We live in a consumer society where we are constantly encouraged to purchase a whole host of goods that we don’t necessarily need. Sure, you might not want to throw all material desire out of the window and live with the absolute basics. But there are various reasons that you might want to consider living a more minimal lifestyle. Perhaps you’re devoted to the planet and can’t stand the detrimental effects that waste has on our planet. Maybe clutter, and junk stresses you out, and you prefer your surrounding to be as plain a canvas as possible. However, one of the most common reasons for embracing minimalism tends to be to reduce overall spending. Here are a few ways to embrace minimalism to reduce your overall outgoings.

Living on a Budget

One of the main reasons that most people end up in debt is down to irresponsible or unwise spending. If you are currently experiencing debt, it means that at some point or another, it is likely that you have exceeded your budget, or simply haven’t had one to start with. Minimalism can counteract this by discouraging excessive and non-essential spending. So, it’s time to get into good habits by creating a realistic budget and sticking to it. This is simple enough. All you need is a notepad, pen and perhaps a calculator. Sit down and note down your total salary after tax. This can be on a monthly or yearly basis. Now, total up the overall cost of your necessary expenses (this can include bills and other essential living costs). The amount that is left is your disposable income. This is how much you should have been living on. Try to avoid exceeding this, or you will end up spending money that is not your own and slip into debt. If you are already in debt, use your disposable income to make payments towards clearing your balance. It may sound counterproductive, but you should consider taking out a debt consolidation for bad credit. This simplifies payments.

Question Every Purchase

Buying goods is simpler than ever. Contactless payments mean that you don’t even have to make the effort to enter your pin in order to make small purchases. Apple pay means that you can buy a whole host of items even if you’ve left your money and cards at home. What’s more? The advent and success of E-commerce have ensured that you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home in order to make purchases. You can have pretty anything you could want delivered straight to your door! It’s not surprising, then, that many of us spend out of habit and without putting all too much thought into the majority of our purchases. So, it’s time to start getting picky! Before you buy any item, question your potential purchase. Do you need the item? What purpose will it serve in your life? Will you get extended use out of it? Only buy what’s absolutely essential!

As you can see, living minimally is simple. You can also save a lot of money and stave off the burden of financial debt by living in this way. It’s not surprising that this kind of lifestyle is taking off with such popularity! It’s high time that you try it out yourself.