Our lives have grown so complex. The world around us is loud, hectic and full of distractions.
To push back against that sense of overwhelm, a movement has taken hold in the U.S. encouraging people to adopt minimalism.
It’s about living with fewer possessions. Buy less. Own less. You don’t need all this stuff to be content.Without all that unnecessary clutter weighing you down, you can concentrate on what truly matters to you.
Savinly recently published an engaging conversation with Joshua Fields Milburn, one half of the duo who call themselves The Minimalists.
Feeling stressed, unhappy and overworked, Milburn left a high-paying job and eliminated 90% of his belongings. Today he advocates the advantages of a simpler, more intentional life with fewer things.
Now, we’re not telling you to toss 90% of your possessions. That approach isn’t for everyone.
Still, in that spirit, here’s a collection of apps and services that can help you pare down and simplify your life — while also saving you some money.
1. Clear Out Your Stuff
If you live in the U.S. (or Canada), chances are you’ve accumulated items in your home you don’t use anymore. Remove the clutter —and earn a little cash — with these no-cost apps:
Decluttr: Get rid of old DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, video games, outdated phones and other gadgets. Scan the barcodes with your smartphone, and Decluttr will give you an offer. They’ll provide a prepaid shipping label so you can send everything for free. One user, Gil Flores, moved about 100 DVDs and 75 CDs and netted $275, averaging $1.57 apiece.
Letgo: This app lets you sell almost anything. Snap a photo of your item and create a listing in roughly 30 seconds.
2. Choose a Straightforward Cash-Back Card
Credit-card rewards programs can be maddeningly intricate. Pay this annual fee. Don’t forget to scan receipts. If you collect sufficient airline miles, you might get 5% back at Shell stations on Wednesdays in July.
No thanks. Skip the fuss. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
A simple cash-back card pays you for each dollar you spend.
One option we recommend: the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Its standout feature? You’ll earn a flat 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Plus, if you charge $500 within the first three months after opening the card (hello, groceries), you’ll receive a $150 bonus.
Sign up — and get a 0% intro APR for 15 months — here.
3. Consolidate Your Student Loans
Student-loan debt is often bewildering. It ties you to your college, the federal government, various private firms, banks and occasionally collectors.
To simplify matters, look into refinancing your student loans. Through a comparison platform like Credible, you can refinance both federal and private loans.
Credible links you with lenders who can replace multiple loans with a single one, potentially offering a lower rate and/or a reduced monthly payment. Enter your details to discover what your new rate might be.
Refinancing federal loans with a private lender will eliminate federal protections and benefits (for example, income-driven repayment plans, deferment, forbearance, and forgiveness options).
4. Track Where Your Money Is Going
Nothing is more perplexing than our own spending quirks.
To monitor your outflows, try Trim, a Facebook Messenger or SMS bot that helps you stay accountable. It works like a financial assistant that lives on your phone.
The best part: Trim negotiates bills with cable and internet providers like Comcast, Time Warner and Charter. It keeps working until it secures savings for you. (It retains 25% of whatever it reduces your bill by.)
5. Reduce Your Energy Use, Lower Your Bills
If you’re anything like many of us, you could probably trim your electricity use. We all could. Have you taken the simple steps to shrink your power bill?
Reach out to your utility. Many providers offer programs designed to cut energy consumption — and lower your monthly charges.
Again, minimalism is about living with less — despite a culture that conditions us to crave more and more.
Joshua Fields Milburn, one half of The Minimalists, sums it up well:
“How might my life improve with less?” he urges you to consider. “Maybe I’ll regain control of my finances. Maybe I’ll concentrate more on my health. Maybe my relationships will get stronger. Maybe I’ll recover my time and creativity to pursue that passion project.”
“Or maybe I’ll simply have a tidier home.”
Alex Rivers ([email protected]) is a senior writer at Savinly. He has too many possessions.
*Annual rewards figures will vary depending on the amounts you enter. Monthly spending category names and definitions may differ among issuers, and categories may not line up exactly.
The details on the Chase Freedom Unlimited card were gathered independently by Savinly. The views expressed here are the author’s and not those of the card issuer, nor have they been reviewed, approved or endorsed by the issuer. Savinly is a partner of Credible.
