4 Questions A Minimalist Should Ask

Have you ever visited that end cap at Target where they place all the clearance items? Or happened to pop into Home Goods the day after a major holiday? There are so many tempting items that are really great buys! And if you truly need something, this is a fabulous time to find a bargain. But by taking a few minutes to ask yourself these 4 questions, you can save yourself from overwhelming your home with unnecessary items and save your money.

These are questions to ask before you make a purchase and while you are purging things from your home.

1. Do I need this?
   It sounds simple enough. But if we pick an item up and really ask ourselves this question, it can be quite revealing.

2. Do I use this? Will I use this?
   Is this something I currently use? Or maybe I used it in the past and I no longer need it. If you’re looking to make a purchase, be true to yourself. Will you really use this? Or is it just a great deal and you think you might one day use it? Only purchase things you know you will use.

3. Where will I use this?
   This is a great question to ask when you find home decor items. Sure, this quilt is beautiful and on clearance, but what bed am I going to put this on? Or where will I actually use this piece of furniture?

4. Do I have a duplicate of this or something that completes the same function?

   • Duplicates are not always a terrible thing. I have several knives. I have 2 black skirts. But for most items, we do not need duplicates.

   • Our kitchen can be one of the places that we find these items that do one thing. Do we have another item that will work for this? If so, let the one item go!

   • Do we really need 6 face creams? Studies have shown that cream specifically for under your eyes doesn’t perform any better than putting your regular face cream under your eyes. I know we can look for the magic product that will make my almost 40 skin look 25 again. But I can feel pretty confident in saying that it doesn’t exist. So find a good, but simple skin regimen and toss all the extras.

Taking a few minutes to ask these questions will help us to purge items from our home. These questions are also useful when we are in the store and feel tempted to purchase something that we really don’t need. You will save time and money, thus adding margin to your life!