10 Minimalist Rules That ACTUALLY Work (even if you're not a minimalist 🤫)

so for the past few years I feel like we've all had a little bit of a fling with minimalism i dabbled in it for about 2 2 and 1 half years myself I think so many of us on YouTube have definitely checked out channels like the minimalist mat Aela minimal Mom and for good reason if you want to change your spending habits change your relationship with your stuff or simply find ways to streamline and simplify your life and your space then I think minimalism is really great but at least in my experience I think it's

also very easy to take it a little bit too far and I'm not the only one there's been a lot of videos popping up on YouTube and social media talking about how minimalism is dead and how the concept of minimalism can sometimes be difficult to make work for a long term and in my experience at least I think the key to minimalism is to just live with intentionality and think before you buy so even though I don't call myself a minimalist anymore I have way too many clothes for that the internet police in the comments

would really come for me and I definitely lean into more of a minimalisti is type of Lifestyle there are some minimalist rules that I still stick to even to this day and that I still see a lot of benefits from in my everyday life so I firmly believe that you don't have to identify as a minimalist or make what you consume or not consume your entire personality but I do think there are some minimalist rules that I think could be helpful for anybody who's looking to streamline their life and simplify a little more so in

today's video I wanted to share with you the 10 minimalist rules that I think actually work whether you're a minimalist or not not these are the rules that I still adhere to in my day-to-day that really just help me slow down and be more intentional in my everyday life for those of you who don't know me welcome my name's Christina I talk all about intentional living intentional spending and how to get the most out of what you've already got if any of that sounds interesting to you then why not join the fam Please Subscribe we're

pretty cool here and if you want even more bonus behind the scenes content I also have a patreon that you can check out down below but no pressure at all giving the video a thumbs up is another amazing way to help support me and I love you either way so let's get into it rule number one is to buy nice or buy twice I have a series on my Tik Tok Channel and Instagram called you're too broke to buy cheap and I think because all of us are and that's kind of a wise word saying

straight from your grandmother in the sense that you want to make sure that you can buy the highest quality item that you can afford because if you just go for the cheapest thing it may not be high quality and you end up spending more money in the long run looking to replace it and buying nice in order to avoid buying twice not only does this maximize the chance that you are buying a higher quality item that you're going to use and keep for a very long time but it also in a way slows down your

buying because it takes a bit more work upfront to buy the thing you have to research it you have to compare Brands you have to go test it out to see if it's right for you so I think having the motto of buy nice or buy twice or my personal favorite I'm too broke to buy cheap it helps slow down the buying and just ensures that you fill your space and spend your money on things that are higher quality that are going to last and things that you're actually going to use for a long time

and this doesn't necessarily mean that you buy the most expensive thing either I think the key here is to focus on buying the best that you can afford and just using the heck out of it number two is a personal favorite of mine and it is a quote straight from author and entrepreneur Derek cers and that is if it's not a hell yes then it's a no for so much in life it is really as simple as that because if you allow things into your life that feel lukewarm I think that's when it's really easy

to either build up a whole lot of clutter in your life physical clutter but it can also lead to things like resentment and burnout because if you don't say no for yourself then people are going to start saying yes for you and that sucks and when I started applying the simple if it's not a hell yes then it's a no mindset it's really helped me weed out a lot of noise a lot of clutter and just a lot of Mayes from my life if I don't feel excited or absolutely sure about something thing then in

my gut it really means that I don't want it it's really about listening to your gut and I think it's as simple as that number three is to get into the habit of decluttering first before you start organizing look I love an organized space I love organization YouTube organization Tik Tok you know those like ASMR videos where everybody's like organizing their fridge and restocking their pantries and things like that it's very satisfying to watch but I think a lot of those videos also really focus on buying more stuff to organize your your stuff and sometimes

yeah you do need to do that but the first step before you get there is to declutter first a lot of times if my space is feeling really cluttered up overwhelming disorganized then it usually means that there's too much junk in the way I think truly being organized doesn't require spending a lot of money or any money at all it's often more of a stuff problem and a clutter problem first so start there get rid of what's in the way and then organize it otherwise you're just moving stuff around at that point if you don't

use it you lose it this is a rule that I think about when I am decluttering and evaluating on whether or not something still brings me joy use or value I personally live in a small space anyway so everything that I do own and bring in here needs to meet one of those three criteria if it doesn't then it's just taking up space and it needs to go because the thing about maintaining a more minimal organized or decluttered space is that it does require some level of Maintenance so it's important important to regularly evaluate your

things evaluate your spaces decide whether or not you're still wearing or using something checking things like your medicine cabinet and your makeup collection to see what you're no longer using or what's expired decluttering and keeping a minimal and organized space isn't usually a oneandone thing it requires some level of Maintenance and your taste and use and need for things is going to change over time number five is to wish list and wait if you are an OG to my channel then you know how often I talk about the importance of keeping keeping a wish list

so when I see something that I want putting it on a wish list is basically a non-negotiable for me at this point because what it does is that it separates the initial impulse of wanting from the actual buying of it since I started keeping a wish list it has significantly minimized the amount of things I bring into my space and the impulses that I act upon and it's basically gotten me into the habit of delaying gratification all I do is whenever I see something that I'm interested in or that I want I'll just put it

on my wish list I keep it in the notes app on my phone and I just set it and forget it sometimes I'll Journal a little bit more deeply about it like I'll add the price of the item and maybe why I wanted it and I really make sure to be as honest with myself about that why as possible there's a lot of reasons why we want certain things but a lot of times they are really impulsive and all you need to do is give yourself a little bit of breathing space this is especially helpful

for things like online shopping and when you're scrolling social media because that is a huge trigger of wanting things but it also works to help you shop more intentionally in the future if I put something on my wish list then I know that when I'm ready to go shopping I end up sticking to that list and it really helps minimize distractions when I am shopping so that I stay focused and only buy what it is I want or need a place for everything everything in its place this is such a great rule to help you

stay neat tidy and organized the one thing about minimalism is that yes it really focuses is on minimizing what we bring into our space but it also helps you keep your space feeling curated tidy and clutter-free when you're in it a cluttered space does lead to a cluttered mind and it's very difficult to focus and feel at peace in a chaotic environment and one of the ways that I just minimize that feeling is by putting things away where they belong now sometimes things here and there still end up on the chair you know the one

everybody has one but I think it's a good habit to get into to minimize the amount of work and overwhelm that needs to be done later on sometimes there's nothing more overwhelming than having to clean up a huge mess this way it keeps the mess a lot smaller and easy to manage but it just keeps your space tidy and organized most of the time plus you'll always know where to find things and you can get as macro about this or as micro as you'd like for example in my purse or in my backpack I always

put my wallet in the exact same place every time so I'm not searching for it in some bottomless pit or I always know which adapter I need wear I'm never searching in a big pile of Tangled cords or dongles when I'm working in my office and it helps in places like my wardrobe too because then my closet stays organized based on garment type and even by color so I know exactly where everything is at all times and it makes getting dressed really really easy so if things are put back where they belong not only are

they going to be easy to access but it's just going to make your space be that much more functional and feel so much better number seven is don't buy a problem often times we buy things and in order to solve a problem but just make sure that thing doesn't create more problems than it solves for example let's say you bought a new rug for your living room to refresh your space but then you start realizing that oh but now my couch doesn't match this rug and now I need new throw pillows and this doesn't match

this aesthetic or this can apply to when you buy a piece of clothing remember the rule of if it's not a hell yes then it's a no I think not buying a problem goes hand inand with that because I think it helps you tune in to the feeling of meh or maybe about something thing so let's say you're out thrifting and you find this really unique one-of-a-kind piece maybe it's like a really cool brand but it's three or four sizes too big for you it could end up being a lot of work for a tailor

to transform that garment so that it actually fits you in which case you're probably buying more problems than the thing is worth or if you buy a piece that doesn't go with anything else in your wardrobe and you feel like you need to buy this accessory and now this color doesn't match and you can see how it really easily snowballs into potentially feeling like you need to buy more and do more if I start feeling that way about anything I'm buying or I feel like I really need to rationalize my way into making the purchase

then I know that it's probably not for me and this can even simply apply to buying things that you can't afford if you find yourself often relying on credit and using debt to buy things especially things that are wants and not needs then no matter what you are buying a problem and that problem comes with interest have a why before you buy since now you know all the benefits of keeping a wish list this is where you you can also think about why you want to buy something in the first place but if you don't

know why you're buying something then it's probably really not worth the money I think one of the cornerstones of intentional buying intentional living and intentional spending is having a why behind it because if you feel like you don't have a good reason to buy something then it's not worth your money I think breaking down the why before you buy is such a helpful exercise and reflecting about your wants needs and even your own shopping triggers because if I was really honest with myself and dug deep into some wise behind some purchases that I made a

lot of the times they were kind of really embarrassing and not great reasons like I want this just because it's on sale I want this because I can't pass up the deal I want this because of the brand not because I like it so if you get really honest with yourself and kind of dig a little deeper into that why before you buy then I think it can really slow down a lot of those impulses and save you a whole lot of money and clutter in the long run number nine is the spark Joy rule

we'll thank Marie condo for this one basically if the item does not spark Joy then it's your sign to get rid of it and if you're shopping and looking to buy something new again if the item does not spark Joy then you probably shouldn't buy it I like this question because I think with minimalism it's really easy to get caught up in the primarily utilitarian side of your stuff as in a lot of the advice really focuses on keeping only what you need and what you use and then you know instead they'll give you advice

like take a picture of your sentimental item you don't need that and I just I don't know I that's I don't Vibe with that um I think it's important and okay to have things simply because you like them but I think it's important to also be honest with that so for me spark Joy has to be an honest spark Joy it has to be that immediate hell yes and not that kind of waffling meh I'm not sure I don't know type of feeling because I think the spark Joy rule is a really easy one to

let your stuff get away from you but I think it's just a bit more of a gentle and realistic approach to whether or not you should keep something or even bring something in and finally rule number 10 if I can't pay for it in full today then I can't afford it we live in such an instant gratification society and a lot of us don't want to hear the word no let alone tell ourselves no and that's where I think it's really easy to get caught up in Reliance on credit cards or using buy now pay

later apps like afterpay and clar because we don't want to wait and coming from a former shopaholic and stuff hoarder I did this all the time when it came to the skill of delaying gratification I had none of it and I used things like credit and it's because I didn't want to tell myself no but I find the more you do that and the more you delay gratification and being able to pay for something in full is a way to implement that it just simply forces you to slow down and reflect on whether or not

you even want that thing to begin with I can't tell you how many times I absolutely convinced myself that I needed something and by the time the package arrived I didn't even know what it was I ordered this really goes to show you just how much impulse buying and acting on those impulses AKA not delaying that gratification basically bleeds your bank account dry and clutters up your space at the same time so if I want something yes I put it on the wish list yes I wait but I also need to be able to fully

pay for it and if I can't then I have to come up with a plan to save for it and even doing that in and of itself makes the purchase that much more intentional so those are the 10 minimalist rules that I think actually work and that I still live by even to this day I don't think you need to be a minimalist to benefit from some of the habits and lifestyle changes that it does promote and this is just an example of how I use it in my own life let me know some rules

or habits that have helped you become more intentional in your life leave me a comment down below if you like this video please give it a thumbs up for the YouTube algorithm Gods it is the best way that you can help support my channel and if you haven't subscribed yet please do thanks so much for watching and I'll see you next Sunday bye