
I hate the stuff and so should you! Sounds like a bold statement and it is. Over the last two years, I have become more accustomed to minimalist living. I was not always like this. Actually, in my 20s I was very much the complete opposite of a minimalist. I was what I considered a hyper-consumer. Always buying new clothes, upgrading cars, eating out, and just spending money very randomly.
I Hate Stuff And So Should You!
After slowly going down the path of this journey I started to realize I had too much stuff. I did not need it all and it was just collecting dust. Over these last few years, I have given away crazy amounts of stuff. Including donating stuff today. I am still realizing I have more stuff I don’t need. Now I want to give you all some insight into how being more of a minimalist has helped me. So hopefully you can take my insight and apply it in some form or fashion to your lifestyle.
Changed My Life
I truly believe that being a minimalist has changed my life for the better and can help you as well. Outlined below are my key pros to a minimalist lifestyle.
- Save more money
- Less clutter
- More time
I don’t think there is anything wrong with buying things. I often see people get the wrong idea of what a minimalist lifestyle is. They think of people with nothing who are unhappy and probably a bit crazy.
Saving Money
Yes, living a minimalist lifestyle has allowed me to save a ton more money. I typically save 50% of my income. Now I can already hear people yelling that’s not realistic. It is very possible and even if you went from saving 10% to saving 20% you still are saving more money. Now don’t buy stuff to try to fill my life like I used to. I only buy what I need and when I need it. I will say this has made me incredibly happy as a person. Never would I have thought that once I stopped buying stuff I did not need I would become even happier. If I buy something that I need I make sure it’s of sound quality that will last me. I also make sure that will I make good use of it.
The idea that less stuff saves you money is simple. Simple does not mean easy, as I often see people assume. This is going to be hard at first and probably sound a little crazy to some people. That’s ok, yet the fact is it works. Try it and I would bet you will save more money.
Less Clutter
Well, now that I own less stuff I have fewer things in my life. This has had huge effects on my mental health. I have so much less stress with fewer objects in my life. This goes from clothes to kitchen wear. Once we truly take action we realize we don’t use probably half the stuff we own. Think about clothes in your closet. If you have not worn it in the last 6 months I would donate it.
Here is a great article on just how less stuff can give you better mental health!
A great point of the above article is “LOVE PEOPLE, NOT THINGS”. Exactly why “I hate the stuff and so should you”. Things typically clutter your life and in fact, often bring you further away from a life of value. The more stuff you have the less freedom you will have.
Americans often believe “making it in life” means owning a bunch of stuff. Often this stuff comes at the cost of high debt, monthly payments, freedom, flexibility, and time. It’s the invisible handcuffs of the 21st century.
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More Time
The result for me is I have created more time. Because I have less stuff that means less cleaning. It means less time spent shopping for stuff I don’t need, it means more time to focus on my priorities and goals. It means less time maintaining things I don’t need.

Time is our most valuable resource. It’s the only resource you can’t produce more of it. Don’t let stuff own you and hold you back from a truly inspiring, happy life. Optimize your life by owning less and having more time to do more of what you value. Imagine having more time to play with your kids. Or having more time to spend with your spouse.
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The Bigger Picture ‘I Hate Stuff And So Should You”
I hate the stuff and so should you be a reminder to be intentional with what stuff you choose to allow in your life. Too much stuff will hold you back in life in so many ways. Check out this Ted Talks on it.
The more stuff we remove from our lives the more freedom, options, and flexibility we will have.
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I’m not saying to get rid of all your stuff. Not in the least, like I said above I still have things. It’s about having things that you value and bring you joy versus a bunch of stuff sitting in a box collecting dust. Saying “I hate the stuff and so should you” is such a great reminder of this.
Final Thoughts
Minimalism has changed my life in this journey I am on. It has most definitely allowed me to save more money which in turn allows me to reach early retirement that much sooner. It has taken out a lot of the clutter in my life to allow me a much healthier lifestyle overall. Most importantly it gives me more of something I value very highly which is time. I really can’t force anyone to change their lifestyle for the better. I can only encourage by showing how it has affected my life. Hopefully, you can take away something from this and apply it to your lifestyle.
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