Tesla Solar Roof is Now Cheaper Than a Regular Roof with Solar Panels.
Third time’s a charm, according to a media call with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Now, about three years following the company’s announcement of the concept, production is finally kicking up. The results
Finding Inspiration When The Going Gets Tough: The Joys Of Simplicity
“Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest.” Leo Babauta Life is made up of cycles. You may have begun your journey into the world of minimalism full of inspiration
Maintaining Motivation: 5 Easy Downsizing Actions You Can Do Right Now!
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Mary Oliver Yes, minimalist living is a long-term project. There’s no getting out of the fact that you’re going to need
When In Doubt: The Three Pillars Of Holistic Minimalism And Simplicity
“Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit experience and the last effort of genius.” George Sand Have you been on the minimalist lifestyle path for a while
Our Lifestyle Choices Are Part Of A Larger Context: 10 Ways Minimalism Reduces Your Ecological Footprint
“Simplicity means to choose ways of living that touch the Earth more lightly and that reduce our ecological footprint.” Duane Elgin One of the great things about choosing a holistic minimalist lifestyle
Worried People Will Think You’re Just Getting In On The Latest Fad? Here’s Why You’re Not. (A Brief Look At Minimalism and Simplicity Through The Ages)
Minimalism and simple living are definitely gaining speed as valid lifestyle choices (which, as you know, makes a whole of sense on so many levels given the context of today’s world!). Nevertheless,
How Explain Minimalism To The Naysayers and What To Do When They Just Don’t Get It
“Simplicity involves unburdening your life, and living more lightly with fewer distractions that interfere with a high quality life, as defined uniquely by each individual.” Linda Breen Pierce. In
The Positive Effects of Silence & Nature Immersion On The Human Brain And How To Organize Your Life To Get More Of Both!
“I’ve begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.” Chaim Potok Let’s get one thing straight. Silence and nature immersion
Building Blocks For Sustainable Simplicity: Cultivating Curiosity And Observation
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure
Grounding: 5 Techniques For Finding Balance In An Overwhelming World
“Get yourself grounded and you can navigate even the stormiest roads in peace.” Steve Goodier Grounding.That elusive feeling of being centered and in balance, no matter what whirlwind of activity or
Natural Principles in Minimalism: From Stacking Functions To Zero Waste
“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.”Leo Tolstoy Holistic minimalism mimics many principles we can find in the greater natural world.
Gratitude And Abundance: How To Cultivate Both And Ensure Downsizing Lasts!
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates
Negative Associations To “Stuff”: Letting Go Of Guilt And Shame To Create Transformational Change
“A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.” Christopher K. Germer Guilt can be a very powerful emotion. When dealing with
The “Scarcity Mentality”: Why We’re Programmed To Accumulate Things And How To Change The Pattern
“Scarcity mentality measures out life by the ounce; it always concludes that the needs outweigh the resources.” Erin M. Straza You’ve probably heard of the whole scarcity versus abundance mentality
Minimalism And Mental Health: 5 Techniques For Decluttering Your Mind
“If there’s no inner peace, people can’t give it to you. The husband can’t give it to you. Your children can’t give it to you. You have to give it to you.” Linda Evans There’s ample research
“Back In The Good Ol’ Days…”: 9 Ways To Have Fun With “Nothing”!
“When fun gets deep enough, it can heal the world.” the Oaqui So you’ve probably heard someone older than you at some point start off a sentence with “back in the day…” and follow it up with
Everyday DIY Gift Ideas For The Minimalist ( & Your Family or Friends!) “The
“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” Marie Kondo The above succinctly puts into words why you probably want to change your gift giving
Family Holidays: Co-Creating Traditions That Make Sense To You
“Family traditions are more than arguments with the dead, more than collections of family letters you try to decipher. A tradition is also a channel of memory through which fierce and unrequited longings
Learning From The Past: What Our Grandparents Could Teach Us About Minimalism
“Our mind has evolved in such a way that new wants keep appearing in it relentlessly. But do not confuse them with needs. Needs are necessity, but wants are luxury.” Abhijit Naskar If you really want
Conscious Parenting: How Raising Minimalist Kids Can Literally Change The World
“If we are ever going to see a paradigm shift, we have to be clear about how we want the present paradigm to shift. ” Gary L. Fancione There are any number of reasons why you may have decided to switch
7 Systems For Sharing Goods and Skills So You Can Own Less (Without It Becoming An Organizational Nightmare!)
“Our most valuable possessions are those which can be shared without lessening – those which, when shared, multiply. Our least valuable possessions, on the other hand, are those which, when divided,
Getting Rid Of Our Number One Energy Drain: Tools And Resources For Right Relationship and Healthy Communication
“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t
5 Ways A Minimalist Lifestyle Can Decrease Isolation And Increase Community…If You Let It!
“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” Kurt
9 Minimalist Destinations
“In our rich consumers’ civilization we spin cocoons around ourselves and get possessed by our possessions.” Max Lerner A lot of writings about minimalist travel focus solely on the packing aspect:what
Packing List: How To Travel Light And Still Be Ready For Anything
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” Antoine de St. Exupery If you’re not used to travelling with practically nothing it can be quite a huge shift to try and apply minimalist thinking
Travel Tips For The Thrifty Minimalist
“And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar You’re
Redefining “Deluxe”: Getting Away From It All With Minimal Ecological Impact
“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” Eugene Fodor Long-distance travel has become something many of us take for granted. “Vacation” has come to be synonymous in many people’s minds with
5 Ways To Bypass Packaging and Drastically Decrease Household Waste
“Plastic pollution is a massive and at the same time intensely personal environmental problem…we touch and see plastic every day of our lives. With every trip to the grocery store we can readily
Strategies: What To Do When You Think You Should, But You Just “Can’t” Let Something Go…
“When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.” Tao Te Ching There are many reasons you may be holding on to things more than you would like to. Objects are often imbued with sentimental value
The Tiny House Craze: From Dream To Realism
It seems like in the last couple of years everyone and their uncle is suddenly planning on building themselves a tiny house. The movement is largely fueled by more and more people wanting to live in spaces
8 Household Items You Really Don’t Need
“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” Raymond Lindquist It can be a challenge to let go of things we’re used to having around, even for the seasoned minimalist. We get into the habit
How Going Green Can Actually Save You Money, Time and Space
“At its core, the issue of a clean environment is a matter of public health.” Gina McCarthy A lot of people tend to think of “going green” as an altruistic life choice. We sacrifice a whole lot
4 Miraculously Multipurpose Household Products for Minimalists!
“A minimalist by intent, I live a beautiful life with fewer things—simple, yet full.” Laurie Buchanan, PhD At first it may not seem clear why learning about the multiple purpose of various household
9 Paradigm Shifts To Make You a Better Holistic Minimalist And Reduce Waste!
9 Paradigm Shifts To Make You a Better Holistic Minimalist And Reduce Waste! “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” Toni Morrison Underlying this whole idea of “paradigm
Decluttering Your Home In 3 Easy Steps
“Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fueled by procrastination” Christina Scalise There are any number of ways out there to approach decluttering your home. Blogs and books abound
8 Fun & Easy Ways To Repurpose Your Old Clothes
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” Fred Rogers Ever have an old piece of clothing that you still really love but which has just gotten
Downsizing Made Simple
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris The above quote by William Morris basically sums up the major guidelines of how to approach
6 Tips To Second-Hand Shopping Success for Minimalists
“Buy less, choose well.” Vivienne Westwood Before we get into talking about specific tips for successful second-hand shopping, some of you may be asking yourselves “what’s so great about thrifting?”
The Urge To Splurge: Learning When, And How, To Say No!
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” Epictetus There are numerous reasons you may feel the occasional urge to splurge. In and of itself, treating yourself every
Minimalism In The Age Of Consumerism: 6 Steps To Unlearning Overconsumption
Minimalism In The Age Of Consumerism: 6 Steps To Unlearning Overconsumption “The great obstacle is simply this: the conviction that we cannot change because we are dependant on what is wrong. But that
Goal-Setting For The Aspiring Minimalist or “How To Not Get Overwhelmed By Yet Another Neverending To Do List…”
You may be asking yourself how goal-setting works into the whole scheme of a minimalist lifestyle. If minimalism is all about creating a happier, slower paced, less stressful mode of being that reflects
Which Of These 9 Types Of Minimalists Are You? Finding Out Could Be Key To Making Your Lifestyle Changes Last
“The unexamined life is not worth living” Socrates Another key phrase coined by Socrates is “to know thyself is beginning of wisdom.” While no one likes being pigeonholed, many of us crave clearer
From Swedish Death Cleaning To KonMari’s “Spark Of Joy”: Minimalist Methods
“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” Joshua Becker It’s all well and good to decide we want to transition to a minimalist lifestyle, but where
When Less Is More: How Decreasing Clutter Increases Your Freedom
“People often ask me, “What’s so great about being a minimalist?” I usually answer with one word: freedom.” Francine Jay Does reducing clutter really increase your personal freedom? The simple
The Facts Behind The Feeling: Backing Up Your Lifestyle Choices With Science
“We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties.” Anna C. Brackett First off, congratulations on choosing to transform your life through minimalism. By decluttering your life
How to build your savings
More Americans have bank accounts than ever before but that doesn’t necessarily indicate a higher savings rate than in years past. In fact, household savings rates are hovering at only about 1/3
How to Create an Effective Budget
If you read the headlines, you might not be sure what to believe. Many news blurbs indicate that saving and checking balances are at highs when compared to recent years. Others tell the story of the nearly
How Student Loans Work
Whether you’re in school, planning for college, or are a parent of a college-bound student, it’s important to understand your options for paying for college. The cost of higher education has been rising
Do you have an emergency fund?
Growing your savings and having a dedicated emergency fund, in particular, can have a huge cumulative effect on your lifestyle and on your long-term quality of life. As we get older, life’s truisms tend
Things to Consider Before Renting an Apartment
There are times in life when renting is the best choice and while renting can be less troublesome than owning a home, there are some important considerations before signing the bottom line. Not every space
How Does a Mortgage Work?
Most of us start our credit journey with credit cards or car loans before attempting to climb the Mt. Everest of loans, a home mortgage. Mortgage rates tend to be lower than the interest rates for other
How to Build Credit When You Have None
It seems like the original Catch 22: You need a credit history to get credit but you can’t build a credit history until you’re approved for credit. This modern-day financial conundrum isn’t as insolvable
How Many Credit Cards Do You Need?
Credit cards can be a great convenience but if you carry a balance, they can potentially cost you thousands of dollars in interest expenses and fees. Opening or closing credit card accounts can have a
The Personal Insurance Guide for Beginners
Insurance has become an essential part of modern financial life. If you own a car or a motorcycle, your state requires that you carry insurance. Mortgage companies require homeowners insurance. Many landlords
Should I Choose Term Life Insurance or Permanent Life and How Much?
Life insurance can play many roles in financial planning, which is part of the reason that there are so many types of life insurance. Not all life insurance types are created equal, however, and depending
Buying a Used Car vs. Buying a New Car vs. Leasing
Some people refer to car buying as an art, but there may be more money to be saved by applying some math and science. Yes, negotiation plays a role in getting the right price, but math can point you toward
How Much Does Owning a Car Really Cost?
In other chapters, we discussed the cost per mile for buying new cars, for trading in new cars after 5 years, for buying used cars, and for leasing. Buying cars that were 5 years old provided the best
How Does Home Equity Work?
Whether it’s a car or a home, if you’ve borrowed money to pay for an asset, your payments over time are working to build equity. The equity in your home is the difference between the appraised value
Is a House a Good Investment?
When thinking about a home as an investment, there are different ways to consider the topic. A house can be a place to live, a place to raise a family, and perhaps even a place to retire, hopefully increasing
Understanding Opportunity Cost; Impulse Spending vs. Investing
Opportunity cost is a term used frequently in business and in investing. If you think of opportunity cost in its simplest form, the loss of gain by choosing one alternative over another, you’ll realize
How Does Credit Card Interest Work?
If credit card companies were forced to indicate the cost of borrowing at the top of a credit card statement in large red print that filled half a page, we’d probably never carry a balance again. If
How do 401(k)s, IRAs, and HSA Savings Accounts Work?
A 2017 study found that the average tax burden for US wage earners is nearly 32% of pretax earnings. Let’s call it a third. While many might argue that taxes are necessary, taxes can also destroy your
How Much Does It Really Cost to Retire?
It’s a dream shared by most – finally hanging up our work hats and enjoying our retirement years. For many people, however, the dream of retirement can seem like an elusive oasis, a hazy, far-away
Savings Account vs. Money Market Account vs. Money Market Fund
When you make the decision to start saving, you’ll find you have some options in addition to a traditional savings account. You can also choose a money market account, a money market fund, or even certificates
How Do Interest Rates Work and How They Affect Your Life
We might not give much thought to interest rates on a day-to-day basis, but interest rates can have a tremendous effect on finances. Interest rates can make the difference between a month where you’re
How Does Compound Interest Work?
One of the easiest ways to understand how interest works is to think of the interest you earn as the speed at which your money grows. If you choose to keep your savings stashed away under a loose floorboard
The Real Cost of Credit Card Debt Over Time
Debt statistics can be misleading. For example, the average credit card debt per US household is about $5,700. However, that figure includes households that have credit cards, but which don’t carry a
Should I Invest in Index Funds, Mutual Funds, or ETFs?
When it comes to investment strategy, there are nearly as many schools of thought as there are stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Some people use stock picking systems or complicated strategies
Understanding Stock Market Fundamentals
If you’ve ever watched investment shows on television, you’ve probably heard commentators mention fundamentals — but without ever explaining what stock fundamentals are and why they might matter
Effective Strategies to Pay Down Debt
Carrying debt has become part of American life, although with consequences that may be hard to foresee. For most households, it’s difficult to remember a time when the family was debt-free. Ten years
What is Dollar Cost Averaging?
What if there was a way to build a secure future or even become a millionaire without the need to be an investment expert? There is a way, and it’s easier than you think. Like any great recipe, you’ll
Choose the Best Bank or Credit Union for Your Lifestyle
When it’s time to decide whether to conduct your financial business at a bank or a credit union, you’ll need to make some decisions about your priorities. Both banks and credit unions offer
How Credit Scores and Credit Reports Work
Your credit scores help lenders make decisions about whether to say yes to your request for a loan or line of credit. While a mortgage company may take a closer look at your credit report’s contents,
Ways to Save Money Every Day
If you feel like you spend too much money, you aren’t alone. Here are some painless ways to trim your budget. If you pay a monthly maintenance fee to your bank, it’s time to switch banks Cut fees you
What To Do With Your Tax Refund
The average American taxpayer received a federal tax refund of more than $3,000 last year.1 That amount of money could help you reach financial goals much faster than you originally planned. Before you
How to Harness the Power of 50/20/30 Budgeting
When it comes to designing a budget that works, simple is best. The idea of a 50/20/30 rule for budgeting your personal finances comes from Massachusetts Senator, Elizabeth Warren. She worked with her
Sidestep These Money Mistakes to Get Ahead Faster
Everyone makes mistakes with their money from time to time. The faster you can change course, the better. Saving Forgetting to save for seasonal expenses Christmas and back-to-school time are notoriously
How Minimalism Could Save Your Financial Life
You’ve seen people use minimalism to get rid of items they no longer want or use. Capsule wardrobes, the Magic of Tidying Up, tiny homes, living with less than 100 things, and the KISS principal are
Small Changes Lead to Big Savings at Mealtime
The portion of your budget that you spend eating out and buying groceries presents the opportunity to save a great deal of money. There’s no need to become a couponing expert or purchase large volumes
How to Choose the Best Bank or Credit Union for Your Lifestyle
When it’s time to decide whether to conduct your financial business at a bank or a credit union, you’ll need to make some decisions about your priorities. Both banks and credit unions offer
What You Need to Know About Taxes to Get A Refund and Stay Out of Trouble
In the United States, we have a “progressive tax system.” This means that the more money you make, the more taxes you pay. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule that come in the form
Understand Your Credit to Get Ahead Financially
Everyone with a social security number or tax identification number who has a history of financial activity has at least one credit report. The information in this file, maintained by various credit reporting
Use the Minimalist Habit of Living Below Your Means to Achieve Financial Success
Two out of every five American adults don’t have the financial means to cover a $400 emergency.1 Strangely, 74% of Americans indicated on the same survey that they were “at least OK financially”.1
The Smartest Way to Balance Investing with Paying Off Debt
Living a debt-free life isn’t immediately within reach for many people. For those working to lower balances on credit cards and paying extra each month to shrink their loan balances, it can be intimidating
What you need to know about settling debt
When you owe more money than you can pay, it can be difficult to understand how to negotiate with your creditors. The most important thing to remember is that if you ignore the problem, it will not go
What does owning a pet actually cost?
When deciding whether a new pet fits into your life, it’s also crucial to consider whether you can provide for their material needs. There’s a financial burden associated with pet ownership
How to Build Wealth No Matter Your Financial Situation
If you don’t have much in savings and don’t have an aggressive investment plan in place, now is a perfect time to figure out how to put away money and let it grow for you. Whether you are in
How to Pay Off Debt Faster
Debt can make getting ahead in life feel impossible. It may prevent you from getting a mortgage, even with good credit. Making huge monthly payments on everything from your car to your credit cards creates
How To Travel Without Blowing Your Budget
Seeing the world doesn’t require unlimited funds. If you are saving money for a future full of adventure around the globe, you may be able to get started on your journey sooner if you understand
How to Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt Faster with a Balance Transfer
If your goal is to pay off your credit card debt, but you have a high interest rate, or multiple cards with balances, a balance transfer may be the ideal solution. You’ll need a decent FICO credit score
Budgeting and Relationships
Forming and sticking to a budget is difficult enough, but when you add a significant other to the mix, it can quickly become difficult and complicated. It doesn’t have to be terrible for your bank account
How to Set Yourself Up for Financial Success by Understanding the Costs of College
When you are in the process of adding up the potential bill for higher education, it’s wise to start with a general calculator that can help you estimate the cost of college. The Vanguard College Cost
What You Need to Know About Taxes and Inheriting Assets When Your Spouse or Parent Dies
When your parent or spouse passes away, there are an overwhelming number of things that must be handled in a short amount of time. It’s not something that many of us have experience with, so it can be
Tesla Begins Renting Solar Panels for as Little as $50 Per Month
Tesla is making it easier than ever before to take the plunge and get solar panels installed for energy savings. Residents in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Connecticut
How to Build Your Own Pension Plan
Companies that offer their employees a pension are rare these days. Fortunately, it’s easy to access financial planning tools to help you design your own pension plan that will provide a steady source
Fees and Taxes Have a Major Impact on Investments
The amount of money you can save and invest over time has much to do with brokerage fees and taxes. Paying even small amounts to a financial advisor, tax planner, or the federal and state government will