Every time we toss (or choose not to acquire) an unnecessary item, we gain a little bit of freedom: from paying for it, storing it, cleaning it, repairing it, maintaining it, protecting it, insuring it, worrying about it, and schlepping it around. And

Adopt the “one in, one out” rule: when you purchase something new, get rid of something old.

Most importantly, by not buying, we redefine ourselves: by what we do, what we think, and who we love, rather than what we have.

Curb impulse purchases by giving yourself a cooling-off period: instead of buying something immediately, wait a few days and see if you still “need” it. These

Unfortunately, the word has no direct counterpart in English, and an in-depth understanding requires a reading of Plato’s Charmides, The Symposium, and The Republic. But if you don’t mind a little armchair philosophy, I’ll give you my interpretation of the term, and how it relates to our minimalist journey. As I see it, there are three main facets to sophrosyne: 1. Self-knowledge 2. Self-restraint 3. Harmony Or, in my minimalist interpretation: 1. Knowing what’s enough for you 2. Choosing enough over excess 3. Finding joy in enough Sophrosyne, then, isn’t about self-denial. Rather, it’s avoiding overindulgence (like doing, buying, owning, or eating “too

All things were ready for us at our birth; it is we that have made everything difficult for ourselves, through our disdain for what is easy.” –Seneca, c. 4 BC–65 AD “Philosophy consists in avoiding excess in everything.” –Pythagoras, c. 570 BC–c. 495 BC “It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a bed of straw, than to have a golden couch and a lavish table and be full of trouble.” –Epicurus, c. 341 BC–c. 270 BC “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” –Marcus Aurelius, 121–180 AD “I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough.” –Diogenes, c. 412 BC–323 BC “Money, which ever since it began to be regarded with respect, has caused the ruin