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Minimalism or simple living is a term you might hear more frequently. Our lives are getting busier, “hustling” has become trendy and it is considered normal that work commitments take priority of your life. We are known as the human race and we are literally racing… I don’t think any of us know what exactly for. Our world is fast, instantaneous and ever changing. We can have anything we desire at our fingertips. It’s hard, exhausting and expensive to keep afloat.”Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to a job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it.”
–Ellen GoodmanTraveling abroad has given me a great insight of living simple and minimal. Sometimes the happiest people are the ones with the least belongings and the few belongings they do have bring them great joy. I am grateful I live in a country of abundance, however I believe it is a privilege, not a right. Many in the world go without, while some of us are greedy, ungrateful and wasteful.

I want to live a life of purpose, where I can reclaim my time and truely live life to the fullest.
Living minimal is less expensive, for example a smaller house is cheaper, involves less furnishing, cleaning and maintaining. I’m not saying you need to shut up shop and go live in a Tiny home (which we LOVE everything about) but living above your means in a house with empty rooms for the in laws to visit in the holidays seems unnecessary for us.

Minimalism doesn’t have a set rules and to each individual it can mean something different. The main drive behind this way of living is freedom. Freedom of debt, distractions, clutter and time, having less to live more.

Though our own journey we have found happiness though life itself without the need for material possessions and have learnt to make conscious decisions with our choices and our money.

While there are many ways you can live minimally, here are our top 5 tips for making your home more minimal

1. Declutter

Who doesn’t love a spring clean? Imagine living a life where you felt that fresh and organised every day! You need to start off on a clean slate and get rid of items that are not practical or bring you joy! You can have a garage sale, donate to charities or pass on your belongings to friends and family.

2. Choose quality over quantity

Initially these items might cost more however having key staples that you love that will last a lifetime will bring you joy.
Try to support local, ethical and sustainable items for your home or wardrobe, remember we vote with our dollar, so support those companies doing what is in line with your ethics.

3. Decorate your space with a purpose

Plants, books, candles and throw rugs are practical additions to your home. House plants improve air quality and aromatherapy candles have many health and wellness benefits depending on the oils used.

4. Go paper free

The kitchen bench is a magnet for organised chaos, the main culprit being Mail. Get a “no junk mail” sticker for your letter box, set up direct debits and pay bills online. While you’re on your emails, clean out your inbox and unsubscribe from emails, newsletters and any advertising you no longer need because remember we don’t need advertising if we are living minimally!

5. Get creative with gifts

If you have heard of the 5 love languages you will know that some people give and receive love in more ways than giving gifts. Some receive love in the from an act of service such as cleaning your friends yard or building them a vegetable garden. Others might be spending quality time together like hiking or going on a road trip.
If you do decide to give a gift, consider cooking a meal or purchase an experience rather than material possessions. Hand written letters, homemade beauty products, knits or candles are also a great idea as there is the extra effort involved rather than buying a gift in a hurry.

Have you heard of the term, Prevention is better that cure? I feel like it applies to our current recycling crisis here in Australia. Recycling is a great last line of defence if done correctly but it’s nowhere near as effective and avoiding the waste to begin with. Here are our 6 small steps to help you reduce your waste to live more sustainably;

1. Bags

Big chain supermarkets are finally listening to their consumers and banning plastic bags in West Australia from July 2018. While this is a positive step in the sustainable direction, their option to purchase a ‘more durable’ plastic bag (in the hope to reuse these instead) isn’t really solving the problem of changing our behaviour. Our tips: always leave more bags in your car/ bike/ handbag than what you usually need just for if you forget! For smaller, fresh produce you can make your own bags from repurposed materials such as old sheets, reuse brown paper bags or support local initiatives such as https://boomerangbags.org – a not for profit organisation working towards shifting society’s throw away mentality by providing free, locally made, recycled material bags for your community.

2. Drink bottle

Invest in a good quality drink bottle, steel bottles from www.swellbottle.com are a great option, they are multipurpose (hot or cold drinks), insulated and more durable than glass. The benefits of drinking out of steel or glass are more than just zero waste though, did you know plastic bottles can leach BPA chemicals into the water that your drinking leading to hormonal in balances in the body. Although there are a huge range of BPA free bottles on the market, they are still made with plastic which naturally we try to avoid.

3. Keep cups

I bought my first keep cup long before I got on the zero-waste train but only recently I realised why they are so important. The plastic coffee cup lids are not recyclable but did you know most cups are not recyclable either as they have a plastic lining on the inside of the cup to stop liquid leaking out. Most cafes offer discounts for keep cups so over time you will recoup the cost of your keep cup and then save on coffee in the future. There are a range of trendy keep cups that also support charity’s, our favourite is a glass cup from Sea Shepard www.seashepherdglobal.org/shop/ they make perfect inexpensive and sustainable gifts.

4. Straws

Is it just me or does everything taste better when it’s not in plastic! Metal straws super affordable and make a huge difference to our environment. Otherwise just say no to the plastic straw- this one seems to be easy to live without.

5. Jars

Welcome to the world of bulk foods and jars are you knew best friend. Try to buy foods in glass jars, then re-use to store your bulk food items. Some bulk food stores will weigh your jars first and take that weight off once you have filled it. I personally find it easier to use all the same size jars and keep one empty to tar off at the end, or again reuse your paper bags and stock up in store and pour into your jars at home. Bulk food stores are usually cheaper than grocery stores as it’s great to support local and independent shops. My bulk food staples include; dates, oats, flours, rice, nutritional yeast, spices, nuts, beans, legumes and coffee.

6. Take away containers

Read above drink bottles and BPA’s and it will be an easy switch to BYO containers for your heath and the environment. Take away containers also contain Phthalates which are endocrine disrupters and mimic the body’s natural hormones causing health problems. These are also found in reusable plastic bottles and supermarket food wrapped in cling wrap. A little practice of planning ahead will become more habitual over time. Helpful tip: If you are calling ahead for a take away order and want a quick pick up to ask the staff to leave it in the pans and arrive a few minutes earlier than the food will be ready, so they can transfer it straight into your zero waste BPA free containers.

My name is Brendan Kelly, creator and director of New Earth Living. I have been building my business from the ground up (pardon the pun) since it launched in 2016. Throughout my journey I have gained valuable experience and I continue to expand my knowledge on my passions; health, wellness and sustainability. Through writing blogs and sharing my journey I hope it inspires you to live by your passions too.

Why so Tiny? Why I got onboard Tiny House living.

The tiny house movement has taken off in recent years, gaining popularity in North America and Europe first, before catching on in our own backyards. There are Tiny House shows, movies, YouTube channels, Instagram and Facebook groups catering to those who are starting their Tiny House journey or just genuinely intrigue of how people manage to live in such a small space.

My interest in Tiny House living came from working with Habitat for Humanity, a not for profit charity to help those facing homelessness. I was surprised to see the statistics, more than 100,000 Australians are considered homeless. It shocks me to see the urban sprawl that encompasses Perth, every month new sub-divisions are being constructed impacting our native flora, fauna and our beautiful natural landscapes we are so fortunate to have in Australia. The average size of a new home is 233m squared, infrared shows that most homes only use the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms areas. Most homes have spare bedrooms and bathrooms just in case guests stay over. We also have spare rooms for our dining room, office, laundry and children’s playroom. This isn’t even including our outdoor entertainment area!

Tiny homes require only a small space, give you the freedom of moving and are much cheaper than the average mortgage. We believe everyone is entitled to a home, which is why we are innovators in the Tiny House movement. My ethos, living in harmony in nature, is exactly what we need to do in order to create a sustainable and healthy future. Using only what we need, recycling what we can, creating quality over quantity.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy following us on our Journey!