Let’s be honest; you probably have enough things in your home already. What more could you possibly buy? For a quick piece of money saving advice for minimalists, here’s a simple philosophy: if it ain’t broke, don’t buy it.

This is the premise. Stop buying new stuff. Whatever it is. Something that provides pleasure. Something that you’ve always wanted yet cannot reasonably afford. Anything that is just decorative. An item or article or object that isn’t urgently required. Don’t buy it unless you already have it and it is a replacement for something that broke or no longer works.

In the video Jenny and I did where we went over 14 things we feel too guilty to buy, one of my items was anything that isn’t a replacement for a broken item.

It’s true. I feel like I already have almost everything I will ever need or even want–until things start breaking. They always do, don’t they?

This piece of money saving advice can also help you in your minimalism journey

Along with helping you save some money, buying fewer new things will help you along any minimalism journey you may be on. All of us, at one point in our lives or another, have been excessive with what we buy. Maybe we grew up in an environment like this where we had to have every Spider-Man action figure out there in the collection. Excess was something prevalent in my middle class household of the 1990s and yet I never felt as if my family was financially secure. Why is that? Why was I able to get everything I wanted and needed and yet money was a problem? Maybe it’s because my parents were always adding without putting much practical thought into need.

I can’t hate them for that. What good is Spider-Man without a Kingpin or Green Goblin to cause mayhem in your bedroom?

In our journey to save money and live minimally, I’ve come to the practical conclusion that money and minimalism are twins. They aren’t fraternal. One is a little taller and the other has thicker cheekbones. Yet they creepily wear the same outfits sometimes and from far away you would never be able to tell them apart. Their personalities are pretty much the same with the biggest difference being their opinion on how Game of Thrones ended. One hates it. The other is indifferent.

Replacing broken items you still use, need, or want isn’t an outrageous routine to follow. Our own bodies are designed to replace things. When you lose a tooth as a kid, a new one grows back. The same with hair on your head until a certain age. But don’t worry. You get some extra hair coming out of your nose every once in a while.

In our first YouTube video we produced for Practically Humans, Jenny and I discussed why we like minimalism. One of my favorite reasons will always be how much money it saves. By not buying new things all of the time and only looking to replace or fix broken items for the majority of the things we bring into our home, it helps us in both of these lifestyle goals.

Below are affiliate links to products we use and recommend. By using those links, we may receive a small commission from your purchase. Using these links does not affect the price.

The book that convinced us to start investing and being more proactive with our money and lives: The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias

The gear we use to make our YouTube videos at the Practically Humans YouTube Channel

• Sony ZVE10 Camera
• Sony Retractable Zoom Lens
• MOVO Shotgun Microphone
• Audio Cable
• Memory Card
• RGB Lights
• Studio Light

Thank you for stopping by!