In 2019, Marie Kondo ignited a new chapter in the minimalist movement through her best-selling book ‘The Life Changing Art of Tidying Up’ and Netflix series ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’. A year later, and this minimalist living trend is still sparking some serious joy. 10% of people consider themselves minimalists, 11% want to be one, and 14% are actively trying but the average American still has about 300,000 items in their home and one in 10 has off-site storage
If you’re itching to ditch the clutter and part ways with stuff you no longer need, keep reading for four simple steps to live a more minimalist lifestyle in the new year.
1. Create colorway capsule wardrobe.
You’ve probably heard of the capsule wardrobe concept: a curated collection of mix-and-match staple items that work seamlessly together. A fun twist on this minimalist take on dressing is the colorway capsule wardrobe. First, select some of your favorite wardrobe staple colors - think neutrals that you wear often and a few trademark hues that work with your coloring and make you feel your best. Then whittle away clothing that doesn’t fit in this color palette for dressing that’s a snap – and a closet that is oh-so-easy to organize. Working within a color palette makes it easier to mix and match and will always have a pulled-together look without a constant revolving door of new clothing.
2. Streamline your beauty routine.
Much like a colorway capsule wardrobe, creating a ‘staple makeup look’ – one that feels good, is easy to apply and can transform from day to night with a few simple tweaks – will revolutionize the time you spend getting prepped in the morning. Toss the products (especially expired ones!) that don’t fall into this new line up to help with minimalist living in the new year. Bonus: your medicine cabinet will finally have some unused real estate.
3. Meal Plan + Get Groceries delivered.
Each year, 80 billion (yes, billion with a B) pounds of food is thrown away in the United States alone. Some of this can be traced back to farming practices, manufacturing, and supermarket selling practices – but a large portion is also attributed to how we individually consume – or don’t consume – food. The easiest way to reduce food waste (and save room in your fridge, and cut down on decision fatigue around mealtime)? Create a streamlined meal plan and get groceries delivered.
Planning a meal plan using the same central ingredients – proteins and produce – and mixing it up night to night is an excellent way to cut down on waste. Having groceries delivered (a la Shipt or Whole Foods delivery) also ensures you are shopping from a list – and won’t be tempted by impulse buys that could end up in the trash.
4. Up Your Underwear Game.
Most women have 34 pairs of underwear in their undie drawer, but not all are created equal! Just like a go-to little black dress or favorite pair of jeans, most women stick to a rotation of their few favorite pairs, while the bench warmers stay in the underwear drawer year round. Swapping to Proof makes your favorite workout underwear also your favorite loungewear undies, sleep undies, date night undies, and even period undies. An all-in-one pair for every day of the month. Plus, you can get started by building a bundle to save!
