The Necessary Life

On May 25, I posted the first of a mini-series on living the minimal life.

Americans are blessed with comfort and prosperity. Some people may attempt to lay a guilt trip on us, pointing out that most of the people living on earth today survive on less than $2 a day.

While that is true, it's not my intention to make you feel guilty or ashamed for what you have.

As I described in that previous post, our things are taking over our lives and making us anxious, a weird version of some Ray Bradbury post-apocalyptic dystopia novel. We all thought it would be the machines that took over; turns out, it's the machines, the clothes, the homes, and the fitness equipment. My goal is to help you simplify your life so you can focus on what's important to you: family, serving others, or writing that book you've always thought about writing.

To that end, here are 5 purchases you can avoid, or 5 things you can live without:

1. Elaborate Exercise Equipment

I use the word elaborate, because this equipment doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. But if you don't use it, it was a waste. Should you purchase a gym membership instead? I don't know; will you use it to the extent that you get your money's worth?

For myself, the minimal membership was worth it. The physical therapy office charged a small monthly fee for those who had been in therapy to use the equipment as often as they wished. This allowed me to exercise under the supervision of a professional; I felt safe and productive. Years ago, however, I had a membership to an actual gym facility and used it, maybe, three times that year. An extravagant expense at any cost.

You can maintain and improve your health with comfortable clothes, proper footwear, and minimal equipment: a floor mat, a wall, a chair, and perhaps resistance bands. Your own body will provide enough resistance and weight for a decent workout, at least to start. As you progress -- with consistency -- you may choose to add to your equipment, but prove to yourself that you'll be consistent before spending hundreds of dollars on equipment that will be hard to unload on craigslist.

2. One-Purpose Kitchen Gadgets

I have benefited from the tasty and elaborate dishes of a fabulous cook many times; she knows who she is and can disregard this topic.

For the rest of us, though, bulky, expensive, and one-purpose kitchen tools are a waste of money and space. How often will you really use the waffle iron, wok, and air popper? Unless you make waffles every Saturday or stir-fry every week, you may want to skip this purchase. And you can actually use the same jarred popcorn kernels on the stove-top or in a brown paper bag in the microwave, instead of in the air popper.

Some people might put expensive blenders like Vitamix and Ninja on this list, but I say ask yourself this question: do I use it so often that I keep it on the counter instead of putting it away? If so, then you're getting your money's worth.

3. Cable

OK. Have you counted the number of channels available to you on your cable network? The list is probably longer than the complete list of works by Stephen King. Then add in your amazon Prime and your Hulu and your Netflix....

More entertainment than one household can possibly watch in one lifetime.

Many of the network shows you want to watch can be viewed on-line, sometimes for free and sometimes for a small fee.

I challenge you to ask yourself how much you really need. Consider cutting the cable. Perhaps you want to keep amazon Prime because it gives you free shipping on your purchases. Maybe, then, you can drop one of the others. And talk to your cable company; you can actually negotiate your rates, especially if you're bundling services.

4. Various Cleaning Supplies

No, I'm not advocating living in filth. Although, if you simplify your life, you may have to straighten and dust less often simply because there's less clutter.

I'm suggesting you take a look under your sink or in your closet. How many cleaners do you have and what are they for? You may have carpet sprays, window and glass cleaners, dish soap, bleach, and floor cleaner.

Consider, after these products are used up, purchasing one cleaner that does it all, or most. Some of them are even "green" or based on orange oil, offering the power of chemicals without the chemicals, and all they carry with them. Red Juice* (really, that's what it's called) and Bio Clean* have good reviews, but do your own research. Choosing one or two cleaning products to cover most of your cleaning will simplify your life and your cabinet space.

5. The Latest and Greatest

The latest and greatest everything. It's a logical fallacy to say that something that has been around forever is the best ("in my day...."), but it's also a fallacy to say that because something is new, it is best. Advertisers thrive on this, of course, because it's how they get you to buy a new product.

Truth be told, you probably don't need the newest iPhone, tablet, echo, fitbit, or computer. Cloud storage makes it possible to transfer what's on your gadget to the cloud to free up more space on phone, tablet, etc., and external hard drives can do the same for your computer. Either way, freeing that space will often fix the problem of a slow-moving electronic device, and there are companies that can fix a cracked screen. Take your desktop computer or laptop to a PC repair shop to clean the dust out, and it will run like new.

I greatly dislike the push of subscriptions for everything, from storage to Word to food delivery. Somebody figured out how to capitalize on residual income, and now we're literally paying the piper. Word used to be a purchase -- a disk that you uploaded and used until it was no longer compatible with the newest versions. Now you pay a monthly or yearly subscription.

May I suggest free alternatives? There are free down loadable versions available that are just as good, and you can save your document in a word format as well. We used Word Perfect* when I taught at a Christian school. Unless you use Excel for your bills or do a lot of writing, as I do, then consider discontinuing that subscription.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. What would you add?

* I received no compensation from these companies.

**Check out this video from The Financial Diet for more ideas.