Buy These 5 Items to Tackle Minimalism like a Boss

Yes, I hear the irony too.

Everyone likes a shortcut. But minimalism isn’t normally something you can shortcut to. If you’re starting out, there’s the sorting of your stuff, the selling, the throwing out, the existential crisis about if you’re doing a disservice to your childhood by throwing out a teddy bear who hasn’t seen the light of day in 15 years.

I won’t lie, it can be a trial.

But there are some ways. It may seem ironic but buying certain items can catapult your minimalist journey. They probably sound basic and that’s because they are. Getting your everyday items right is crucial for bossing a minimal lifestyle because suddenly, the urge to buy another version— because your current one doesn’t make you feel how you thought it would— disappears.

Essentially, these items are magic.

1. Sneakers that do the job

If you’re sizing down your shoe collection, you’re going to need to make sure that what footwear you own does a damn good job. And now none of us are spending much time in the office or on the dance floor, buying a decent pair of sneakers is likely to be top of your list.

I bought my Allbirds sneakers last year and they are were an incredible investment. They’re ethically made, they look great, and they are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I’m in love with them.

The same goes for other footwear. My Saltwater sandals are stepping their way into their third season, with no signs of wear and tear. One $80 pair of sandals has run rings around the 3 pairs of $10 sandals I would previously buy each summer.

The bonus point? You’re doing good by your planet. 13 million tonnes of clothes end up in landfill each year from the US alone. Extra cash, less stuff, and a happier Earth? It turns out my mother was right all along. Buying quality works.

2. A sharp as heck knife

Whenever I look in my family’s kitchen drawers, I want to cry a little. All I ever see are blunt kitchen knives that someone (me) bought them two Christmases ago, or those nasty little serrated ones that come in a wooden block from IKEA. And then they wonder why chopping onions is a chore.

A sharp knife isn’t just a knife. It replaces all manner of kitchen gadgets. Onion slicers can be a thing of the past. You’ll no longer need a garlic press, all it takes is some salt, garlic, and the side of the knife. A fruit peeler? Nope.

If you like to cook, a good kitchen knife can become your best culinary friend. I bought mine from a local blacksmith, for extra sustainability points. It’s sharp as hell, takes very little maintenance (just a sharpen every week or so) and I love it so much, it is one of the 95 items I carry around the world with me.

Because let’s face it; Airbnb knives never cut it. Literally.

3. A bag you actually want to use

The average UK woman owns 14 purses and I used to be one of them. But I realized that a) no one cares what your bag looks like, they’re normally too preoccupied with their own appearance. And b) buying one good quality bag that looks good, lasts, and is timeless, removes the need to find the ‘perfect’ bag for every occasion. When it’s your only bag, it is always the perfect one.

It can be a purse, a rucksack, a satchel, whatever bag suits your needs, it doesn't really matter. But find one and wear that sucker until it starts to disintegrate.

4. A reusable water bottle

We are still spending over $100 per person, per year on bottled water. And it takes 76 million barrels of oil to manufacture, transport, and store bottled water in the US each year.

Yet if you’re in a country where the tap water is perfectly drinkable, in many everyday cases a reusable water bottle can do the job. This means no more storing bottles, no more paying for bottles, no more making space in your kitchen for bottles.

A small purchase like this can go a long way when it comes to saving money, space, and the environment.

5. A lump-free mattress

If you want to seriously save some cash — and your health — a decent mattress is one of the best investments you can make.

Mattresses should be replaced every 6–8 years and yet the average person will only replace theirs every 10 years. Back pain costs the US $50 billion per year and a poor quality mattress is attributed to causing or worsening back pain.

Essentially, pay for a mattress now, save on chiropractor costs later on.

Throw in better quality sleep and less snoring, joint pain, and allergy-related illnesses and a good mattress will make you one happy minimalist.

Quality items are the not-so-secret path to minimalism domination.

Want to live a sustainable lifestyle? Want to spend less? Want to limit the items in your house? Check, check and check.

Yes, you might have to buy them and yes, there is some irony in this. But as they say, buy once, cry once. High cost, high reward, my friends.

After all, it doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference to the world. You can do it with a good night’s sleep following a breakfast cooked from ingredients you chopped up with your knife, before heading out with a pair of sneakers on your feet and a reusable water bottle in your bag.