The Minimalist Thread

I may not get many responses here. But im interested to see who will join in an "indian" minimalist thread. Lately, i have become very inspired by the strategies mentioned in Early Retirement Extreme: — a combination of simple living, anticonsumerism, DIY ethics, self-reliance, and applied capitalism . While the strategies mentioned are for retiring early, it encompasses much more
(i) Drastically cutting down your frivolous expenses
(ii) Escaping the vicious cycle of consumer upgrading
(iii) Understanding that happiness does not depend on owning things
(iv) Doing things yourself that you would otherwise hire 3rd party to do i.e. Carpentry, fixing things.
(v) Investing wisely all ur money so that you could retire early

I believe minimalism and extremism are closely linked. Here is how i have cut down all my expenses

1. I no longer eat at expensive restaurants. I consider this absolute waste of hard earned money. Also, no CCD, no Dominoes.
2. Not using AC anymore, i sleep under the cooler and it has been great
3. Not upgrading PC, Mobile etc and not buying any other gadgets. I really get bored after a month after owning any device
4. Investing in PPFs, Insurance schemes. I am a novice as of now. But i will get better at this.

Things i plan to do to further reduce expenses
1. Cycle to Office and back
2. Sell off all unused stuff. There is a rule, which says, if you havent used any product for more than 6 months, you are better off selling it/donating it.
3. Learn to "fix" things myself. This might be a tough road for me as frankly i have never attempted this kind of thing i.e fixing leaks/carpentry/electricity problems.

Please chime in if you are interested. I am curious to know how do other minimalists/extremists reduce their expenses.

Plant a garden and water the plants each morning and evening, you won't require even a cooler. Last summer I couldn't live without AC, this time I'm so far good with just fan.

coolers are BAD for health.

google for more..

but good thread. subscribed.

i am interested too.

Do I need to plant a tree right in front of my bed ?

nope.. on your head.

yeah , in places with lots of trees, its naturally very cool. however i live in an apartment. if i dont use cooler, ill keep getting up every 2 hours out of the inability to sleep in the heat. in bhubaneswar, summers are intolerable

Faun said:
Do I need to plant a tree right in front of my bed ?

anirbandd said:
nope.. on your head.

And it rhymes too.

Faun said:
Do I need to plant a tree right in front of my bed ?

anirbandd said:
nope.. on your head.

so that you will be dead.

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srkmish said:
3. Learn to "fix" things myself. This might be a tough road for me as frankly i have never attempted this kind of thing i.e fixing leaks/carpentry/electricity problems.

I do this as much as i can, wherever i think i can. Most of the time, i will try to recycle the old, and buy things only when the old is dead.

Great thread. Minimalistic living is something people eventually turns to, when they finally understand that they have enough of the shenanigans of consumerism.

I think choosing where to spend money is something that every teenager/younger generation take granted now a days. Eating at Dominos and CCD have risen from just on occasions to like a daily affair and worse so when they do it just so as to look "cool". While I think globalization is bringing with it some amazing progress to our country, I also think its the generation of ours and younger that needs to draw a line. Trend of making easy money (through working at call centers , not that its as easy mind you) and then spending it frivolously on things that is far from "need" than "want" is something most of the young minds are plagued with.

Personally I never spent a dime on things I "want" till I started earning my own dough. I come from a lower middle class family, where we used to face scarcity of all kinds. Our house is built in parts as and when my dad could accumulate money to built something. Broken things used to remain broken until we could accumulate money to fix it. Fortunately my dad is an electrical engineer, and he doesn't lack tinkering around. So most of the stuff from home wiring, to laying basic water pipelines, fixing Television sets (CRT ones), and cleaning engine of our scooter to fixing kitchen appliances were done by himself, while I used to be his assistant in bringing the tools he needed. I have rarely seen any specialized fixit guy being called for fixing any stuff listed above.

Franky I used to hate being with my dad when he was repairing things. He used to loose his cool easily. I would struggle to bring to him the exact tools he require from what I see as a treasure of tools kept in the store room. But now that I think about it, my dad was only trying to save some money, so that I can study in a primary school and keep up with the extravagant fees, prices of clothes and books.

Maybe the reason why I choose to study "Software" Engineering was because of the struggle I used to see my dad having with trying to fix all those hardware all by himself, becoming the one man army of all the Dr. Fixit guys out there, and slowly resenting the hands and face getting dirty by the dirt and grease it attracted. But I do use to understand the money it used to save to us in the long run and that's why never use to complain about it to my dad.

I even made a list of the things I could never afford but badly "wished" for when I was in school, like my own PC. I used to draw layout of keyboards in a diary and try to memorize the placements of alphabets since I didn't have my own PC. Sometimes, I used to work on a Pentium 3 PC at my Mausi's house. But it didn't have internet access. So I used to make a list of links and write long emails in notepad so that I save time when I used to access Internet at a local cyber cafe each Sunday for not more than an hour. It was in my college that my father was able to buy for me a Pen 4 PC in 2005, Internet connection 3 yrs after that, and recently I upgraded to a Core i5 PC after more than 7 yrs. Even after these many years, I still can't say I am satisfied by our living standards. But that is a different story.

The fact of the matter is that while I was crying over my not being uber rich, I am thankful for my past that it taught me the value of money. While I was sad since I didn't have my own PC in my school, there are people in worse condition than I am. As said profoundly by someone, "If you have a family that loves you, A few good friends, Food on the table , And a roof over your head, You are richer than you think..!!"

The line between "necessity" and "desires" depends on the person and that's why it have to be drawn by the person themselves. Its not about how much money you can afford but how much money you need to be "happy".

Sorry if this post became philosophical, but the points discussed in first post reminded me of my past, of the value of money that my dad know and taught me and it made me carry away a bit. It also warned me of my recent behaviors, I think I am guilty of over-spending a little recently!

Great Post Vyom. Enjoyed reading your life story. I too am guilty of being hard on my father for not giving me all the comics/games etc i wanted in childhood. Also guilty of spending unabashedly in college. Ironically, if i hadnt started buying tablets/phones/psp/cameras after i started earning, i would never have realized the futility of owning things. As you said, eventually, i'm turning to minimalism

Absolutely agree with you regarding the part where eating at expensive joints/watching movies at multiplex seems commonplace nowadays. Not only is it sheer waste of money, also the food is junk and bad for health.

Need to subscribe this thread.

Instead of buying so many books, get a kindle paperwhite. One step closer to minimalism.

Don't buy Apples!!!!

Vyom said:
Great thread. Minimalistic living is something people eventually turns to, when they finally understand that they have enough of the shenanigans of consumerism.

I think choosing where to spend money is something that every teenager/younger generation take granted now a days. Eating at Dominos and CCD have risen from just on occasions to like a daily affair and worse so when they do it just so as to look "cool". While I think globalization is bringing with it some amazing progress to our country, I also think its the generation of ours and younger that needs to draw a line. Trend of making easy money (through working at call centers , not that its as easy mind you) and then spending it frivolously on things that is far from "need" than "want" is something most of the young minds are plagued with.

Personally I never spent a dime on things I "want" till I started earning my own dough. I come from a lower middle class family, where we used to face scarcity of all kinds. Our house is built in parts as and when my dad could accumulate money to built something. Broken things used to remain broken until we could accumulate money to fix it. Fortunately my dad is an electrical engineer, and he doesn't lack tinkering around. So most of the stuff from home wiring, to laying basic water pipelines, fixing Television sets (CRT ones), and cleaning engine of our scooter to fixing kitchen appliances were done by himself, while I used to be his assistant in bringing the tools he needed. I have rarely seen any specialized fixit guy being called for fixing any stuff listed above.

Franky I used to hate being with my dad when he was repairing things. He used to loose his cool easily. I would struggle to bring to him the exact tools he require from what I see as a treasure of tools kept in the store room. But now that I think about it, my dad was only trying to save some money, so that I can study in a primary school and keep up with the extravagant fees, prices of clothes and books.

Maybe the reason why I choose to study "Software" Engineering was because of the struggle I used to see my dad having with trying to fix all those hardware all by himself, becoming the one man army of all the Dr. Fixit guys out there, and slowly resenting the hands and face getting dirty by the dirt and grease it attracted. But I do use to understand the money it used to save to us in the long run and that's why never use to complain about it to my dad.

I even made a list of the things I could never afford but badly "wished" for when I was in school, like my own PC. I used to draw layout of keyboards in a diary and try to memorize the placements of alphabets since I didn't have my own PC. Sometimes, I used to work on a Pentium 3 PC at my Mausi's house. But it didn't have internet access. So I used to make a list of links and write long emails in notepad so that I save time when I used to access Internet at a local cyber cafe each Sunday for not more than an hour. It was in my college that my father was able to buy for me a Pen 4 PC in 2005, Internet connection 3 yrs after that, and recently I upgraded to a Core i5 PC after more than 7 yrs. Even after these many years, I still can't say I am satisfied by our living standards. But that is a different story.

The fact of the matter is that while I was crying over my not being uber rich, I am thankful for my past that it taught me the value of money. While I was sad since I didn't have my own PC in my school, there are people in worse condition than I am. As said profoundly by someone, "If you have a family that loves you, A few good friends, Food on the table , And a roof over your head, You are richer than you think..!!"

The line between "necessity" and "desires" depends on the person and that's why it have to be drawn by the person themselves. Its not about how much money you can afford but how much money you need to be "happy".

Sorry if this post became philosophical, but the points discussed in first post reminded me of my past, of the value of money that my dad know and taught me and it made me carry away a bit. It also warned me of my recent behaviors, I think I am guilty of over-spending a little recently!

Almost same here.

Now I'm working. And i can afford a few of my wants. Like the Royal Enfield.

and a few PS3 games occasionally. Heck.. I even repaired my broke PS3 last week.

hyeah:

One thing everyone should avoid is smoking, and drinking alcohol. I realized how much it is a waste of money (and health), when I was a kid and this has helped me save a lot of my pocket money.

Also, get a cup of tea instead of soda.

Vyom said:
Great thread. Minimalistic living is something people eventually turns to, when they finally understand that they have enough of the shenanigans of consumerism.

I think choosing where to spend money is something that every teenager/younger generation take granted now a days. Eating at Dominos and CCD have risen from just on occasions to like a daily affair and worse so when they do it just so as to look "cool". While I think globalization is bringing with it some amazing progress to our country, I also think its the generation of ours and younger that needs to draw a line. Trend of making easy money (through working at call centers , not that its as easy mind you) and then spending it frivolously on things that is far from "need" than "want" is something most of the young minds are plagued with.

Personally I never spent a dime on things I "want" till I started earning my own dough. I come from a lower middle class family, where we used to face scarcity of all kinds. Our house is built in parts as and when my dad could accumulate money to built something. Broken things used to remain broken until we could accumulate money to fix it. Fortunately my dad is an electrical engineer, and he doesn't lack tinkering around. So most of the stuff from home wiring, to laying basic water pipelines, fixing Television sets (CRT ones), and cleaning engine of our scooter to fixing kitchen appliances were done by himself, while I used to be his assistant in bringing the tools he needed. I have rarely seen any specialized fixit guy being called for fixing any stuff listed above.

Franky I used to hate being with my dad when he was repairing things. He used to loose his cool easily. I would struggle to bring to him the exact tools he require from what I see as a treasure of tools kept in the store room. .But now that I think about it, my dad was only trying to save some money, so that I can study in a primary school and keep up with the extravagant fees, prices of clothes and books

Maybe the reason why I choose to study "Software" Engineering was because of the struggle I used to see my dad having with trying to fix all those hardware all by himself, becoming the one man army of all the Dr. Fixit guys out there, and slowly resenting the hands and face getting dirty by the dirt and grease it attracted. But I do use to understand the money it used to save to us in the long run and that's why never use to complain about it to my dad.

I even made a list of the things I could never afford but badly "wished" for when I was in school, like my own PC. I used to draw layout of keyboards in a diary and try to memorize the placements of alphabets since I didn't have my own PC. Sometimes, I used to work on a Pentium 3 PC at my Mausi's house. But it didn't have internet access. So I used to make a list of links and write long emails in notepad so that I save time when I used to access Internet at a local cyber cafe each Sunday for not more than an hour. It was in my college that my father was able to buy for me a Pen 4 PC in 2005, Internet connection 3 yrs after that, and recently I upgraded to a Core i5 PC after more than 7 yrs. Even after these many years, I still can't say I am satisfied by our living standards. But that is a different story.

The fact of the matter is that while I was crying over my not being uber rich, I am thankful for my past that it taught me the value of money. While I was sad since I didn't have my own PC in my school, there are people in worse condition than I am. As said profoundly by someone, "If you have a family that loves you, A few good friends, Food on the table , And a roof over your head, You are richer than you think..!!"

The line between "necessity" and "desires" depends on the person and that's why it have to be drawn by the person themselves. Its not about how much money you can afford but how much money you need to be "happy".

Sorry if this post became philosophical, but the points discussed in first post reminded me of my past, of the value of money that my dad know and taught me and it made me carry away a bit. It also warned me of my recent behaviors, I think I am guilty of over-spending a little recently!

rula diya bhai....

G

srkmish said:
Please chime in if you are interested. I am curious to know how do other minimalists/extremists reduce their expenses.

Did you like Fight Club (the movie) ?

Is extremism the opposite of minimalism ? If not, sorry, wrong post.

I am a somewhat opposite of you. But I don't think I am going into extremism.Lets see

I hate home made food, I mostly eat out . Almost every weekend at Malls (not at very expensive restaurants though) and this includes Pizza Hut, Domino, CCD & Starbucks.
If its hot, I turn on the AC, & not just that I see it as anyways I spend on weekends so why save on little things (Only applies when things are within my reach).
I'm not interested in mobile, but PC.. yeah definitely, its among my top priorities. If there's something i need, I'll get it. I guess people don't mind spending a lot on what interests them.

I think happiness is overrated.

Gen.Libeb said:
Did you like Fight Club (the movie) ?

Is extremism the opposite of minimalism ? If not, sorry, wrong post.

I am a somewhat opposite of you. But I don't think I am going into extremism.Lets see

I hate home made food, I mostly eat out . Almost every weekend at Malls (not at very expensive restaurants though) and this includes Pizza Hut, Domino, CCD & Starbucks.
If its hot, I turn on the AC, & not just that I see it as anyways I spend on weekends so why save on little things (Only applies when things are within my reach).
I'm not interested in mobile, but PC.. yeah definitely, its among my top priorities. If there's something i ~~need~~ want, I'll get it. I guess people don't mind spending a lot on what interests them.

I think happiness is overrated.

corrected.

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yeah.. thats the opposite of minimalistic.

but hey, if you spend in something you love, one can hardly ~~agree~~ argue.

I can hardly disagree.

anirbandd said:
corrected.

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yeah.. thats the opposite of minimalistic.

but hey, if you spend in something you love, one can hardly ~~agree~~ argue.

Faun said:
I can hardly disagree.

corrected.

Gen.Libeb said:
Did you like Fight Club (the movie) ?

Is extremism the opposite of minimalism ? If not, sorry, wrong post.

I am a somewhat opposite of you. But I don't think I am going into extremism.Lets see

I hate home made food, I mostly eat out . Almost every weekend at Malls (not at very expensive restaurants though) and this includes Pizza Hut, Domino, CCD & Starbucks.
If its hot, I turn on the AC, & not just that I see it as anyways I spend on weekends so why save on little things (Only applies when things are within my reach).
I'm not interested in mobile, but PC.. yeah definitely, its among my top priorities. If there's something i need, I'll get it. I guess people don't mind spending a lot on what interests them.

I think happiness is overrated.

I meant extremism in the sense of trying to save the last penny, being extremely frugal in expenditure. Extremism can be interpreted in both ways though.

I am curious as to why you hate home made food. As per my experience, nothing can match the food prepared by my mother and it is a blessing that i live at my home , still toning down frivolous expenses. I never eat at office canteen. Even in hot summer, i return to my home to take lunch(its 2 kms away).

I'm really reevaluating my definition of happiness. Do i really need to own devices to increase my happiness? Not really!. I was a child once and my happiness was totally unconditional. I am becoming more and more interested in just being. Its hard to explain. For starters, read about this man who quit money and went to live a natural life in the woods. Sala sab musibat ki jad aur bi zyada paisa/shoharat/izzat kamana hai aur ye kabi khatam ni hoga. Hum sab bhool gaye hai kya hota hai taron ke neeche sona/ barish me bheegna/ khulke hasna vageyra vageyra

The Man Who Lives Without Money

I find happiness in the knowledge that new Chris Nolan movie will be released on Nov. 7, 2014.

me too. for that one day, i will put my minimalistic tendencies on hold and watch it at inox

srkmish said:
me too. for that one day, i will put my minimalistic tendencies on hold and watch it at IMAX

FTFY buddy.

logout20 said:
rula diya bhai....

Please don't. Sharing sympathies is okay.. But girly crying, not.

Seems the Royal Enfield is still a bit out of my reach at 1.85lacs. Thunderbird 500cc.

anirbandd said:
Please don't. Sharing sympathies is okay.. But girly crying, not.

its not about sympathy....and i'm not crying...seriously...how old are you ?????

logout20 said:
its not about sympathy....and i'm not crying...seriously...how old are you ?????

Going offtopic. Stay on topic.

:troll:

anirbandd said:
Please don't. Sharing sympathies is okay.. But girly crying, not.

Sexist much?

Inceptionist said:
Sexist much?

As i said, its a good thread. Lets not go off topic

Just replying, because I have no idea how to subscribe via tapatalk.

^go to top right corner, there should be a blank star. touch it, and it will turn to a yellow colored star. and you'll get a message saying you are subscribed to the thread.
if the star is not there, you can touch on the 3 vertical dots and in the drop down list touch on Subscribe.

hope this helps

I am not minimalist but I am biased towards Value for Money Objects. Not materialistic but at the same time I love to buy things for which I am passionate about. Technology and Gadgets are one of them.
Although , it's true that getting bored after a month of usage or two happens a lot , but still the first one month were worth it.!

J

RazorbladeXtreme said:
Plant a garden and water the plants each morning and evening, you won't require even a cooler. Last summer I couldn't live without AC, this time I'm so far good with just fan.

thanks for this one i will try this for sure for this summer...........

Rishi. said:
Don't buy Apples!!!!

they are pretty minimalistic!

my grand aunt
sweeps fallen mango tree leaves in morning
uses leaves as fuel to heat water
uses ash of burnt leaves to clean vessels
water from cleaning goes directly to roots of mango tree

Anorion said:
they are pretty minimalistic!

my grand aunt
sweeps fallen mango tree leaves in morning
uses leaves as fuel to heat water
uses ash of burnt leaves to clean vessels
water from cleaning goes directly to roots of mango tree

true minimalist.

my sincere :pray:

to her

Anorion said:
they are pretty minimalistic!

my grand aunt
sweeps fallen mango tree leaves in morning
uses leaves as fuel to heat water
uses ash of burnt leaves to clean vessels
water from cleaning goes directly to roots of mango tree

i meant the other one...

H

Good thread, but seems like what I would do in a parallel universe. I look ahead of my life to have an early retirement and then travel the world.

Although I spend a considerable amount of money on intoxicating myself, only for the sole reason of finding happiness from the stress I have to take to reach my goals. Once you are in, you are in for life.

[MENTION=22610]hsr[/MENTION]

Basically what you are doing is rewarding yourself with pleasure in the most effortless and impatient way. Tickling the pleasure points of brain.

hsr said:
Although I spend a considerable amount of money on intoxicating myself, only for the sole reason of finding happiness from the stress I have to take to reach my goals. Once you are in, you are in for life.

Sad for you bro.

H

Faun said:
[MENTION=22610]hsr[/MENTION]

Basically what you are doing is rewarding yourself with pleasure in the most effortless and impatient way. Tickling the pleasure points of brain.

That's what 4 years of engineering study does to you...

Jokes aside, I don't think my love for travel could be ever quenched with the prospect of a hassle free old life.

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hsr said:
Although I spend a considerable amount of money on intoxicating myself, only for the sole reason of finding happiness from the stress I have to take to reach my goals. Once you are in, you are in for life.

P.S. I may have exaggerated smoking/alcohol there a bit

^I love travelling too.

if i can travel to new places, even in Incredible India!, i wont want anything else.

I have been a minimalist long before I even started working. Used to save money and only spend that saved cash on my hobbies and wants. The worst thing is my family really hates my life style and asks what are you gonna do with the money in the bank. They spend money like sh!t and expects me to follow their same life style.
I also find spending massive amount of cash on devices and PC as these things get outdated in no time and resale value is literally not even close to half in under 6 months. I'm just saying my views and do not mean to hurt the feelings of PC enthusiasts here

R2K said:
I have been a minimalist long before I even started working. Used to save money and only spend that saved cash on my hobbies and wants. The worst thing is my family really hates my life style and asks what are you gonna do with the money in the bank. They spend money like sh!t and expects me to follow their same life style.
I also find spending massive amount of cash on devices and PC as these things get outdated in no time and resale value is literally not even close to half in under 6 months. I'm just saying my views and do not mean to hurt the feelings of PC enthusiasts here

That's very good. Nice to know.

Btw are you punjabi or marwadi? If this question is offensive to you, please forgive and forget.

Inspiring thread, subscribed. Got a new view. Thanks OP. [MENTION=77264]Vyom[/MENTION], touching post bro, thanks for sharing with your fellow members.
Got me thinking, should really change my habits.

D

After reading this thread, my urge to buy a new laptop (I own a desktop) has gone!

M

My soundmagic pl11 got stolen, got myself sennheiser cx180. Didn't like the sound signature, ordered cowon em1. Popped into this thread, feeling kinda guilty now.

H

I am not joking but [MENTION=77264]Vyom[/MENTION] has a good set of life examples...

Whenever we are going to purchase a new tech, just take into account how many times had it changed/updated in the last 6 months. If you feel it is a constantly updating one, refrain yourself from pre ordering or early buying. Smartphones are the real examples for this. I bought my Lumia 920 for ~27k from Dubai, while the price around here was 34k. Though I had a good deal, 4 months later it had gone down to 19k; more than what I saved initially. What did I do with it during the 4 months period? Nothing. Of course, there was satisfaction, which went under the sea as soon as I came to know the price drop.

"The root of all suffering is desire.", words of wisdom by Buddha applies to life broadly and for smaller things too.

hsr said:
I am not joking but [MENTION=77264]Vyom[/MENTION] has a good set of life examples...

Whenever we are going to purchase a new tech, just take into account how many times had it changed/updated in the last 6 months. If you feel it is a constantly updating one, refrain yourself from pre ordering or early buying. Smartphones are the real examples for this. I bought my Lumia 920 for ~27k from Dubai, while the price around here was 34k. Though I had a good deal, 4 months later it had gone down to 19k; more than what I saved initially. What did I do with it during the 4 months period? Nothing. Of course, there was satisfaction, which went under the sea as soon as I came to know the price drop.

"The root of all suffering is desire.", words of wisdom by Buddha applies to life broadly and for smaller things too.

//

Checking up on flipkart or other sites pretty much everyday, looking for deals and discounts of stuffs i have literally no need of. Gotta curb this habbit after reading here

[MENTION=77264]Vyom[/MENTION] really good post regarding the experiences you had and Im happy that many of us can learn something from it. And since my father is also an Electrical Engg (and the struggle he did to become one plus provide us(family) the daily necessities is something I cant do even if I get another life as a human being), I can understand you totally

As for my life goes, I too love minimalist style of life. The urge which makes half of the people go crazy to try new stuff is what thats making life hard. Now as I remember, the question for 2 marks in my 2nd class of EVS exam, "Basic necessities of life- Food, Clothes and Shelter" , it wasnt wrong at all. What more do you need?
Ok right some of the inventions from couple of decades back were a great step to mankind, but even those inventions evolved in such a way that they have become more of a luxury item now. Best example being phone. We all know a 2K phone will do the same job as the 50K phone but yea, the latter one will also let you connect to your loved ones in more different way, not to forget doing many other stuff faster than a 10K phone. I got my smartphone only a few months back and that too bcoz my previous Samsung SGH J210 was dead (after 5 long years of good service). And Even after getting my job, I only got Lumia 520 just as to shut some mouths who used to say "Abe naya phone lele yar....mujhse udhaar lele" . And to be honest, if my old phone was still working, I wouldnt have gone for a new one, even if Apple have released a damn good phone under 20K.
I can travel by car to office and reach there under 45 mins but I still go via Metro, standing whole time, changing 2 stations, even though it takes me 30 mins more. This is basically because I am also kinda nature loving guy. I occasionally participate in various campaigns just as to make people aware about such critical areas.
Neither Im fond of junk food, 1-2 times in a month is OK for me (Im talking about eatery points like CCD, Dominoes, McD etc). Love home made food. Even if I was about to live away from home I hope I can manage to make my own meal. Dont like beverages either, I prefer lemonade, black tea, sattu in summers (I dont remember which cereal flour it is but I like it

)

So yea, love the minimalist type of lifestyle. Plz share your ideas so that we all can go in common direction.

I think my attitude towards minimalist life is influenced a lot by my DIY attitude. I like to do as many things as possible myself, instead of relying on other service providers. And I simply hate auto-rickshaws, and have on more than one occasion walked ~4 km just because I won't hire an auto-walla. I prefer cycle to car, home made food to junk food, but one of my guilty pleasures is cane-juice, and I spend 20 INR almost daily for that, returning from school.

Piyush said:
[MENTION=77264] Dont like beverages either, I prefer lemonade, black tea, sattu in summers (I dont remember which cereal flour it is but I like it )

Sattu drink is very good for summers. Its a wholesome diet for growing children. Sattu is helpful in diabetic conditions, for low blood pressure people. Sattu keeps stomach cool and clean. Sattu helps fight constipation. Regular consumption of Sattu is very helpful in keeping us fit and fine from the problem of gas and acidity. It also protects from heat wave during hot season.
More: *biharisattu.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/benefits-of-sattu.html

aaruni said:
but one of my guilty pleasures is cane-juice, and I spend 20 INR almost daily for that, returning from school.

I hope you drink from a hygienic place.

Vyom said:
I hope you drink from a hygienic place.

Yeah, a nice, clean shop, not a roadside stall.

I never went for tours/long travel with my friends during my school and college days. I try to reduce the burden of my father by not asking a huge load of money [even Rs. 200] from him.

But when I was exposed to this Internet era from my friend, I spend at least 3 hours weekly on a internet cafe. Just an anxiety of how big is internet[little porn of course]. Was saving each rupee or two and spent for it. Good old days.

But now before buying any stuff I think before getting it, an extra 1000 is worth it??? IMO getting a useless/less researched product is not being minimalistic .

Not only talking gadget here, everything which we buy

Not a minimalist but prefer a healthy lifestyle.

Faun said:
Not a minimalist but prefer a healthy lifestyle.

Who me?? U??

amjath said:
Who me?? U??

me...

of late, i want to buy a new PS3 [because the last phat one broke]. but since i will be buying an Enfield soon, i am trying to reason with myself, is the ps3 really required?? :\

anirbandd said:
of late, i want to buy a new PS3 [because the last phat one broke]. but since i will be buying an Enfield soon, i am trying to reason with myself, is the ps3 really required?? :\

The real question is that do you require an enfield?

Gem of a thread.

I'm not exactly a minimalist guy but more or less near to it. Credits : my father.

Even though we are a middle class family, slowly nearing the upper bracket, but my father taught me when to spend money and when to save, so that leisures of life can be enjoyed to max. He, till date goes to office by bike (daily commute of 40+kms) so that he could save daily approx 100 on petrol, and I salute him for that because in 40+ temps, you just can't force yourself to take bike if all the leisure is lying at home, and all this to ensure what [MENTION=77264]Vyom[/MENTION] said.
When I left home for studies (2006), I used to argue that I want to travel by AC class, but my father simply said that it's not that we can't afford it but it's the time for your struggle which will eventually make you learn the value of money and when to spend it. That time, I didn't get it, but now I do.
Same way I got my PC in 9th after crying for long 6 years ! (I wanted it since I was in 4th, childhood passion). Heck, even he didn't buy me a video game (TV wala), but I don't regret that.

Some of my friends say that where will I take all this money ? But I know the answer and just smile by not replying anything. Time will take it's time and teach them.

Lastly, thanks for the thread and [MENTION=77264]Vyom[/MENTION], for his great post.

PS: If anybody has got a passion for something, then minimalism doens't applies there, if someone does, they're just wasting their life.

Vyom said:
The real question is that do you require an enfield?

Require? No.

Passion? Yes.

Till now, I skip on taking a transport i can avoid it. But the Enfield is a childhood dream. I'm the same as [MENTION=86068]dashing.sujay[/MENTION]. i never ever put any kind of monetary burden on my father. heck, before college, i was prepared to drop a year in order to ensure getting to a govt engg college. fortunately, i made it in the first attempt.

i already mentioned, since i started earning, i have been a bit more liberal with my money. i have allowed myself some relaxations from time to time. Pizza with friends, movies, a small trip, couple of PS3 games, a gaming mouse, shirts and jeans for my dad, a necklace and bracelets from mom, a polarised glass for me (with a little help from mom), and regular pocket money for my mom, each month. these are what i have permitted myself to do.

you might say, these expenses could be sidestepped. you;d be correct. but time to time, one needs to see at the larger picture. i strongly believe in giving something back to my parents, for all that they have done for me. and also allowing myself to let my hair down a little. for maintaining a strict discipline all these years.

but more than this, i avoid.

and passions must be fulfilled. a man's passion defines him, imo. within a limit.

Passion demands investing.

Ultimate aim in life is to be happy. So do things that make you happy but don't be an aerosol to anyone..

Faun said:
Passion demands investing.

Ultimate aim in life is to be happy. So do things that make you happy but don't be an aerosol to anyone..

//

I have weird parents. I went to buy a Micromax funbook, Mom bought me an iPad instead. :/ Asked for a beginner keyboard, got a Yamaha mox6. :/

but, yeah, I prefer minimalist.

One chokri at a time.

j/k

First world problems :mrgreen:

^

D

Why is this thread dead?

Dexterminator said:
Why is this thread dead?

Probably it was waiting for revival from you. So thanks.

D

It was nice post of yours @Vyom . I really liked having read it . Im currently following ERR site , r/frugal , r/anticonsumption and couple of other subs . Any recommendations you've got to follow minimalism ?

Dexterminator said:
It was nice post of yours @Vyom . I really liked having read it . Im currently following ERR site , r/frugal , r/anticonsumption and couple of other subs . Any recommendations you've got to follow minimalism ?

Well minimalism is a lifestyle. It doesn't actually mean frugality. Point is to be mindful of what you eat, where you spend and who you choose to hangout with.
Another point is to understand the world of consumerism, and how advertisement work to manipulate our minds, specially younger minds.

Minimalism is to identify what is the core thing which makes you "happy", and spending mindfully on things which would "support" you doing that.
Eg, If I like movies, there's no harm in spending for a streaming site subscription. But I wouldn't go on a shopping spree to collect Marvel's toys and collectibles. Cause I have drawn my line and identify them as consumerism trying to lower my bank balance.

For you it might not be the case, and you would enjoy buying them.

I hope I am able to explain it properly.

Also I have started to follow this YTer who is a big time believer of minimalism and make great content around it.

Okay read this month's Digit

Capsule Wardrobes
Capsule Kitchens

D

there is nothing related to minimalism in the mag right?

The two pages of Hot or Not are all about minimalism

Anorion said:
The two pages of Hot or Not are all about minimalism

Great article. Aditya also gave shout out to one of our forum member!

Vyom said:
Great article. Aditya also gave shout out to one of our forum member!

Who is that member? Anorion?

I like this idea and had no clue folks were on it here since 2014! Wow.

D

TheSloth said:
Who is that member? Anorion?

shreeux movie chronicles

rockfella said:
I like this idea and had no clue folks were on it here since 2014! Wow.

It doesn't matter if you discovered it late. It's never too late.

D

I have 5-6 apps on my phone and 10-15 on my PC . I uninstall apps which I don't use regularly in my day to day life . Even If I happen to be using an app once a week , I just uninstall it and install whenever I need it (for ex. Installing zomato or amazon when I want to order something , rather than keeping the app ) . I don't know it just feels so lite and distraction free . Does that count as minimalism ?

Dexterminator said:
I have 5-6 apps on my phone and 10-15 on my PC . I uninstall apps which I don't use regularly in my day to day life . Even If I happen to be using an app once a week , I just uninstall it and install whenever I need it (for ex. Installing zomato or amazon when I want to order something , rather than keeping the app ) . I don't know it just feels so lite and distraction free . Does that count as minimalism ?

Well, wanting to live distraction free is definitely a sign of wanting a minimalistic lifestyle. But it's a good thing to do even if you are not a minimalist.