Ep. 070 | Clutter

Joshua & Ryan discuss the best ways to handle clutter. Watch “Maximal” episodes of The Minimalists Private Podcast exclusively at / theminimalists
Questions answered in this episode:
I’ve minimized my possessions to only those things that add value to my life and bring me joy, but my space still feels cluttered-what do I do next?
What should I do with all the books and papers I accumulated as I was earning my college degree?
How do I deal with the clutter of my partner?
Detailed show notes: theminimalists....
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[@ArleneAdkinsZell]

I have learned that 'spark joy' and 'add value' are different and add value is the one I prefer. The trinkets spark joy until I have to clean them and the toilet brush does NOT spark joy, but adds value (I can't stand a dirty bathroom).

[@RecycleChic]

My grandma, in the 70s, used to say “someday that will be a collector’s item!” I remember being in awe then when I was little.

[@seamonkeyl9061]

Love you guys. Gift giving: I recently heard of someone having a party where she requested each person to buy tampons and other essential toiletries for homeless women. That really inspired me! This year, when it's my birthday, I'm considering who might need the gift of dignity.

[@diviningrod2671]

Brilliant idea on the toiletries. It's a shame & a crime that woman in need can't by those products with there food stamps/ EBT. Makes no sense at all.

[@KathleenJean53]

Life shifts in some very negative ways and having a down sized, uncluttered and organized life helps me cope and feel I have more control in a sudden health situation where I have lost a lot of control. You guys helped me get serious about making my way to a simple life.

[@annafranklin4981]

“Clutter is like pornography and sandwiches: you know it when you see it.” I laughed so hard at that! Can we have that on a t-shirt, guys? ;-)

[@kailebrogan447]

I purchased a new top but I love it and wore the other identical top to the ground. Sometimes minimalists say multiples are wasteful but if you love it have multiple

[@awalton9024]

"What's a Ditto?!" Oh, the small things lost in time. Dittos where a form of mass copying before Xerox machines. Fun fact: The Ditto ink was this weird purple ink that when huffed, got you high as a kite. I remember half my class in third grade with the Ditto pages plastered over our noses and the teacher trying to get us to stop it.

[@justinatheodora]

Ditto=copy 'also' Yes, agreed! "

[@Mindyhartwick]

I’m aging myself by saying I remember helping out in the school office and making dittos in elementary school. lol

[@AmyLoveGGIM]

Thank you so much! You have awakened a shift for both me and my husband

[@AmyLoveGGIM]

and do you have any plans to visit Atlanta??

[@derekstark6612]

Was hoping you guys would answer my question, but loved the episode regardless! Keep changing the world :)

[@brittpetersen143]

I really like the discussion about items you like that still cause stress. I have reference books for vegan cooking and animal/plant identification. I'm a major nature person, ... but the fact is when I'm out in nature I'm not carrying all my heavy identification books. last time I needed to identify something (a snake) ...I whipped out my phone and googled it. my 7 cookbooks are the latest and greatest of vegan cooking...but I've simplified my diet so much I basically just eat whole fruits/veggies for meals. ... and almost each of those recipes require a ton of ingredients for just one dish. I keep telling myself that 'someday' I might get in to vegan baking. but the fact is that staring at these books causes stress. I think they are very wonderful books, but everytime I look at them it looks like lots of items, with lots of.busy colours, and I know it's something that would be hard to let go of.

[@lulu-cv8nd]

I also had a whole lot of vegan cookbooks, but I find that I just don't really bake much anymore or really eat desserts and like you, I eat just really simple foods... I sold all my cookbooks and my baking stuff on ebay so that someone could get use from them. I have a small glass pyrex roasting tray that doubles as a rectangular cake pan if I ever do get in the mood to bake something like black bean brownies... If I do bake, its a recipe where everything goes into the vitamix: blend>>bake>>eat I find the internet is really good for recipes, especially when you can read comments from others to see if the recipe worked or not. so many times the recipe in a cookbook just wouldn't work out or had to be adjusted quite a lot so that it wasn't bland.. and sometimes.. its was simply just inedible.. I learned that just because a recipe is in a book, doesn't mean its good! Vegan books become outdated quickly as well. people are inventing new techniques and replacements that just blow my mind.. like whipping the liquid from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans to make whipped eggwhites... try finding that in a book!!!! (***I totally recommend sweet potato soul on youtube if you want some good recipes! and minimalist baker has a good site for simple baking.) I kept only a few books that I had to get from overseas about natural treatments which I cant borrow from the library. I went to Ikea and after the checkouts they have this area where you can wrap fragile things in brown paper.. Its good quality thick brown paper.. I took some home and I made my own dust covers out it for those couple of books. No more colours and they blend into the room. no more stress...

[@april82daisies]

A very good point- at 47:47 “he likes the perceived outcome he believes he’s going to get....”. And this... “It’s not that people don’t like change, people don’t like being changed”... Made me think!

[@theminimalistninja]

I just saw that you guys will make a stop in Brooklyn and I am beyond excited! 💓 cannot wait to come!

[@nataliemoreland5958]

Ditto machine or mimeograph machines were used before Xerox machines. I remember in school from the 70's when the teacher went to the office to run off copies for us. When she came back and passed them out they were damp and smelled like glue. We used to sniff the paper. There is a scene in the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" where the students are sniffing papers that had just been copied.

[@grumylynn]

You guys helped me resolve my New Yorker magazine dilemma. It’s okay to pass along or share your valuable possessions with others. I am mailing a handful of them to my sister and brother-in-law, because they like them too but don’t have a subscription. I think that’s a tasty little gift to receive in the mail. 🌝

[@Hellthrasher]

Fantastic info as always. Everyone should hear this. Love the relationship these 2 have. Cant wait for the US tour. LA June date can't come soon enough ^.^

[@ericl452]

We are about to put my dad's house on the market. Since my mom passed away several years ago, he has kept the house just as it was on her last day. My mom bought 1000s of trinkets over the years and it will be a nightmare to clean everything out. We will have to do Round 1 before we list the house and do some general de-cluttering.

[@kristinamarietroll1955]

Love you guys💕

[@leeharrison8790]

Freedom is a two way street ... your freedom to be you also includes my freedom to be free from you & my freedom to be me also includes your freedom to be free from me as well ! Anyone who wants a relationship needs to know how to negotiate ! Asking for clarity shouldn't be threatening ... Being able to articulate is important as much as genuine listening & then say this is what I'm hearing am I on the same page ? there has to be a safe space to speak & listen for most couples .. ask are you wanting solutions to consider ? Or just venting ? Emotions to me is often like dealing with a drunk person often very difficult .. When I was married I'd rather offer a hug than enter into emotional warfare

[@annieheath986]

ditto..... a duplicate or copy. Thanks for sharing. As always.....much appreciated.

[@vsgelle7872]

Don't get ride of photos. I can tell you from experience that your dependents will appreciate finding a box of photos more than having a never ending search for the jump drive you saved them to.

[@jainthorne4136]

I scanned all my photos and in the process decided which ones I wanted to keep in paper form. It ended up being about 75 pictures. As for the rest, since I scanned them I felt free to pass them on. First I gave them to my daughters. They did the same thing and passed them on after keeping what they wanted. In this way our pictures have filtered outward in our family. It's lovely.

[@96ej]

I could be wrong but I've always use Ditto in the sense of, copy that, or Samesies

[@ericl452]

What I learned today; Homeless people wear better socks than I do.

[@kailebrogan447]

i went to Waldorf until 9th grade. It was so unique

[@natasha26belova22]

I am pretty sure I remember you guys are not doing advertising. So I could watch this episod I had to watch 30 sec ad about dishwasher that I don't need!

[@curiousgeorge555]

As for the 20/20 rule, what if you inherited the items and you're fairly sure they would cost a lot to replace? I have a storage locker full of items I inherited and would love to use use some day but do NOT have the space to use them now. I am on major transition (been three years). Any advice?

[@lumay1966]

Hi! I'm not being nosy, but what did you inherit? If it's furniture, for example, why not make space for these items now? Maybe you can sell what you currently own and then bring in the inherited items.

[@curiousgeorge555]

Thanks for the reply. Good thoughts but it's more like I have hoards of tools and one of a kind objects including original fine artwork by my lat father. I live in an extremely humble abode (think Tiny house or smaller). I can have 10-20 of the items with me at a time and 5,000 are in the locker in which I pay $150 a month for. Puzzled for three years.

[@lumay1966]

Wow! That's a tough one. You might find some answers in the upcoming podcast that they recorded in Pittsburgh. I wonder if you could donate his art work to a local museum (if there is one that celebrates local artists), that way, they're being stored properly -- and are open for you and others to enjoy. Of course, I don't know the specifics... just thinking aloud.

[@curiousgeorge555]

Conundrum because we could use the money and he was a great sculptor Thx for your reply.

[@Roberta-qe7km]

I don’t know if you have other family members who might want something from your father? My mom died 2 years ago and my sis and I have slowly been going through her things. We’ve kept her condo and are keeping the furniture there until we are ready to sell. We are paying monthly HOA fees and annual taxes, but the value of the condo continues to increase beyond the costs. Can’t rent the condo, owner occupied building. My great grandfather was a painter who died decades ago. We were fortunate to have lived with him and my great grandmother. I have 5 of my favorite paintings on my walls and I’m in the process of creating a Facebook page to give the 15 or so additional paintings to the rest of my family. My sis wants to donate some of the paintings to a museum, which is fine with me too. Back to my mom’s stuff, I gave some of her kitchen ware to a church to use for serving snacks after services and to give to the congregation who can’t afford to buy from goodwill. I’ve seen goodwill throw away boxes and boxes of things, I’m sure they get junk too, but I think they also get overwhelmed too. I would rather give to individuals directly who want the things. I’ve sold some things on eBay for $1 plus shipping after posting it for some time with no buyers. This way it still goes directly to someone who wants it. Good luck.

[@TheKirschbaumfee]

Its so weird to hear that you were swimming trunks in the sauna :D (from a german point of view)

[@yelenapetkova8848]

PLEAAASE come to Fairbanks, Alaska! 😊

[@reycelchristianson8984]

Wait did I hear you guys are coming to Minneapolis?! Omg I want to see you guys so much but no more tickets!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

[@janetlandry-lucey5386]

Please come to North East Massachusetts Or South East NH❣️❣️❣️

[@ladyTiger0714]

the thing is, in order for there to be "value" to something, means there has to be someone who would pay that amount for that particular item in question.

[@Tayenmadsen]

Ana Mabrey they arent talking about monetary value.

[@leeharrison8790]

wow ... direct communication ... isn't popular ? ...what ever happened to mean what you say & say what you mean ? Take your time when using words ....take your time when choosing a choice.... cold or hot ? not so much into warm .. wish / washy .. yes is yes & no is no .. I don't know is I don't know ... a mistake is more like a accident .. some folks use the word mistake as a cover up for I choose a poor choice ! we aren't without choices & our choice selector isn't broken ... if what ever is a poor choice ... choose a better choice ! it's so simple ! asking forgiveness when the poor choice chosen effects others & then let them know you recognize the poor choice & will be choosing better choices so not to effect them in a poor way ! Every choice has it's own out come ... Logic & sound reasoning seems to be replaced with filtering every thing through emotions ... I was raised with truth sometimes hurts ... love is not only unconditional it's also conditional based upon the condition .. it's not very loving to enable poor harmful behavior on the other hand it maybe loving not to rescue .. Love can also be tough when it needs to ... emotions can trip up folks in horrific ways & also be a God send to ! choices do matter !

[@isabelramirez0809]

Cereal is def not a sandwich!