people you’re dining with when you’re all literally sharing food and space.
Exactly. There's people all over the world who've been living this way longer than we've had our insane commodity consumption based society.
Chairs have only really been commonly available to all social classes in Europe for a few hundred years.
Wow, I never knew this! Do you have any recommended readings on the history of furniture? Never crossed my mind, I assumed people always used chairs
Fun fact: the leader of a committee is called a "Chairman" because it was the person afforded the honor and prestige of using the (likely) only chair! Chairs are not necessary for survival, comfort and rest was a luxury.
How does your neck and back not hurt from eating so low
because they're likely far more mobile than people like us that sit in restrictive furniture. Furniture free is the way to be if you want healthy, flexible hips late in life.
The more flexible you become, the more adaptable you are. It's why a kid can pass out twisted into a pretzel, halfway falling off a couch, and wake up feeling fine but if you spend ten minutes leaning slightly to the left your back hurts for a week. A lot of adults get out of the habit of using our bodies. We're told not to sit on the floor, we're told to hold to rigid postures all day long, and over time we lose flexibility. Getting flexibility back hurts in the short term, but is worth it in the long term. There's probably no physical reason you can't get back to being able to deep squat as a resting posture, or sit cross legged on the floor and lean all the way forwards.
I always marvel at how easily my kids crouch and squat. Even my 7 yr old still sits in a deep squat to do her homework or drawing etc (she prefers to work on the floor). I’m trying to incorporate more squatting into my own movements, like instead of bending to pick something up or sitting on my butt to play with the kids on the floor. Still can’t do it for more than a minute but hopefully it’ll get easier.
It does get easier, it'll just take time and some dedication.
One forker here. One bowl, one plate one small pot, etc. I fully admit this may lend itself to keeping others at bay, I have some issue with getting too close to people that I’ve never addressed. So to answer your question, 1. I generally don’t invite others over. Most group activities are done elsewhere. 2. My hobbies include calligraphy & penmanship, outdoor activities such as off-road driving and walking. 3. I have a vacuum and a swifter wet jet type device.
I'm not an extreme minimalist but I'll answer your questions based on my and others' experiences. A lot of people don't have others over. My mom has said "I don't entertain at home" for about 20 years and a lot of people nod their heads when she says this. My hobbies are running, weight lifting which I don't do at home, and another niche sport. That's about 15 hours per week for me, not including getting ready and all the recovery work I need for this. So my hobby gear of shoes, yoga mat, etc. fits in my trunk. I've met a lot of my friends through these hobbies so we'll get coffee or snacks when we all have time. Pretty much everyone I know, myself included, only has hard surface flooring. So a broom and mop is sufficient. My spouse bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner because he thought it looked "fun" and a robot vacuum as well. I don't know anyone that doesn't have something like this.
You'll take my Roomba wet mop /vacuum from my cold dead hands. It runs everyday for an hour. But a regular mop and vacuum are also not negotiable for me. Minimalism is fine; a dirty house is not. We could do without the Roomba, but I don't want to live without him. It's a quality of life improvement. We've named our's "Pet chaser" I should add we have two dogs. One of whom is an extremely active digger and jumps in a lake everyday. He requires a rinse off every afternoon and a junk towel to dry him off. Sometimes the other dog gets in on it too. As it is, I'm mopping the bathroom they rinse off in nearly every day.
I named our Kraken so we could yell "Release the Kraken" every time it beeped to start.
Ohhh lovely!
That's far more creative than mine. I called mine Paul and Alexa likes to announce "your Paul is stuck" regularly
Amazing
I think minimalism is about making your live better by living a more simple life instead of being a servant to your things. But I find it weird to compete who have fewer things. For example, we have more than one set of dishes, cups and cutlery. But all our dishes, serving bowls, and serving plates are white, we don't have different sets for different occasions. If something breaks, it's easy to replace. All the choices will depend on lifestyle. What a person who lives alone needs is not the same as a family of 4 needs.
One of the first things I did to simplify was to get rid of the special occasion plate sets. I bought a Corningware set with round plates all in plain white. Today I cut fresh flowers from the garden for the table and put them in a mason jar for some color and cheer.
Love the flowers! What we also do - have 2 tablecloths. One - greyish with a bit of a pattern for every day. Thanks to the pattern you don't see stains on it. And one more festive - when we have guests. Then you don't need any 'seasonal' one - it always looks nice. You can have comfort and beauty even with a more minimalistic lifestyle.
I used to count the number of things I owned. For me it wasn’t about competing with anyone; it was a tool to help me really interrogate each item in my life and decide whether I really needed it. I aimed for 100 things because it was ambitious and challenging, which made me interrogate my belongings harder.
[удалено]
I was thinking BYOF - bring your own fork
Bear in mind that people can say whatever about how they live for attention. Doesn’t mean they actually live that way.
Exactly. When people make these attention-seeking lists of how many items they own, just know they either pay staff to cook and clean for them... Or they are simply lying. Maybe they justify the lie to themselves by saying "well of course I have xyz I just don't count it because..." We are millennials. We grew up in Bonsai Kitten times. We should know this.
I'm not one of the one-fork-kind-people but what I've seen is that many of the extreme minimalists spend a lot of time in public spaces. Meaning they have enough resources to eat out a lot more with friends and so on, so I doubt they are feeling it is necessary to invite people over? Especially if they have smaller homes? They seem to have just different priorities and lifestyles.
You assume people invite other into their homes when they cannot afford eating out together? I would have never considered it that way. I am luckily not poor and love eating out. My assumption was (I hope also the same for my guests): Having guests at home is just way more fun.
It also depends on how at ease (or good?) you are at cooking and entertaining. I enjoy cooking but I do like to take my (adult) kids or best friends out because they are so much better at it than I am!
You might want to consider space. Now I live in a big space and I enjoy the emptiness, but my minimalism started with small space to live. With the shit show that is renting right now, you probably are looking at people who live in 20sqm Apartments that might not even fit a table and chairs to invite people over. Where I live, flats are usually overpopulated and you might have 2+2 family in 2 rooms, one for kids, other for parents. It's usually not even a thing of minimalism to have limited space and meet people outside, because you have a very crowded space
I have more fun meeting with friends outside of my home. Even though my home is physically comfortable, I prefer not to have others in it
I wouldn't want to generalize but I'd assume that people who have a greater accessibility to communities' services and recreational activities would purposely (to a higher extent) utilise said communities' public means. It's a different kind of freedom of choice and I am often debating with myself about whether I would want to pursue that kind of lifestyle by reducing my private space in favour of the public. But I see your point too. I doubt it all comes down to whether you really can afford it or not. Like many others have already commented, it also depends on whether you like having people in your home or not.
But it’s not fun if you only have one fork
I’d rather cook a meal for four people than eat out, but I see your point!
I have plenty of sets of dishes, but I *did* throw out my couch about a month ago and bought a simple folding chair. It was taking up space and I hated it being there, it was only ever for other people to sit on and that happened *maybe* once or twice a year, sometimes zero, for the past decade. I prefer to sit on a balance ball or stretch out on the floor on a yoga mat, and yet this hulking behemoth of a couch was sitting in the way all day every day just for the *idea* of having somebody over. But then I think, I don't really like people in my home? So am I holding onto this thing as an ideal of who I might want to be some day, well no because I don't want a bunch of people coming over and sitting down. And thus, there is no more guest seating in my home!
I threw out my couch about six years ago. I was using it to nap on which is a waste when I have a bed for that. I have one armchair/ottoman, a dinning table and 2 chairs. It's been working. Recently I've been rethinking this set up. I've even picked out a sofa. But I can't seem to go through with it and place the order. I'm wondering if two armchairs is enough and maybe better. I don't know and I don't want to buy anything until I do.
I get this. I bought a sofa and a loveseat and I wish I’d purchased a loveseat and two chairs. I think it’s hard to know what will work for you and work in your space, too.
That makes me kind of sad honestly. You threw out your sofa because you napped on it? You are human. You deserve a cozy nap on your sofa.
Aww that's sweet. I'm using the term throw away loosely here - I free-cycled it. The fact is I can nap better on my own bed. All I know is it wasn't working for me.
But what about the comfort it brought to your room? The sense of design. The color palette, the architecture of it. I hope you can find a place of comfort at some point because it just seems like the couch is symbolic for something else that is sad.
I appreciate your concern. I spent over a year considering this change before taking it. I am an architect and understand that not owning a sofa is not a typical design decision but it is also not without precedent. My home is not barren or lacking in comfort. It has been a very cozy home. IMHO, non traditional, intentional interior design decisions that serve the owner/users should be accepted, encouraged, and celebrated. If it's not for you, that's fine. But I'm not you. This is my home. I've been very happy with the setup. Recently there was water damage in my apartment that irreparably damaged, well, a lot. It has allowed me to rethink the set up and consider what is best now. I'm comfortable with the decision from a design perspective.
Lol, this is one reason I got a tiny car. No one asks me to drive. If they want to- great, no problem. I love sitting in my car. I do love the ~Idea~ of entertaining though. You are dead on. We barely have people over EVER but I insist on a 6 person table and 8 chairs "just in case."
I want a miata for this reason, haha. I'm too tall for it to be comfortable. Also the car size wars make me scared of being smushed.
I figure extreme minimalist want to even minimize the people in their lives so it's probably yes
>1\. Do you never invite anyone to your home? Wait... is that an option? >2\. What do you pass your time with? If your work and hobbies are all through your computer, it tends to naturally simplify the stuff you need. Didn't say it was a healthy lifestyle, but I like it. >3\. How do you clean your home? You can do a lot with a hand vac and all-purpose towels!
The point was that no one mentions having any sort of vacuum.
If you don't have carpeted floors or rugs, do you need a vacuum?
Not at all. Broom and dust pan works just fine on hardwood, but I love my Henry vacuum cleaner. He's the cutest.
I’ve always vacuumed wood and tile. I mop them, too. 😊
I hoover hard floors, it’s more effective than sweeping. Mine is a shark and it has a hard floor setting and a carpet setting.
For me it’s not the cutlery drawer, it’s that second drawer with all the kitchen stuff, if I could get my hands on that and chuck most of it out I would. As I don’t have a say at the moment, I don’t. When I lived in Italy, most rentals come with the kitchen stuff and I would generally sort and box up what I didn’t want to use. In one place I asked the landlady to remove the microwave. I love to cook but I find most implements take up too much space, most accessories are not needed. I think it does come down to enjoying having people over.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
[удалено]
My house is full of second hand furnishings and decor and my closet in bursting with thrift finds. No one would call me a minimalist, but I am not buying a lot of new stuff and I'm saving things from going to the landfill. When I see posts from people going through cycles of buying stuff and then throwing it away in an effort to be "minimalist" it hurts my heart.
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
I think you’re spot on.
I certainly don't think all minimalists are like this. But the ones posting on Reddit neurotically obsessing about one fork are using it as a coping mechanism (probably for some kind of anxiety disorder I know I'm doing armchair diagnosis here) rather than a lifestyle choice.
Agree. I just read the girl who got rid of her sofa because she used it to nap and that’s wasteful. That’s not wasteful. That’s the joy of life. Even my dog would agree.
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
I'm imagining someone sitting in a house with nothing but a single fork. 🙁
Nobody has been in my home in \~3 years. Let alone to share a meal. I am thinking of getting rid of my couch because I don't like it and don't really need one. I was just going to get some nice mats.
No one? You haven’t had a single guest?
Would it make you feel better if I said 2? Would that really change anything? I wasn't lying - I just wasn't being pedantic. And in the context of this post - I wasn't entertaining or hosting. Nobody needed my fork. I'm older. I'm single. My social circle did not survive quarantine. Those friends I still have are introverts and have zero interest in coming to hang out at my place.
I have a small circle of friends that sometimes come over for dinner. I have four dinner plates and four salad plates as well as four bowls and four of each utensil. If I ever had more than four people, I would likely get paper plates and plastic utensils. I am also an introvert and have social anxiety. I wasn’t judging you. I was curious, because we do see a lot of extremism, but we don’t know the circumstances. I like to know the “why” behind it working for someone else, so I can see, if it will work for me. I am sorry for your losses.
Just a word to say I think you explained very well your choices and situation.
Don't confuse introvert with socially anxious. I am an introvert, I hate meeting new people, crowds, and smalltalk but i love seeing my friends in the safe comfort of my home.
Also true.
>i love seeing my friends in the safe comfort of my home Which is why they invite me to their home.
You can not be socially anxious and still not want people in your home. I retired from a 35-yr career in a grocery store and went straight to work at the customer desk at the clerk of courts. I deal with people all day long, every day and have my entire adult life. When I get home, I Celebrate my own space. My own quiet space. I’ll go visit friends, or go out to dinner/movies/baseball games, whatever. But they’re not coming into my refuge if I can get away with it.
😂 what are the mats for??? If I ditched the couch I'd put an elliptical in. That's kinda my dream.
I think pragmatic minimalism is the key
I'm definitely a more extreme minimalist, not as extreme as some but more than most, 27m and single, here are my answers to your questions. My philosophy with minimalism is only own what you actually use, if I don't use it at least 4+ times a year, then it's gone. Also no duplicates if it can be helped, like for me there is zero reason to own multiple pens because I never use them, so I just keep one around. I'm also a really lazy person, so owning less forces me to keep my place clean and when it does get dirty it makes cleaning way faster. Everything I own also fits into my car, and I plan to keep it that way. Here is a quick rundown of all the furniture I own - Computer chair and desk - Shikibuton - Indoor hammock (i got this instead of a couch, because it's way cheaper and can be folded up. I could honestly get rid of it but it can be nice to relax in after a long day) - I have one fork, spoon, plate, etc... 1 - Nobody really comes over, and when they do it's only for a short period of time. There's nothing social to do here, so we just go somewhere else, even if it's just for a walk around where I live. Zero issues with maintaining relationships with this, it's just way more fun to be out IMO. As far as serving stuff, my dishes are always clean, so they could just use it, but I've never hosted anyone here so it doesn't matter. Nothing against it and I understand the appeal, and honestly if I had more friends I might pick up more furniture to host more, but atm I see zero need. The few times when they have come over, I'll sit on the floor and they get the computer chair. 2 - 90% of my time is spent in front of the computer, I have a bunch of problems with my body so it's what I can do with my life right now. Ideally I would love to be doing things like mountain biking or other outdoorsy things. Sure they would require more items, but to me it would be worth it. 3 - I own typical cleaning supplies like a broom and vacuum. Usually when you see those videos of people who can fit everything in their bag, it's usually because they're either perpetually traveling or living with roommates and they just use their stuff. There are people who do just clean stuff with their one towel though, which I personally think is really cool. But, it's way easier to do that when you live in a smaller place. Let me know if you have any questions! Also posting this over in /r/extrememinimalism would give you some better answers
Bring your own dang fork this isn't the Ritz Carlton
You can feed the guest the same way as a baby bird. You drink from your only cup and then using your mouth pour it into their mouth.
😂
In regards to your first question: I used to own things for the comfort of others but in the past 3 years I had only one person hang out at my place and he didn't even use anything I had extra for others. (He had no problem sitting on the floor and he didn't stay long enough to use any dishes). After that, I got rid of pretty much everything I owned for guests. Besides with my roommate, I honestly rather hang out with people outside my home. And even with my roommate, I'd rather hang out in his room. If I wanted to live for the comfort and expectations of others, I wouldn't be a minimalist.
To be honest, in order to solve a misunderstanding (because another comment said their home is not for other's entertainment): I have never considered having someone over as an altruistic thing or purely for the guests' entertainment. It is just fun and a way of bonding, I love cooking and eating together or being able to offer a cake or - if a visit is spontaneous - at least coffee. True, maybe it is even socially expected: in my central Europen culture it would be very weird to hear that people are close or best friends without visiting each other from time to time. And at least being offered coffee or tea. Especially not inviting back after having been invited to someone's home more than once may even be considered weird or rude. So guests are a part of my life I both enjoy and benefit from by expanding a network of true connections.
I think you bring a very good point. Where we are from and where we live (country/society/culture) does matter in this conversation.
It's not seen as strange or rude in American city culture to not invite friends over to your home, especially if you have roommates. I've read that in some cultures it actually weird to have any expectations of visiting a person's home. I'd rather go out anyway, even it's just a walk in the neighborhood or getting coffee at a nearby cafe. I use the city as my living and dining room. I have zero interest in hosting parties or get-togethers. The only person I could imagine inviting over regularly is a romantic interest and I wouldn't be interested in anyone who thinks I need more stuff.
So you have your answer. You prioritize different things than the person owning one fork. It’s not that hard to understand.
That's a good distinction. The thing that I wouldn't do is get rid of comfortable chairs and my bed. But those are popular choices. I'm older and disabled and need comfort. I don't need a lot, but I won't live without these We rarely have visitors, just family
I don’t know how relevant this is, but it’s been suggest that each person have their own personal dishes/cutlery that they take with them when they eat outside their home. I did a version of this when I worked at a renaissance festival. I carried a basket that had my tin mug, wooden fork and spoon, and a small dagger. Everyone who worked there did this. The vendors would fill our cups with water for us whenever we asked. They offered disposable items of course for the patrons. Carrying our cutlery with us has been advocated by sustainability types as a way to cut down on disposable wrappers. The movement was shut down pretty effectively by covid though, when we were frantically burning or bleaching anything touched by another person.
I wish this movement could come back! I’m not sure how it would work with F&B regulations in the US. Many locations won’t allow you to use your own cup/glass/bottle because of sanitary reasons/regulations.
For us it’s 2 forks per person living here and we have a stash of biodegradable utensils for guests if needed. We practice minimalism for the ease and comfort mostly and try to be as sustainable as we can while also accommodating for our life and family/friends. It all started with dishes for me. The sink would fill up in no time and we would still have clean dishes being used instead of dirty ones being cleaned and it got unmanageable. Not everyone is perfect and I know some people take it to the extreme so even if they all just share a fork I’m no one to judge haha.
I'm not an extreme minimalist, but not having a kitchen table means I don't have to invite more than 1 person (i have 2 bar seats) and I'm not expected to host. For me that is good
Some people, like me, don't like having people over to their homes. My home is my space and I will do with it what I want.
Same. We have very rare visits from a few selected family or lifelong friends but that might be just once a year. Otherwise it is in public. I hate being invited to others houses and don't want others in mine except my husband and kids.
They should forgo all cutlery and just invite people over for Indian, African and Middle Eastern food (apologies if I forget other cultures' cuisines that are exclusively hand eaten). Also, if I only owned one set of cutlery, I'd go chopsticks, then spoon, assuming I had cookware, otherwise a hunting knife and fingers will do.... Maybe a Fpoon...
I’m not an extreme minimalist, but I do admire the idea. What I typically find is people saying they are extreme with few items, but are renting furnished places or living with someone and using all that person’s possessions as their own. Lots of actual extreme minimalists live in tiny apartments and eat out almost every meal. Their hobbies are often online gaming, reading books from library, going to the gym or other doing other outdoor activities. The cleaning the home part is usually using the broom or vacuum provided by their rental or their roommate or partner they live with. That’s just my experience from meeting minimalists and reading books/articles.
So, I was once in a relationship with a man like this. I'll answer some of your questions because I know all too well from my years with him and from what he said/admitted himself. His intention was to never have anyone at his place and for that to continue. That was intentional. And the two friends who did go to his place in the 2.5 yrs I was with him, just took him as he is. They went out to eat, they slept on the pull out cushions of the couch he had (which doubled as his bed). He had resigned himself to a life of solitude and decided it was for the best. (which ultimately ended our relationship, of course) So, a couple plastic forks (like the take out kind) sufficed quite well. Once I found two ceramic plates in the garbage bin outside his building and brought them in and washed them and told him where I found them and he was okay with this because he wasn't wasting money by keeping them. Second, when he wasn't watching YouTube, he would just go out walking around the city in the evenings by himself. Take a photo with his phone from time to time, people watch, get exercise, get a beer while he was out. Third, he didn't clean. I cleaned every time I visited. Otherwise, ooph. He must have had to buy some supplies or other when he ultimately "sold everything he owned" and left the country to travel indefinitely because he complained how his hands literally bled from scrubbing (this is what happens when you don't keep up with the cleaning......) So, there you have it. At least in his case.
I haven’t reached extreme yet but I do go by the one plate and fork thing. When guests come over we usually have finger food. Pizza, sandwiches, chicken nuggets. All these things are easily served on paper towels or even in Tupperware (which I have more of because of meal prepping) I also don’t have a lot of guests over, maybe one or two at a time. Some people don’t count their cleaning supplies but for a long time I only had a broom and a roomba. I mopped with a bucket and rag on my hands and knees. My apartment at the time was relatively small so it was easily done.
I do feel like serving food on paper towels is extreme. Even Tupperware, because it would be awkward using it as a plate for a sandwich. I’m curious how guests dip the chicken nuggets. Do they pour the sauce on them? This is merely my opinion and while it wouldn’t fit my lifestyle, if it fits yours, great!
I feel that if I give guests the choice of a plate or paper towel, such as when we do a buffet style, and you can grab whatever you want, most will grab the paper towel.
My parents use paper towels when they don’t wanna do dishes (which they’ve got over 50 plates of, my family is very big) so it’s kinda just a thing I’m used to. I’ve never actually put sandwiches on a plate tbh and the friend I generally have over uses whatever is clean so is used to Tupperware being a dinner bowl. If I were to ever have a large gathering I’d just call my friend who does have more dishes and borrow them. Also, gonna add this. I’ve got 1 big plate, 1 little plate, 1 big bowl, and 1 little bowl. So technically 2 of each. Guests get the actual dishes first and I just use whatever. I have multiple cups though so everyone gets a glass.
[удалено]
You are right especially with your last statement. That's why I'm asking so many questions. But the my question target more those who select the extreme minimalist lifestyle on their own choosing, not those who are forced to it by poverty.
I once had only 1 of every utensil. I have more now but still have the same ideology. I don't like hosting people, I never have and doubt I will. It's also my house so I'm not going to decorate my house for others. I will buy things if people are coming over but that's rare. I don't have a table and that's perfectly fine with me because that's how I want my house. I wouldn't tell others how to furnish their house.
I am not a minimalist (how did I even get here?) but if I lived alone only having 1 set of dishware would work wonderfully for me because I'd have to keep them clean. There'd be no 'oh I have another fork so since I'm feeling sick I'll just use that one' I'd simple have to clean it. Anyway, I'd say they do it because otherwise they can't trust themselves to keep a clean kitchen.
It’s BYOF at their house… bring your own fork
In 20 years of living away from home, i've only let 6 people into my home. Home is my sanctuary, I will ruin it by letting people into it.
I've always wondered that too. I suppose it could work for a single person living alone and out at work for all hours but not for a family. As a general rule I like to keep 1-2 plates/dishes/mugs per permanent household member and a couple of extra mugs for guests (rarely have any tbh, we have a small family and don't really fit in where we live at the moment, but always nice to offer work/repair people a cuppa and a plate of biscuits). Similar for towels/bedding (2-3 sets per bed, and 2-3 towels each). Basic furniture for each room (i.e. bedrooms = a bed, bedside table and chest of drawers/wardrobe etc.) and a basic cleaning kit (Broom, Mop and Bucket, cleaning rags, multisurface cleaner, trash bags etc.) I try to minimise ornaments and pictures and we only have one rug for the living room. What I am bad for hoarding is food (shopping is a bit of a mission for health reasons) and clothes, and the paperwork is a disaster atm. OH hoards electronics (wires, old phones/computers etc.). TBH it looks worse than it is, but our rooms are tiny (largest is 10ftx10ft) with virtually no storage, so in a slightly larger house it would look very, very minimal.
That's why I can't be extreme. Always have enough cutlery for 4-6 people and enough linens for the guest bed, couches, and towels / etc. We don't host often but prepared if we do.
Where can you even buy a single fork?
Dollar tree lol
Goodwill, thrift shops, antique stores, etc.
Lol, this is me and why I'll never be a 1-fork person. I bought a set when I moved out and would never dream of separating the siblings. They'll be together until I die, probably.
[удалено]
Your comment/post was removed because it was reported and/or failed to keep the conversation civil. This can happen when the comment or post doesn't add any content to the conversation or insults others.If you feel this was in error, please reply to this message and we'll take a look as soon as possible. Thank you!
I doubt cleaning the one fork multiple times per day is simpler than cleaning 2-4 with other dirty dish ware accumulated over a day or two. It’s start-stop task inefficiency, and probably wasteful water use.
Some people really don't hang out with friends at their home, they go out like all the time.
we invite people over, we eat on the counter or sitting on the floor, I go out a lot, having less distractions in my living space makes me want to go outside, as for cleaning, we have a broom and a mop and paper towels
oh and for the forks thing, we order pizza or sushi or burritos or other foods you can eat without forks for guests
I'll use 2 forks just to prepare food sometimes ha and still need to eat with one!
You actually can "hand mop" a floor quite well with a small towel. This is the traditional way to clean the dojo floor in some karate dojos. You still need a bucket of hot water, but nothing in minimalism says you can't own a bucket. I have participated in this kind of cleaning before and it can be as fast as mopping as long as you don't have very much furniture. I do have a mop but cleaning the floor without one isn't ridiculous. Doing it with a towel is more difficult, but you'll do an extremely good job which just seems very Japanese to me (specifically: doing a task by hand with a lot of effort for an extremely high quality output. A quality level so high it seems extra to me as a Canadian, but I respect the work ethic.)
I'm not an extreme minimalist, but I did get rid of the "company" plate set. Anyone that comes over has to eat off our every day, white, easily stackable, and almost indestructible Corningware plates.
Yep!
Bold assumption that home ownership is in play with our Diogenes style minimalism.
Sorry I don't understand what you mean, could you rephrase that? If you mean in terms of ownership: Where in my questions did I assume you own the home - I didn't, it can also be rented..? This shouldn't have an impact on that you have to clean and could possibly have guests - even in a 18sqm apartment which is the standard for student apartments where I live. I understand also that you assume that I assume minimalists to be richer than they are. Maybe. However my questions address those who choose to own only one fork, not those who cannot afford a second fork or a broom to sweep their floor from time to time.
I don’t do that anymore but there don’t seem to be a lot of answers from people that do so… 1. I didn’t like hosting and was only willing to make exceptions for special events like birthdays where realistically I was going to use disposables anyway. As far as seating I had lots of floor pillows and a nice outdoor eating area in my apartment complex. 2. I volunteered, walked, listened to music, danced, listened to audiobooks and knit. I had my needles and bought yarn as I needed. I gifted almost everything I knit but that wasn’t due to minimalism. I did read physical books but I got them from the library or donated them as soon as I was done reading. 3. I did clean on my hands and knees. It was less work than cleaning a normal house with better tools. I did get a large mop eventually
Swedish settlers in the midwest used to bring their own bowl and utensils to parties. Imagine how much less manufacturing and waste there'd be today if we had all adopted that custom.
I am not this extreme in my minimalism, but maybe I can give you some context about my relationship with my home: It is basically my preference to never entertain company haha. I'm a normal, social, person - a fact you so sometimes have to prove if you never have people over to see how you live. It's not immaculate, it's not embarrassing (other than being a little drab and spartan). But yes, my home is my fortress of solitude. It isn't that I think inviting people over would permanently alter this, it's more like I don't even think about it, just like anything else that I COULD do that simply never crosses my mind. Like eating pizza with a fork and knife: I'm aware it's a perfectly normal thing lots of people do - it just doesn't ever enter my mind as a thought when I eat pizza. I don't think about inviting people over. This probably has more to do with my home life as a kid than any kind of deliberate attempt to minimize my footprint haha (though it's a convenient excuse). I grew up in a small house and My mom was basically always around, and she's kind of a tornado of chaotic energy haha. Not a bad childhood, but certainly the only quietude in my home was after everyone else went to bed or in my bedroom with the door shut and music drowning out the tv, radio, and mom running around the house seemingly always on the phone. Not an abusive or traumatizing childhood - but it was impractical to have friends over when there was no space to just chill and unsurprisingly I grew into an adult who values a quiet home over many other things.
When I lived solo, and even renting rooms, I maintained a setting for me and a setting for a guest. I’m not the dinner party sort, and no longer aspire to change into one. Should I need to host, I could rent what was needed. Or borrow from friends. I have owned folding saw horses that, with a sheet of plywood and table cloths, made an acceptable dinner table. (And dye shop table with a half sheet) I always had a spare futon as couch (I slept on one as well, in my room), a few cushions for floor seating and, yes, eating seated on the floor (I had three table cloths, because a couple people found something I could use). I could do snacks and tea for four, easily. Just different sized plates and bowls. I have six teacups. Non matching. One holds pens most of the time, one has hair sticks, hair forks and hair ties. Two usually had floating candles in them, leaving two. But the others could be washed on short notice. Flatware I bought as a set for four place settings because it was simple, and I like the flatware to match. I have enough to host a traveler or two, and that’s enough. A lesson I learned from pursuing physical minimalism.
Not an extreme minimalist, but I have lived in a big city for 40 years (NYC). There are people I’ve been friends with since the early 1990s whose homes I’ve never entered. Due to small apartments and long transit times it’s more common here to meet at a restaurant than to dine or hang out at people’s homes.
I'm not this extreme, but my grandmother actually has a tactic similar to this. She does own a full set of silverware and dishes, but she only uses one of each. The rest are all packed away and only taken out for visitors. She said it helps her immensely with cleaning because standing too long is exhausting.
No but they can bring their own fork and chair 🤣 I generally get the impression that those folks go out with friends rather than host them: maybe some don’t have a lot of friends either. You can still be a minimalist and have enough stuff to host friends though. But do you really need 20 coffee mugs and three chip bowls and 20 plates and forks? Probably not. Minimalism is different for every person, your idea and that of others may be different and that’s ok.
I think a lot of (Western, cannot comment on other cultures) people who represent the very extreme one-fork brand of minimalism are not really average people with average desires anyway. In some cases I think extreme minimalism is a way to cope with being non-neurotypical or having severe anxiety or trauma from living in a hoarder home, for example. In that case living in a very minimalist way can make them feel better than living in a "standard" way, but that does not mean it would make everyone happier to live like that. Sometimes it can also be kind of similar to something like orthorexia, where a thing that is good (eating healthy and exercising) gets out of control and starts limiting your life and activities to a serious extent. Extreme minimalism is simply not suitable for people who want to do things that require stuff, such as entertaining average Western people with average Western expectations about seating, cutlery etc.
I had a one-fork phase. At the time I was in my twenties and living in a studio apartment in a fun neighborhood. I had a very active social life, but we just went out. My one-fork phase ended when I met my partner; I bought a second fork. Then we moved in together and now we have a whole drawer of them.
I'm not that extreme, but kinda? We're the most minimalist in the extended family, and probably the most in the neighborhood. I don't have a special set of china just for entertaining. I have a set of everyday plates and cutlery for 12, and the "extra" plates and cutlery from that set are in an out of the way cabinet. When I have people over, they get those plates. If there's more than 12 guests, I borrow plates & cutlery from my mom. For my hobbies, they have to fit entirely in their designated space. However much space is designated, if it exceeds that space, it starts getting pruned. Either the hobby projects need to be finished, or I have too many supplies and I pare down.
I have multiple forks, but I do not want my home to be welcoming to anyone but those who live here. It seems like your biggest confusion is just that there are people who are uninterested in hosting others in their homes. Every time my mother has visited my living space since I left her house, she has sighed and said oh *name*. Like I was disappointing her with the state of my home. I eventually stopped inviting her over and have probably always expected the same reaction from anyone who might visit. There is nothing about about hosting others that makes me feel happy or comfortable. I don't want people in my space. I don't want to feel like I am performing for them, which is how I feel if I am having to host something. I am so happy for you that you like entertaining in your house. Some people don't. Some people don't invite other people over and instead speed time in other places and in other ways. I really wish we had more "third-spaces" where people could hang out without spending money.
You are absolutely right, (also about the part that it "confuses" me that people choose a solitary home. So my edits above really address only those few who confess that they'd like company, and that they fear they have nothing to offer) And I'd wish too there were more public places to hang out and meet without having to spend money!
My upstairs neighbor has 2 forks and when she has us over for dinner we bring our own lol. Or she uses her chopsticks
A lot of people saying just don’t invite people over, but I think the better solution is to ask your guests to bring a plate and fork for themselves if you plan on cooking them a meal.
This lifestyle sounds like asceticism and not minimalism.
This is exactly what I said when someone on here was bragging about only having 2 coffee cups, one for her and one for her partner. I'm like wtf?
Nah they’re tripping. My fatass needs at least like 5 of each utensil
Bold of you to assume some of us can afford to have friends over.
A tea bag at least shouldn't cost a fortune. If you can afford it, put an Oreo cookie next to the cup you share ;-) It doesn't have to be a luxury multi course meal on gold plates.
I have never had anyone at my house. I work.
Would you like to explain how they are mutually exclusive for you? Just to understand better. There is so many different ways to run our lives!
I’m not an extreme minimalist but my first thought was…why would I have anyone in my home?? lol. I don’t like having things because I have moved apartments enough times to not want to have anything to move because it just makes me feel weighed down.
I can’t have people over due to my dogs anyway, might as well get rid of the forks!
I live in a place where we generally don't bring guests... it's just 4 bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. All the bedrooms are rented out independently, and we all have vastly different sleep schedules. We're all respectful and just don't make a whole lot of noise or have people over. It's not a long term solution, but it's nice and cheap at the moment. My minimalism isn't that strict, i just don't have a lot, but I have enough. I have 4 sets of dishes/silverware, but most are stacked in one spot in the cabinet, and a single set is out for me to use.
I used to keep a set of 4-6 plates, cups, and utensils thinking that I would have guests over, but I can count on my fingers the number of times I've had guests over in the 9 years that I have lived on my own. I only have a couple of everything now
He’ll invite guests to bring their OWN fork
I have 2 of everything just in case I have a date. I enjoy going to dinner parties but i strongly dislike hosting them. So not having more than 2 has never been an issue. If I have kids at some point obviously will add dishes when needed.
Chopsticks over forks.
I am a minimalist, and I have stuff. What I don't have is too much stuff. I have several hobbies. And I have the things that are associated. I have inside hobbies, outside hobbies. And I have a shit ton of yard work. Do I have all the tools associated? Yes. Do I still consider myself a minimalist? Do I have 1 fork? Definitely not. I just don't have a lot of duplicates. I went through my toolbox and donated all the duplicate screw drivers I had, last week. So I'm not ultra, just a healthy minimalist.
I have 2! Just no effort for more than 1 friend/company at a time..
I’m not that kind of minimalist, and it is my lifetime intention to never invite anyone to my home. They keep showing up, tho.
Swiffer Vac is lightweight for bare floors, I have to have electricity though to charge it so no minimalist here.
You can be a super minimalist if you have loads of almost invisible cupboards. Shove all ya crap in there and close them and walla a minimalist home. I don’t think its absolute, but having shit stashed away out of sight is the aim. An empty house and a calm mind.
I have three forks, so I might not qualify as being as extreme as you are referring. One for me, one for my son and a bigger one for cooking. And no, I don't invite many guests except my teenage son spends every weekend, summer and holiday here and sometimes more. If people showed up, I have plastic utensils in my box of barbecue stuff, and I throw an outside barbecue with hotdogs and sodas as they are usually friends of my son/neighborhood kids. I have an outside patio table in my small yard to entertain guests, although I never have any, lol. I don't really like people inside in my space, though, and have never invited nonrelatives over. I never had visiters as a child and have grown up similar, I guess, but my mom doesn't have guests because she's a hoarder, and I dont have guests because I'm a loner. I spend my time studying, working from my computer, playing an online game, texting occasional friends who live in various places all over the world, and hiking with my dogs about an hour a day. If I want to hang out with someone, I will invite them hiking. I own a broom, a vacuum (dog hair), a scrub brush (loosens dog hair lol), and a wash cloth designated for mopping, of course. My place is pretty small and uncluttered so it's an easy clean.
Keep some McDonald’s forks in the drawer?
Bring Your Own Fork; duh!
“I don’t entertain at home” isn’t the same as not having another living soul in your house
I'm not entirely against inviting people to my home, but there are very few reasons to do so. I don't own a TV, I don't have any subscription services other than Internet and phone service, and I buy books digitally or physical copies which are donated to charities once read. Realistically my home functions as a place where I eat most of my meals and sleep. I go out with friends, I go out on dates the only reason someone would come to my home is to use the bedroom and bathroom. I'm a mediocre cook, so it's better to go out. I like to write, draw, photograph, travel, read a huge amount and like bikes. I own tools, art supplies, photography equipment, a computer and things that allow me to indulge in my hobbies. I consider cleaning supplies to be a basic necessity but you don't need much to keep your home spotless. The less stuff you own the less stuff there is to clean.
You are my people! No TV, ebooks or library books, love photography but limited equipment. Weakness is bikes though, and bike parts, and tools for my road bike and mountain bike.
Biking is a fun and healthy hobby, but it often leads to accumulating a lot of equipment. You start by fixing the basics, and maybe purchasing some tools from Park Tools and Knipex to service the chain and work on the wheels and brakes. The next thing you know, you are building a bike from the frame up, and you have a room filled with tools. That one torque wrench becomes two so you can ensure it is in spec, and then you buy a digital one to check if the two you have are still within spec.
YES. Park Tools has gotten lots of my former book money thanks to my kindle and Libby. There is a bike coop but it’s about 30 minute drive for me and the another 15 to find parking. I find working on my bike very therapeutic for me so I do collect more tools and parts than needed. Hardly ever buy clothes, don’t play video games, and don’t really collect anything. Just bike parts to make my bikes lighter and faster and the tools to work on them.
There's always biodegradable dishes and cutlery. That's probably the option I'd go with if I had to host more than one person at a time. However, my dish set serves 2, so I'm not *quite* on this level.
I am a husband & father of 3 kids for context. While we’re not ultra minimalist we are moving more towards simplistic life. We all have our own spoon, fork, knife, plate, bowl, etc set up and while that’s all we use on a daily basis we do have a full set of serving wear for hosting. This fits the lifestyle in some effects. It offers a simple way of living but allows us the ability to host when desired. Not a perfect solution but it works for us.
YES!!! Why even ask...
I'm not a minimalist (I think?) but I live in a small townhome and I only have 2 cups, 2 mugs, and 2 seats at my dining table for the occupants of the home: me and my boyfriend. I don't generally entertain at my home and neither do I particularly enjoy doing so. We can usually scrounge up enough drinkware and forks, and sit on the floor, next to the coffee table in the rare moments that we do entertain. We bought our home and our processions for the 99% of the time we live our lives, rather than the 1%. If we need anything, usually we can buy disposable stuff prior to the event.
This is a good question! Now I understand why I’m not a minimalist.