Minimalist is a privilege

April 04, 2021

Hey people, short one this time.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how privileged we are to be able to pursue Minimalism in the modern format it takes. Why?

Because Minimalism is expensive.

This statement might seem an oxymoron; after all, isn’t Minimalism all about owning and buying fewer things? How can this make Minimalism expensive, you might ask? Won’t this save us money, you might ask?

The answer to these things turns out to be somewhat nuanced. While Minimalism will probably save you money in the long term, in the short term the items you do buy are usually substantially more expensive than cheaper, less minimalist, less durable alternatives.

Buying these items implies needing substantial disposable income that, especially from a global perspective, is unavailable for many people. Sure, that 500$ jacket might last you up to a decade or more, but a lot of the world won’t have the money on hand to purchase it versus a cheap 50$ jacket that will probably be trashed by the end of the season. However, at least, you will still be able to afford rent. I know for a fact that the younger, poorer me couldn’t afford the items I can now that allow me to be much more minimalist in my possessions.

Also, expensive items get stolen.

Most minimalism items are light, durable, versatile, and usually even packing a lot of tech, therefore making them expensive. For many in this world unfortunate to live in higher crime areas, this means that the expensive MacBook that took someone a year worth of his/her savings might be stolen in less than a month.

So what to do about it?

Feel grateful

Feel grateful you have the means to embark on this pursuit of less, and use the resources that are unlocked by this pursuit of the essential, either those resources are time, money, or energy, and go out there to make the world a better place for those of us who can’t.