“If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can’t buy” – Proverb

The first thing many people associate minimalism with is saving money. They think that people become minimalists so that they can hoard money instead of things. They think minimalists live tight, boring lives of just working hard, not watching TV, not having fun and wearing overly plain clothes.

Yes, money has got something to do with it, but minimalism does not mean you are afraid to spend it.

On the contrary, minimalists can spend as much money as a non-minimalist, it just depends on what they choose to spend it on. A non-minimalist might buy brand-name clothing, eat in fancy restaurants and stay in posh beach-side resorts for vacations.

A minimalist might by clothing that is just as good, but just not care about fancy marked-up brands. Then they might spend money on cooking classes or on ingredients they can experiment with instead of eating out. And for vacations, they might stick to a small hotel and use the money to go further and discover new people and places.

Both of them will spend money. The difference between them is that one chooses material things whilst the other chooses experiences. I wonder if this what being a minimalist really means.

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” – Bo Derek