How to Shop Like a Minimalist

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Minimalism is all about learning how to prioritise the things you value and remove unnecessary distractions from your life. This guide shows you how to shop like a minimalist – saving money, reducing clutter, and buying only the things you really like!

For many people, the journey towards a more minimalist lifestyle starts with one simple step: decluttering your environment. However, in order to continue to live a more minimal life, you then need to build a habit and learn how to shop like a minimalist going forwards.

If this is something you want to achieve for yourself and your family, this guide covers some of the most important lessons when learning how to shop like a minimalist in this post.

8 ways to shop like a minimalist

1. Act with Intention

There is something really grounding about the realisation that you can use your money only for the things that you really value, and disregard other distractions that you buy because of habit, obligation, or convenience.

Suddenly, you have far more money simply because you have fewer things you want to spend on! Before buying something, ask yourself:

• Do I really need this?
• Will this improve my life?
• Is this really necessary?

Sure, you may still end up buying some questionable items that don’t add a lot of value to your life – we’re all only human, after all!

Bringing some awareness into the buying process could cut the amount of time that happens in half, if not more.

2. Window Shop, A Lot

Do you ever shop online, adding all the things you really like to your basket, only to abandon the website at the end never to buy any of those items?

If you haven’t, it can be pretty fun! However, it’s also a great way of reducing how much you impulse buy. When looking for a new item – especially when it comes to clothing – try to be really picky.

Add ‘maybes’ to your basket, but if you haven’t seen ‘the one’, don’t buy anything. Avoid buying multiple options online with the intention of sending them back too – it can be all to easy to leave that parcel forgotten in a corner!

It can be a bit frustrating always window shopping and not doing a whole lot of buying, but it also means that when you finally hit that proceed to checkout button, you’ll be buying something you know you really want.

3. Always Question Your Budget

If you’re used to living a pretty frugal lifestyle, you’ll be accustomed to analysing the price of something and considering whether it really fits into your budget that month.

This is a really essential part of learning how to shop like a minimalist, as it helps you avoid splurging one month and ending up with too many items and not enough cash!

4. Pay Upfront where possible

This can be a hard habit to get into, especially if you don’t have a lot of cash in savings, but you always end up paying less when you pay up-front and aren’t tied to anything for months to follow.

This may not be something that works for everyone – but for some paying upfront allows you to look at your budget and decide if I can really afford something.

Buying something that you have to pay for in the months or even years to follow just doesn’t always fit a frugal lifestyle – and in many cases, suggests you shouldn’t really be spending your money that way. 

5. Make a Space

At the heart of minimalism, you’re learning to find joy in living with less. So it makes sense that every additional item you bring into your home should have a purpose and a reason to make you happy.

Before buying something, make a space for it in your home. Big clothing shopping spree? Have a declutter before or after, and make space for your new clothes.

Getting into a ‘replace, not add’ mentality really helps avoid all that clutter building back up around you! Take a look at these best places to sell clothes online to start making a little extra cash in the process of decluttering…

Read Next: How to Declutter: Where to Start When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

6. Plan No-Spend Days and Weekends

No-spend weekends are all about finding ways to enjoy yourself without spending your money in the process – and there are actually a lot of things you can do that are completely free!

Our popular post 50 free activities for no-spend weekends is a great starting point to find some inspiration for some no-spend fun in your life.

7. Make Lists

When it comes to food shopping, the tried and tested advice of making a list always holds strong.

Having a list with thought out meal plans and the ingredients you need can help you avoid buying impulse purchases at the supermarket.

Likewise, making a list of your major expenses, birthdays coming up, major holidays – anything that will impact your finances in the near future – can be instrumental in learning how to shop like a minimalist.

If you haven’t made this into a habit, this is one thing you could start doing today.

Read Next: Meal Prep 101: How to Get Started