The Top 10 Money Wasters In Our Houses with Minimal Mom

[@msjoyfulinjesus]

1. Kitchen gadgets (you don’t need one for every little process) 2. “Miracle” cleaners / skin care (just start using what you have-“it’s the motion not the potion”) 3. Kids toys & books (too much of them) 4. Craft supplies (just give kids tape and recycled materials) 5. Holiday decor (you don’t need every room decorated for every season) 6. Clothes that don’t fit right now (get rid of it and the negativity in your closet) 7. Baby toys and gear (borrow first then buy second hand if needed) 8. Storage containers (that you never use and stay in the closet) 9. Food that’s on sale (unless it’s something you always cook with on a regular basis) 10. Workout shoes, clothes, and equipment (develop the habit first, then reward with a pair of new shoes)

[@Shortkonner]

Hey!!! Thank you, copy, paste, save for journal!!!!! ❤❤❤

[@gailbrule1744]

One of the best pieces of advice I received upon becoming a new grandma was: give them experiences, not things! Everyone else was drowning them in things. I took that advice. She is now 25 and we’re still doing this. Her college graduation gift from us was to take her to Spain. She remembers just about all the experiences we’ve shared. I guarantee you she remembers few of the things she also got. I just wish I’d have realized this with my son!! They want you, not stuff.

[@BearsBeetsBattlestarGalactica1]

Exactly! stuff comes and goes but memories are forever.

[@shanamorgan3]

I remember the things my grandmother and grandfather did with me and I have no recollection of what they ever gifted us in stuff. I know they did but the fun we had took over

[@linda1909]

If allowed to have a relationship with grandchild. My daughter and her husband for unknown reasons never visit us we aren't allowed to visit there and if we do must stay at hotel. That gets expensive for a week. Never been 1on 1 with him in 6 yrs as the 2 other sets of grandparents get

[@JG-fx1xm]

I'd like to share a mistake I made in hopes of helping others. My kids are 19 and 22 now but as they were growing up, both my husband's parents and mine would spend a set amount of $ on each of my kids for Christmas and birthdays and I would always search and search for new toys to spend the money on and we'd spend it all. In hind sight, we should have started a savings account for each of the kids with most of the money and just bought something small so they'd have a gift from the grandparents. Not only was a lot of money wasted, this practice also contributed to a lot of clutter a even more to to pile of toys they never played with!

[@annak1371]

Thank you.

[@Tired_of_Teaching]

That is such a good point! That money can so go to college or whatever. I have definitely used some of that money for college before

[@ritadyer3770]

Wish I had all the money we’ve spent on toys and gotten rid of the last 10 years!

[@tracys8497]

Duh! Why didn't I think of that! That is absolutely the right thing to do! The kids will thank my later. 😉

[@sunnyvarney4749]

Love your advice!!! Last year I was in walmart before Christmas and couldn't believe people had their carts literally FULL of Toys!!! I thought to myself this stuff will be broke, a mess and in the garbage or sent to Savers. Waste of Money also in my opinion your not teaching them the real reason we celebrate Christmas! But I do believe they should get something to open like maybe one item they really want, a book and maybe a outfit but like u said they get presents from other people. THANK YOU for your good advice!!

[@danikeebler1662]

My parents did not have debt but they had high priorities of home owning, private school for 4 kids and planning for retirement from the beginning. They were not big on buying us a lot, but when they did they saw the investment. They took us places rather than "stuff" that ended in the landfill. As a child, I have been camping in three different countries. We were never home. I have the memories and family experiences of a lifetime. I also have the travel bug with my photography today. When we got older, they enclosed a patio for a pooltable room. As teens we had a place to hang out rather than the streets of a metro city. It was an investment to keep all four of us and our friends off the streets. My parents created a cool place for us to hang out and they knew where we were.

[@bananaanna1373]

Such wisdom! It sounds like you are continuing to apply the same wisdom to your own life. Keep it up in the generations to come.

[@shoot4themoon406]

Impressive! Thanks for sharing this.

[@JJA0315]

You’re a so blessed to have amazing parents. Thanks for sharing, I only have a son but I’m doing the same. Creating memories flans planning for the future is more important 😄

[@sunnyvarney4749]

So Special that You have all those good memories ❤ I always liked my kids and their friends at our house. I enjoy seeing them happy and know they're safe.

[@daisiesandpandas1218]

Second time I've heard this, investing in a place for your kids to hang out in your home. The other person said they used to cook all the time and a had a section in the garden and their kids/teens will invite other kids/teens and they'll stay in the house eating and playing games, then other parents started doing it, so they rotated. You get to observe your kids friendships, but you don't deprive them of building Social skills and connections. Which can happen when you're obsessed about your children not ending up with bad friends you forget they also need connections.

[@wb5408]

One thing that helps to walk away from a good bargain is this advice: "If you buy that and you don't need it, you might be robbing someone else of a blessing." Because someone else might really use that item and miss out on getting it at a great deal because it's sitting on my shelf!

[@heidibonjour]

Yes, I love this! This thought also helps me declutter and donate stuff! Someone may need this item that is just sitting in my home!

[@evelynalden7291]

When I was unemployed and ebay was new, I made some money by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales for collectables to sell online. And now, when we're going through things, I remind my mother of those days and while I no longer have the time or energy to sell on ebay, stuff we send to the thrift store are likely to end up with someone else who will either treasure it, or needs the money from doing the work to sell it!

[@CelesteSeeker]

I love how Rachel is using her platform to collaborate with KZbinrs on different subjects that relate to finances and lifestyle :-)

[@rachelreinbold2685]

I can never thank Dawn enough for how she made minimalism and declutttering doable! I've been a minimalist for 4 years now and it's so life-changing! It helps with spending also!

[@laurajones6398]

Top 10 things declutter and be frugal. 1. Kitchen gadgets (time to clean equals + exceeds the time it saves.) 2. Miracle cleaners: house cleaners, hygiene etc (The magic is in the motion not the potion. Just use the stuff you have.) 3. Kids Books and Games "Our kids just want us. They are drowning in the stuff. They are crying out for attention." Crabby, crying, bored- take away the stuff and you will have the most happy, content and creative child. 4. Craft Supplies: Just use recycling items and masking tape to breed creativity. 5. Buying clothes that don't fit right now. It's on sale, name brand etc. Don't buy it if it doesn't fit. 6. Baby clothes and gadgets. Borrow it. Kids are all different. 7. Food on sale. If you don't use it, don't get it. (Probably, you'll Throw it away.) 8. Workout gear or gadgets Rather than buy it first, use the purchase as the reward. You probably have runners. 9. Fear- what if I make a mistake? If it's under 100 dollars get rid of it. What do you regret? "So little, keep what you use everyday. Start with the easy things: clothes, kitchen." You gain confidence as you go. Decluttering is peeling onion skins. 10. What are you doing right now that you are proud of? Buying a farm and creating rentals. Be wise and intentional.

[@wifriendtoyou6385]

Nice job Laura, thanks

[@lisamcdonald2877]

I do use my rice cooker and it works wonderfully. I bought it online from someone who didn't need it. I don't know what world you are in, but kids are NOT happy to be the one among their friends without toys, or without any popular contemporary toys. If they have no choice, of course they find other things to do. Do not be surprised if they reject minimalism in their own lives

[@angelad7759]

Just saved me 20 minutes! thank you!

[@tonyascancook]

THANK YOU

[@monikachaffey]

Thank you 💕

[@nicolesanchez9714]

Yes! I get shamed for not buying my kids birthday/Christmas presents for the first 3 years of their life’s. 1. They don’t know who it’s from and 2. EVERYONE bought in surplus for my kids and they had too much to play with so me not giving meant nothing. A good solid 3rd point is I paid for the party lol

[@TammiLay]

I like to do a memory/ experience vs gift. Quality time together.

[@natalies5818]

When one of my children was 1, I gave him a wrapped container of baby puff treats. He was so happy - and I was too!

[@carynmason3421]

What a smart idea!!

[@emilylong9887]

No shame at all!! We usually don’t get our kids actual gifts either. A party or an experience is what we do. Mine are still little and you are so right, they don’t know. We didn’t even do big party for the first few years, we did cake with the family and that’s about it. They still ended up with boatloads of stuff.

[@psymompa]

If I could turn back time, I would tell myself to do the same.

[@andreamiller6200]

I love my current season of life, turned age 65 last year. What flipped for me is that I am exiting from the 3 decade long accumulation phase and now have a fresh slate to give the stink-eye to prior treasures that have simply turned into STUFF and now exist as clutter rather than prized collections. Now that I am at the point where I don't see any good reason to acquire, I am restoring freedom to my life by creating serene space, and new future vistas that don't have the undertow of stuff shackling me. Turning 65, I have reached the point of having completed all of the baby steps and paid off the mortgage last year. Now that I owe no man, I am freeing myself of inventory and making a clear-sighted future. I could have done this 20 years ago, but I am so happy to be doing it today!

[@kateanger5560]

Beautiful!

[@patblake8521]

Well said!

[@ifeomaomologe171]

Kudos

[@pssstitsme6037]

Very well said. I am entering this stage right now, too. ✌️

[@supergran1000]

Love your post, Andrea! I'm 66. Without being overly morbid, there is an added incentive for us golden oldies to declutter - the desire to free our loved ones from the burden of getting rid of our stuff when we finally shuffle of this mortal coil.

[@suzy1676]

Also, Dawn talks about how much easier it is to get the house back in order when there's a place for everything! Fly Lady says " You can't clean clutter." That's a huge motivation for me - quicker cleanup and less money out the door!👍🏻👏🏻❤

[@MollyMA13]

Yes! This! I can always tell it’s time to go through my clothes when I run out of places to put them! (How do I end up with so many clothes?!?!😂) Place for everything or it goes

[@bananaanna1373]

“You can’t clean clutter”-simple but pure gold!

[@chrisdawson3859]

The fly lady helped me..."You can not organize clutter" is stuck in my head. ☺❤

[@sunnyvarney4749]

My 30 yr old daughter is a minimalist ( but sometimes drives me crazy because she throws away Everything! ) I think I ruined her with all my clutter 😢😅

[@Trudloops]

You make your kids clean your clutter. I remember the annual cleaning of the special glassware and ornaments as a child. Of course as an adult, I have very little wares and ornaments.

[@cherylkimball3060]

"I left the empty bins" that was so awesome!! love it!

[@amandadavis5658]

I found Dawn during COVID and she has totally helped head me into decluttering! Just found Rachel recently, what a great collaboration!!

[@jcoopes5604]

Cass, Kay, Melissa and Kathryn, they all helped me it’s been a long road !

[@brittanys.7191]

When I saw Dawns video on your set I was like “Yes we are getting two videos from this collab!” Y’all are a great help together!

[@stephanieschanno4573]

Yes, I geeked out a bit when I saw this collaboration!

[@conniesoares157]

Having less stuff makes keeping the house clean so much easier! It used to take a full evening to clean my home and now only takes about an hour and a half on a weekly basis since it is soo much easier to keep things tidy on a daily basis!

[@annaberg6505]

Dawn, you are such an inspiring role model and I especially like how you are yourself in different contexts. I have followed you for some years now and my admiration for you just grows. Thanks.

[@lifestylehomestead]

I love Dawn. Her content has been instrumental on my minimalism journey. I recommend her to EVERYONE because getting rid of stuff truly is life-changing, freeing.

[@lyndaslocs]

Dawn is one of my favorite influencers. I doubt that I'll ever be a minimalist, but she has taught me to look at items in my house as if they are inventory that has to be managed. I've also learned a lot about organizing my home from her.

[@kims1941]

Insta pots and air fryers take up space. I've cooked for 40 years without them. Don't need 'em now.

[@sortingwithsamantha1643]

Yes to all of this!! This is why I sell consignment. My mission statement is "Giving used items a second life at an affordable price." It's all about helping people declutter, find great deals rather than buying new, and putting money back into my client's pockets and our community. Great talk ladies!

[@sortingwithsamantha1643]

@@lesliewhite388 Hi :) I am located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

[@terryannsweeney4428]

I am taking a break and having lunch, but I have been filling my car up all day with stuff to take to a consignment, and donation Center,!

[@carriekassick7311]

You kept the shelves full of empty totes so your husband wouldn’t fill the shelves with other things! Being married to a “saver” that may be the most brilliant thing I have ever heard. My wheels are spinning. Thank you! 👍🏼

[@lydiah7184]

I spent almost zero money on my third baby’s clothing! I got some from my registry, but the bulk of it is from my mom friend who has a girl 6 months older than mine so I get all of her hand me downs. It’s AMAZING!

[@annamariepeterson3013]

And then you get to bless another family when you're finished with it!

[@skilgore9579]

One good source of minimalist life are the old Laura Ingalls Wilder books. They had very little in their happy little lives. At 60 years old, I ordered them from an online used book source and began rereading them. Very cute stories- easy reading- AND they put into perspective the amount of extras we can really live without.

[@lauramitchell6725]

My favorite forms of entertainment are; jigsaw puzzles,crossword puzzles and my wood burning fireplace. I want to live with the Waltons.😅🤣😂

[@debbiewilliams8107]

Endorsing blanket coverage of term life insurance is not sage advice. You need to weigh one’s responsibilities as to who depends on them & for what & their assets then decide what life insurance if any is the best product for them. Love your channel. Love your dad. Did his program with my ex-husband in the early 90’s & has been a Godsend.

[@danaerakstad7924]

This is so exciting to see you 2 awesome women together. Jesus shines through you both! Thank you both for all you do.

[@susanspianostudio7057]

Yes!!

[@tiffanyprice8319]

I was thinking the same thing!!!

[@lizzabbott]

Indeed !

[@heidifris4880]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@hopeup2792]

When my husband and I bought our dream house I said we should have life insurance because it would be hard without the two incomes. My husband passed away 5 years later with prostate cancer at the age of 50 and my life would have been so much more stressful, which is really was after loosing the love of my life. Get insurance!

[@rhondaadams4013]

We love Dawn! Surely she is a Godsend, with a message this generation of stuff needs. Thank you Dawn, and Rachel.

[@kimdenardo1076]

I am a recent empty nester. I have watched Dawn and the Minimalists and have downsized and decluttered and got rid of a lot. Stuff seems to keep creeping in if you don't stay on top of it. Thanks for these videos as they are great to go back to to get inspired again.

[@corinnestevens8117]

I just went to a friend’s baby shower last weekend. And I told her I was bringing baby gear we no longer needed. The back of my minivan was FULL. 😅 She was so happy and grateful for the items, and I was so happy to get that stuff out of my garage! And I totally agree about getting out of debt. My husband & I went on that journey about 10 years ago. And now I am able to stay home with our 3 & 4 year old girls. It was a long, hard process, but completely worth it.

[@melissahowe6254]

As a currently pregnant person i agree that it makes me so happy to even get hand me downs. Doesnt mean they will use it for sure but i love gettinf stuff before even my baby shower cause it makes me feel prepared. A parent ideally doesnt wanna pay $100 for a special pillow. Might as well have it be a hand me down. And i wish gifting hand me downs was more popularized. Again not neccesarily everything. But at least people have the option to select what they want to use. And then they can gift the rest

[@genxx2724]

@@melissahowe6254 “Pregnant person”? Really? Heaven help the generation that’s going to be raised by the woke. 🙄

[@melissahowe6254]

I didnt actually say it conciously to annoy you. Pregnant woman, pregnant person whatever. Its still a person right. Pregnant human, pregnant mammal pregnant homeosapian. You dont need to spend so much of your time reading into stuff. You can say pregnant woman i am totally fine with that i wont judge you at all. If there was just a noun for a pregnant person woman then i would use it. Have a nice day. Maybe just stick to the point of what I was trying to say in my other message🤔

[@natalieeubank4533]

@@melissahowe6254 it’s easy pregnant woman!!! Only women can have babies, God did not create men to have babies! Done easy peasy, you are making to difficult!

[@pamelacallaway3922]

Congratulations!

[@marzparker7928]

Seeing the two of you together is like seeing two of my most trusted best friends! Keep this up!

[@febemeyer4559]

Oh gosh!!!! Two of my favourite KZbinrs together! This is absolutely amazing!!! You are all an answer to prayer. My journeys are merging too! Thank you!!!

[@Stop007]

Secret tip for children under 5: Take a third of their toys and put them in the attic for 4 months. Then bring it out after 4 months for them to play with while hiding the next third. Keep rotating their toys like that and it's like Christmas 4 times a year! (Ladies, do the same with your wardrobe...)

[@genxx2724]

Four months might be too long. They’re devoting a lot and may outgrow a lot of the toys.

[@upseydaisy7326]

When my girls (21 months apart) were 3 y/o & under, I rotated 1/2 of their toys every month, and it was like new to them. I just put them on the top shelf of their closets, but they never saw me do it so as to not frustrate them. I learned this useful trick from a parenting curriculum that friends gave us called "Growing Kids God's Way". They have it divided by infant, toddler, early years, middle years & teen years. Just one of the many rewards my husband & I have experienced from using this program is that our now young adult daughters have chosen to follow the same principles with their kiddos. What better sense of our parenting accomplishments is there than the next generation CHOOSING the same path? The key word is "choosing" instead of falling into the same ineffective, dysfunctional generational habits. 😆 I think I got on my soap box!

[@karinalemus2305]

@@genxx2724 From Experience I can say that even a 4 year old gets excited when they see new toys, even if they’re “baby” toys. So I think rotating maybe every 3 months is a good idea.

[@Stop007]

@@genxx2724 Most of the development of a child comes not from playing with toys (dexterity handling tools and fine motorics get picked up very fast) but from learning from their parents and learning from other kids. We're apes after all, so we instinctively ape others when we're young. Later on, this aping turns into people buying an SUV because their neighbor just got one... :)

[@Stop007]

@@karinalemus2305 I think the exact number of weeks or months depends on the age of the child and their particular stage of memory development. 4 months works for me and my dress outfits... :)

[@YA-ih7pw]

I'm soo happy you invited the minimal mom she is my Idol. I have seen all her videos. Thank you Rachel

I'm a much calmer, happier mom thanks to Dawn. I typed in too many toys into KZbin and binge watched all of her toy declutter videos then proceeded to declutter our whole house. Life is much simpler ☺️❤️

[@snowymountainmama]

I’ve never clicked on a video so fast in my life! Two of my favorites coming together! This was soo great…thank you ladies.

[@magpiesmith971]

I really enjoyed this video. I’m retired and starting to declutter my house while living on a fixed income. This was very helpful! And you guys are fun and adorable ❤.

[@TheSilverLining22]

“The magic is in the motion not the potion” SO GOOD!

[@yesiownfrodo]

Oh I so disagree on some of these. Especially about food. I think the difference is that I'm on a FIXED income. So when I go to the store, I buy the marked down and loss leaders, then I make my menu from THAT. For all canned/bottled goods, shelf stable foods, I mark on the top the year I bought them so that I keep everything rotated. It's awesome when you go to the store and they're out of whole racks of peanut butter and I know that I have some, and I also have some in long term storage. BTW, I really believe in decluttering. I did KonMari on my house in 2015 and it does last. How long did it take me to do KonMari? A year to touch every single thing in this house. Oh my word. And it does bring me joy. I am so blessed by God.

[@Nefflerco]

Dawn is amazing she’s literally changed my life

[@tgayer1]

Amen! Me too!!!

[@HockeyGurl258]

Oh my goodness, I love Dawn! So excited to see the two of you working together!

[@alexa574]

Love you both! I have followed you both for several years, loved thus collaboration together. Wish Dawn was a more regular person with Dave Ramsey, such a great addition that would be. Dawn you have developed so much more confidence in yourself throughout the years. I am so happy for you and your family!

[@mariposavioleta9007]

This is something I've been taught and feels good to see it here. Function over beauty when it comes to food storage containers and small appliances. I researched my electric pressure cooker before buying it to make sure it could do a lot of the things I needed done and waited almost a yr to buy on a black Fri sale to save money. Bought decent Rubbermaid set of containers for food storage, not the absolute cheapest but not expensive and waited for sale to buy. I lost everything in home disaster so had to start from fresh and made sure to purchase with purpose and intent rather than just anything. Clothes same thing very intentional when I had to start fresh. With the decor it's simple decent signs for the door and something that goes through the entire 3mths. Glad to see I'm working pretty close to the same as this.

[@LadyJennivieve]

“Rage purge”: I so get this emotion!

[@shannona5377]

Following Dawn is a huge blessing. I've been able to take alot of what she shares to change decades of habits and thinking about "things". But more than that, you are so free to take what you like and leave behind what doesn't resonate with you. She has a decluttering group on FB and I just love how she had it set up so that you never had to feel like you were behind (on any group challenges for example). So low stress, so encouraging and effective. When the extra stuff goes, you function so much better and I definitely pass up on purchases and shop much differently that has resulted in spending less.

[@mylittlerebornlove8851]

If you like Dawn, you'll also like Dana K White. She's the queen of decluttering.

[@shannona5377]

@@mylittlerebornlove8851 I love Dana's container concept! Their collaboration on Take my House Back has been so helpful!

[@Pugs365]

I LOVE Dawn! I've been watching her for a few years and the first thing that attracted me was her infectious positivity. Her laugh reminds me of a beloved aunt we lost young.

[@annabelcadena5677]

Yes dynamic duo!!! Thank you ladies! The struggle is real and when I need to push through, I can always rely on you both 🥰 🙏

[@sabrina9333]

💗 I've listened to both of you for years now , this is so exciting 🙌 finally my 2 favorite ladies are together

[@rosedewittbukater5763]

Thank you for inspiring me to get rid of all the clothes taking up space in my closet that don’t fit me anymore! I just took them off the hanger and into the donate bags

[@judithgrace9850]

I paid 1-800- Got Junk to empty my apartment, when I moved to Querétaro.Mexico to a beautiful furnished apartment. That includes all utilities,wifi.maid and a super safe.clean, and a beautiful city. I have a fantastic view of the city.

[@sarahsmith9084]

If your weight fluxes, try to keep a few things that you really love and are in good condition in a size up and a size down. It's frustrating when you have to rebuy over and over when you don't have sizes that fit and can't find what you like that you already owned.

[@kathryn.gardner.counseling]

This was great!! I started watching Dawne from @theminimalmom 2 years ago and I have learned so much! We just moved from Chicago to Tampa, FL and her tips made a BIG difference in how I purged before the move! I didn't want to bring all of that "extra" stuff in the house to our new home 👍😄 Saved us money and time. Thanks to both of your tips - we are living our dream life in FL! 🙌🌴🙏❤️

[@vickimaddox8711]

Dawn is such a good source of knowledge. Love this lady.

[@achildofgod3707]

Two of my favorite KZbinrs! Rachel and Dawn! Love this episode!

[@kayleighskanvases]

Love seeing you two together. You two have been so pivotal for me.

[@hollyholmes925]

I have loved Dawn for so long now. She's inspired me to have a more comfortable home and peace of mind. She's a great interview. Way to go! I'm a new follower of you now, Rachel Cruze. Love it!

[@julieetheridge9066]

Love that you two collaborated!! Enjoy watching both of you!! God bless you both!!

[@charlenejohnson2187]

My granddaughter moved in with me last year. There's no excess clutter & no drama at my house and she loves it 😊 She had just graduated High School.

[@maryjoc7372]

At 55 I moved out of the raised ranch to a condo. My sister helped with the "you have 2 of these, which one, pick". I remember looking down from 2nd floor to the garage sale on my driveway. What an experience- I can't believe that I bought all that. Hardest to give away "good" things like biblical small books that us ladies gave to each other in prayer group. How I looked at all the stuff & clothes in great condition- may they bless some one else. Purging stuff made me so "light". I still fight with myself when I see some thing on "sale" if I don't need walking away.

[@mahabiru]

I lived in less than 600 square feet, 8 kids, home schooled, farm life. We lived minimal. Dave's "If you will live like no one else, you will live like no one else" was on my wall. We OWNED the place. People were always blown away at how uncluttered out tiny house looked. We had outside storage (we had to) for everything. We also lived in rural AK meaning if you have sense you are going to be a bit of a prepper. Earthquake Nov 2018 shut down roads, runways, stores. 2020? We had food because I stocked up in the fall knowing we may not get to the store for a while. Saddest thing was seeing people coming out of stores with no food BECAUSE THERE WASN"T ANY. When you are a minimalist, what you need to "prep" is also minimal. All That to say, ANYBODY can do it. And thanks minimalist mom, I had gotten off track the past few years but am working on getting back to minimal living.

[@kathywinstead7460]

I once heard, "Just because there's a sale doesn't mean you have to participate".

[@TheMelanieGrace]

Great conversation! last winter I decluttered my closet and got rid of 3 trash bags of clothes.... I ended up getting rid of my only pair of black jeans...which turns out I needed....so.... I had to buy new jeans.

[@juliesieben8148]

What a FABULOUS video!!! I just shared it on FB to inspire my friends and family! Thank you! Love from MN!

[@martajanas8292]

I love MinimalMom, i appreciatie her flexibilty and not being stubborn and not being an orthodox in what she is doing.

[@brittanys.7191]

When you covered the kids toy topic, it brought back my own revelation. I was watching a KZbinr (I don’t even know who it was now), and they were talking about buying so many toys at clearance price so you could get more for your money. They spun it around said “so it’s OK to spoil your kids as long as it was a good DEAL?!” It just hit me that clearance shopping was creating my problem! So now when we do gifts I am SO intentional now! And like Dawn said our kids are drowning in stuff and starving for our attention! Experiences are wonderful gifts instead♥️

[@Holli_Sassafras]

I love both of you and the advice you give! What a treat to have you in one video!

[@Janelles_existential_crisis]

Thanks Dawn and Rachel! 2 of my favorite ladies!

[@anaalves3658]

I used my niece's baby carrier, then it went to my friend, then her twin sister then it was sold, so at least 5 kids have used it. It was a great quality, expensive when bought new, but super useful and durable. I also used my nephew's pram and car seat. Our high chair and bed where from my husband's family and we used a changing mat, which was my nephew's, on a chest of drawers we owned as our changing table. When I was born I got hand me downs from cousins, which my sister used and then other cousins used as well. We are minimalist's in training, but we are also trying to have a minimal carbon footprint, all these things help. We currently give all of our outgrown clothing, books and toys to my cousin's kids 😊😊😊😊

[@lauramitchell6725]

If I had ever had a baby, the only NEW item I would have wanted would have been a car seat. Everything else could have been used.( but checked for safety like cribs,gates,high chairs,etc.)

[@brg2743]

Been trying to declutter, in small chunks, things that belonged to my parents. I don't need it, use it, and pull these out about once every ten years to look at it and remember. They would not want me keeping this stuff. I don't want to remember their stuff. i will always remember them.

[@atroy1983]

Watch Dawn’s video on Swedish Death Cleaning - it is very helpful for dealing with stuff from our loved ones :) but, in short, don’t keep it! Like you said, they wouldn’t want you to be bogged down with it. You have your memories of them and that is the most important. People over stuff 💜

[@donnaallgaier-lamberti3933]

For us "a top money waster" would be buying bottled water when we have a Berkey water filter to clean it and perusing and buying from Marketplace. The few times I bought a "thing" off of Amazon that an influencer talked about it was a bust-never again! When we downsized from our 2,000 sq. ft. house in the country to our current 1,284 sq. ft. condo not only did we downsize our home and stuff we made over $9,000 in cash to put towards our mortage and property taxes.

[@EmeryShae]

Love my Berkey! But I also hate cleaning and re-priming the filters. It’s always worth it when I finally do it!

[@DianaKerr]

Yesss! Love you both!! You crushed it, Dawn! And you both look adorable! So excited for how God will use this to bless even more people with the message you share!

[@j.t.1215]

Best of both worlds!!!! Absolutely love Dawn!!!!!!

[@GreenManXY]

When I was little in Serbia, we had these science books for kids at home where, at the end of the book, there were several step-by-step "experiments" or "designs" you could follow. I used to pilfer all kinds of stuff from the kitchen and from the tool box to try and do my experiments and it was super fun. I used to break down electric toy cars and put the tiny electric engine on paper boats so I could play with jet boats in the bathtub :D. Guess it's no surprise I became a civil engineer...

[@ciaraabla3]

Yay! Dawn is awesome! SO glad you had her on your show Rachel!

[@eileenkilworth6950]

Great collaboration of ideas...I often find it quite easy to declutter, it's hard for me resisting bringing things back in as I enjoy walking around the shops seeing what is new🙈 change of recreational ideas required I think!

[@michaelsnider2484]

Also people go to ridiculous lengths for birthday parties with WAY too many guests presents and STUFF. Usually results in a young child being overwhelmed, cranky and crying. The 'party' is for the child not the adults. I once read that for children's parties there should be no more guests than the age of the child: ie: 2yrs, 2 guests, 3yrs, 3 guests, etc. I believe that for most children this may be even too much. Just family is probably the best way to go until 7 or 8.

[@shaanagray1522]

With the state of the world right now and lots of folks worried about a recession, does that change your view at all for keeping minimal amounts of things? Esp food, tolietries, etc??? Just curious how you are balancing minimalism with making sure you have what you need?

[@atroy1983]

I think the idea here is it’s ok to stock up on the things you KNOW 100% you will use (eg. toilet paper, shampoo you like, cereal, pasta etc) but only enough to use up before it expires. Don’t buy extra of something that you rarely use or you’re not sure you will use at all because that is just a waste of money and it may end up thrown out. And have a spot to store it that isn’t cluttering up your living spaces.

[@dlynch1898]

One thing about minimalist life style is you’re never done. Stuff still creeps in therefore we need to continue to remove the unneeded/unwanted stuff to keep the lifestyle. Wish I was better at it. Best of luck 🍀☘️

[@kathyms.]

Love the Minimal Mom... Thank you for bringing Dawn. She is so inspiring♡

[@katetsubata]

+I like that you mention "intentional" as by byword. Also, the idea of borrowing or giving people things you no longer use. I would also suggest watching who you hang out with. If you're soaking in the ideas and assumptions of people who are material-driven, it might be hard to stay committed to your choices. Another point is to use creative solutions rather than material solutions: instead of upgrading your kitchen, re-configure what you have. Instead of remodel, maybe paint the walls. Use existing items and make them more usable. I stay away from cleaning tools that are specialty (mops, vaccuums, etc.) unless they truly add a completely new set of options I will really use. (Cordless and rechargable vac has been totally worth it.) Rags work just fine!

[@mapleleaf0]

1. paper towels 2. toilet paper 3. store-bought dishwashing liquid ... just kidding. No, this video is great and VERY realistic and practical. The only thing I maybe disagree with is kids books. She didn't elaborate, but I'm sure she'd say keep a few of your toddler's favorites while they're in the "read it again" stage. After that, go to the library. I kept way more on hand than that for the very young. But I do think that would be wise advice for the stage where they're not rereading nightly. Yet, there are a lot of kids these days who read and reread novels. Hmm... anyway, all her other advice is so true. My kids are grown now and everything she's saying from kitchen gadgets to too many toys is spot on.

[@j.annminer7163]

Love the Minimal Mom!! Congratulations Dawn!

[@lizpetruzzi7700]

Yayyy! Love minimal mom, Dawn. Excellent collaboration!

[@LauraRodriguez-Peace]

Dawn is great! 🧡 So glad she came to visit and share. Love the Minimal Mom Channel.

[@luthergirl106]

Two of my very FAVORITE KZbinrs in one place!!! Love it!!

[@KrittySchmaltz]

So proud of you Dawn! Love seeing you at Ramsey, you both have helped our family ❤️

[@faithhopelove2369]

Thank you Ladies for sharing your journey!! It’s helped me be content and have peace with Gods strength! ❤️🙏

[@shonahmclean2018]

For those of you that are starting out or curious not sure when it came out but I bought Cassandra aarssen clutterbug workbook and it has helped me know why you keep some things and others are easier to toss and take dawns system what she explains in the video

[@divishabradford5834]

I ❤️ Dawn and her sister. They are such great inspirations not just in minimalism but faith as well.

[@2bfamos]

Decluttering is my hobby, but I'd be careful about what you get rid of if it belongs to your kids. My mom got rid of a few of my favorite toys when I was little that I begged her to keep, and I literally had dreams about my stuffed unicorn and little vanity for years. Declutter, yes. But for things that might mean something to someone else maybe try the rotation method first. I even tried this with my cats! Almost threw out 90% of their toys only to discover that if I just rotated them--so only had a few out at a time--they actually played with them. So it could just be about the overstimulation factor. But again, I am a huge fan of outer order, inner calm...and shopping my own stash...and not buying food that may be healthy but that I always throw out, lol. I do regret throwing away my work portfolio and some of my things from school that I can never get back unless I retake the course. Sometimes it does just hit you and you're like everything must go! So I also like the halfway box method, where you move stuff to the garage for a certain period of time and if you truly end up not needing it, it's ready to go to Goodwill.

[@t-rachel19]

Dawn should be a Ramsey personality! I LOVE her!

[@lauraarnold8117]

For the kids, I love board games. And card games. Even as an adult, I had so much fun playing those toddler games. Kids tend to talk more and interact more doing something fun and family oriented. When they got older so did the games. I especially love Christmas games, monopoly or scrabble. And honestly my son played more board games than video games. Way more fun.

[@atroy1983]

We love games too! I think an important aspect tho is sitting down and playing WITH your child a few times a week… this goes for any toy really. But I think board/card games can help you really connect with a child because you are having fun too!

[@novanorman1091]

I am so glad I saw this! Love you both! I learn so much from you both!

[@samanthadudley6412]

With my first son I bought everything new for him except clothes, the baby swing, and the baby bathtub. With my other 3 boys I got everything used except the car seats ( we always bought them new).

[@dlynch1898]

TFS Rachel I found Dawn a couple of years ago when she was teaching about paper clutter - a thorn in my side - and I’ve joined the minimalist society. I’m better now budget wise and in the process of becoming a minimalist. Keep up the good work. Many blessings from California 🌴💕🙏

[@brookeboswell6612]

Yeah Dawn!! So proud of you stepping into God's plan for you!

[@Michelle-qw4pl]

Hahhaahah it is STILL you in the shoes!! Love it! So much awesome in here. So excited to see you guys together! Praise God!!

[@charityhunt1248]

Y’all are great together! You should do a show together more often! 🥰

[@jennwest1983]

Yes I started to declutter, and my husband started doing about 1year after I started.

[@Bloquita5]

Terrific content! Conversations that matter. Most of us connect and can relate at some point in our life. Very grateful for connecting with Dave years ago, then Rachel and then Dawn. Thank you.

[@_JanetLouise]

... give myself some grace ..... Love you Dawn