6 Minimalist Rules That Don’t Work, According to ‘Reformed Shopaholic’ Christina Mychas
Written by
Ashley Donohoe
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Jenna Klaverweiden
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If you want to start living more simply and peacefully without having your place cluttered with stuff, you might be ready to jump on the minimalism trend. When done right, minimalism helps you waste less time on unimportant things and saves money as you cut your spending.
Christina Mychas, a YouTube influencer, author and “reformed shopaholic,” gained experience with this lifestyle as she worked toward getting out of debt. Along the way to creating her “Minimalist-ish” method, she learned what did and didn’t work with popular approaches.
In a recent YouTube video, Mychas shared several minimalist rules that don’t work. Here are six of them with her suggestions for more realistic approaches to minimalism.
Six-Month Rule
One simple rule is getting rid of things that you haven’t used in the last six months. Mychas said this approach can lead to frustration and wasted money since you might need to repurchase those items again. For example, think about items you use only in the summer or on holidays.
She suggested instead considering an item’s purpose and likelihood of future use to avoid tossing out something you may need. When practical, storing temporarily unused items is wise, but reconsider whether you’d need a storage unit. According to U-Haul, a storage unit could cost $50 or more per month.
Per-Item Limits
You might have heard guidelines about having only a certain number of a specific item, like pairs of shoes or pants, or even a low fixed limit for your entire wardrobe. According to Mychas, this numbers approach fails to address the fact that not everybody has the same life situation.
“Your needs and the amount of things that you need to own in order to live your life functionally and practically is going to be different for everybody,” she said.
Whether you need a diverse wardrobe due to changing weather or you’re involved in activities requiring a lot of things, Mychas advised considering what each item is doing for you.
One Weekend Declutter
If you’re eager to declutter, setting aside a weekend to do it all can seem appealing. However, Mychas explained that this idea is likely unrealistic and unwise for many. Not only could you get stressed out, but you might also throw out necessary things as part of the frenzy.
Mychas advised an area-by-area approach to decluttering to avoid potential frustration, regrets and necessary repurchases. For example, you could create a plan to cover each area of your home over an extended time and start with a single cabinet, dresser or closet.
‘Spark Joy’ Rule
Marie Kondo is famous for this emotion-focused rule that says to simply get rid of things that don’t make you feel joyful. So if that old sweater doesn’t inspire you, it should go.
Mychas admitted the rule is useful but explained that some necessary items, like kitchen utensils, don’t necessarily evoke positive feelings. She recommended considering both the utility and personal meaning of an item.
Cheapest Item Rule
When you think about frugality, you might assume it involves buying the cheapest things. The problem is that those purchases can backfire when they provide little long-term value.
Mychas recommended instead going for items that are better quality (and potentially more expensive) and can serve you for longer. She also advised considering the cost per use.
“If you go and spend $5 on some cheap gadget that you need, but it breaks after one use, then that’s $5 down the drain, as opposed to spending $15 on something that you can use over and over and over again,” she said.
No Backups or Duplicates
This radical minimalist rule restricts you from having multiples of the same thing, even toiletries. Mychas explained how this is impractical and recommended keeping a few extras for important items, though she advised against going overboard.
Another reason this rule isn’t smart for your finances is that it would make it harder to buy in bulk. According to Ramsey Solutions, buying in bulk can help save money on groceries, depending on what you’re buying. The key is to compare the prices and avoid duplicates that will likely go to waste.
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