Minimalism, in appropriate doses, can be incredibly beneficial financially, mentally, and environmentally.
Many college students tend to follow minimalist habits, whether voluntary or not. Whether it is making a typical ‘struggle meal’ rather than buying groceries or shopping almost exclusively at thrift stores, students tend to be pretty thrifty already.
Minimalism, a lifestyle trend that has emerged in recent decades, can be defined as living with only the possessions that are necessary in order to lead a simpler, less cluttered life.
Americans are among the biggest consumers in the world, which leads to great amounts of waste.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 30-40 percent of the food supply is estimated to be food waste. This amounted to about $161 billion worth of food waste in 2010.
Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that landfills received 11.3 million tons of textiles in 2018.
While it is a good thing that many Americans are in a position to live a much higher quality of life, there are very real costs to the cultural habit of over consumption.
Clothing is a large source of waste, which is both environmentally and financially straining, especially on college students with little expendable income.
Many students turn to fast-fashion brands such as H&M and Shein for cheap, fashionable clothing.
While it isn’t bad to occasionally shop at these places, a 2009 study by Glasglow Caledonian University found that fast fashion clothing usually lasted less than a dozen wears, after which the clothing often ended up in a landfill.
Instead of turning to fast fashion, it might be more financially and environmentally sustainable in the long run to spend a little more on basic clothing that will last longer, rather than buying a dozen fast fashion items.
Thrift stores are another option for high quality clothing at lower prices.
Such costs make minimalism an appealing alternative.
Achieving a minimalist lifestyle can be difficult, due to the misconception that minimalism is about not having any possessions at all.
Rather, it can be thought of as choosing to invest in things that will be used regularly and keeping the things that are already useful.
Famed organizing consultant Marie Kondo offers plenty of advice for determining items worth keeping.
Kondo’s system involves organizing based on whether items are associated with what “sparks joy.”
The KonMari website states that by using Kondo’s method, “You are not choosing what to discard but rather choosing to keep only the items that speak to your heart.”
For people who already live a minimalist lifestyle in their consumption of material goods, minimalism can be expanded beyond physical possessions.
The use of social media is one facet of life that could benefit from a minimalist mindset.
According to Common Sense Media, a nonprofit dedicated to research on social media use and technology among children, found that teenagers spent an average of about seven hours on screens outside of schoolwork in 2019.
By using less social media and screens in general, college students may have more time to build relationships and explore other hobbies and skills.
Overall, pursuing minimalism does not have to be an extreme lifestyle change. Rather, it can be done incrementally, while still allowing for the enjoyment of material possessions.
