Is it unusual to be happy living with so few possessions?

[Tooolittle]

I`ll just get straight to it.
So met with a friend today for coffee and a chat, she invited me to her home for the first time, she has been to mine loads.
Known each other through work for about a year.

When i got there i was taken back at how little she owned.
Living room 3 chairs a coffee table, and a set of curtains that are 2 different colours, and a fan, the decor was just white walls with one bold color wall.

Kitchen nothing on show just a kettle.
Literally she only owns the basics.
I did say in a nice polite way oh you dont own much, she said why would i want crap everywhere im happier with less, i left it at that.

I mean not even a pitcher on the walls, her floor is wood so she dont own a hoover fair enough.
I used the loo as you would and got a glimps of her bedroom, i mean a huge bed and a small canvas wardrobe thats it.
Her home is empty.

It just mind boggling to me how someone can live with so little comforts, and say they like it.

I can believe minimal suits others.
I like the oportunities that my stuff provides and I like reusing not throwing away.
My stuff is out on view everywhere because that helps me find it, lol.

I don't like anyone being evangelist about how much stuff others should have, some minimalists love their lifestyle so much that they insist others should follow it, that is irritating.

I'm at the point in life when my parents' generation won't be here much longer, and I have adult DC. So I'm thinking about how to make sure that my kids don't have heaps of my stuff to get rid of when I go, and thinking about what is in my house that I could get rid of so I can live in a smaller tidier property.

I agree. I'm starting at the moment with getting rid of loads of clothes. I've realised that I own about 30 tops and wear about 10 of them. So 20 are going. Then when I buy a new one another will go.

I bet she’s sitting on a big fat retirement pot cause she’s not wasted her money buying unnecessary shit

I've got all the usual crap, but when I go to a holiday home that's just got the minimum, like your friend's, I do like the simplicity of it and the white space in the drawers and cupboards: 6 glasses, 6 mugs, 6 spoons etc.
But it is handy to have a lemon zester and amusing to have a novelty eggcup... and so it escalates.

Team Minimalist here

DH knows that when his time comes, all his stuff is going in a skip and I shall have lovely clear spaces.

though I am intrigued by a ‘pitcher on a wall’

I aspire to live like this! My house is pretty minimalist but nothing like this level. An abundance of ‘stuff’ doesn’t make me happy. I don’t have clutter (by clutter I think of my mums house which is always tidy but she just has too much crammed in to a decent sized house so that it looks small and feels oppressive, she has baskets of things to keep everything tidy but also lots of decorative ‘tat’ as I call it scattered around) but I’d still love to streamline further. It’s not realistic as a family of 5 though.
Out kitchen has a kettle on the side and nothing else, everything has a home in a cupboard or a drawer. We do own a lot of cooking equipment, we use it all and cook from scratch daily but we built this kitchen to have enough storage space. Our old kitchen was small and we had no choice but to have things out on the sides. It just always looked untidy.
I like minimalism, not everyone does.

Each to their own but I can't imagine living like that. It would feel like a nun's cell and what on earth do you do with yourself? I guess you can't have any indoor hobbies or even cook much if you have no stuff.

Of course you can - you just keep stuff in cupboards or storage. We have a tiny kitchen so nothing is out on the counters otherwise you can’t even make yourself some toast.

I always wonder what people like this do for hobbies. No books? Sports equipment? Craft supplies?

like what do they actually do?

I have a minimalist friend, her house would be like this. Whereas we have STUFF, and DP is an ADHD Pile Of Doom maker and borderline hoarder. It would be full on hoarding if I wasn't here.

Going to pop to the dump today to get rid of some old batteries and cables I found in a drawer.

Lots of hobbies don’t involve tons of equipment or piles of stuff 🤷‍♀️

For books, I use my kindle.

I read books, but once I've read them then they are given away. I never keep a book I've read because what's the point? I've read it, I know what happens and I'll never read it again.

Actually think that is a lovely way to be. We have a tendency to Gill 9our homes with far more than we need. Is this some kind of security we latch on to?

Pitcher? You mean a picture..

I'm not as extreme but am very minimalist. I hate clutter or having too much 'stuff'.

I invited someone over once and he asked if I was in witness protection 😀

I choose to live like this and I do have a lot of savings!!! I don’t like clutter and buying unnecessary stuff.

Am I the only one a bit confused about what you expected to see or thought was missing.

apart from the pitcher ;) pictures on the wall (I only have two) and probably have more clothes, this could me my home. I keep my appliances away. What are we missing that we are expected to have?

I'm always encouraging DD to be less of a consumer. You can only spend money once of course.

I think it's paying off a bit

No she doesn't.
Op's just curious, it's how people learn.
Most bare houses are not minimalist they're owned by people who can't afford to buy anything other than essentials.
It's only natural to wonder why someone doesn't have any pictures on the wall.

Tbf you're an exception in our consumerist society. I think it must be nice to be you, I imagine your home feels very calming.

I'm like that I have to admit. I hate having anything I feel like I don't need. My family and friends don't understand it either. I find the house much easier to clean and manage and am not troubled by things falling out of cupboards and drawers. So simple and peaceful

I read a lot but either on my kindle or library books. I also do jigsaws and Lego sets, buy one, complete it, dismantle it, donate or sell it, buy another. There’s a box under the bed with some sewing supplies for when that mood takes me. DH’s hobbies are a guitar and a bicycle. Running kit for both of us is in the wardrobe with other clothes.

It’s DS that brings clutter to our lives, being two, along with my Mother who insists on gifting physical things (ornaments etc) that are not especially wanted but also I feel guilty getting rid of.

Sounds like shes a minimalist, id love to be like that, but alas 2 kids, a husband and Adhd stops me

I am not an extreme minimalist but I am always striving for less clutter. I have books on my kindle and have one small bookcase for the books tbr. I pick them up cheaply, and pass most of them on after reading them.
I cook simply so don't need masses of utensils or appliances. Kitchen counters are bare save for toaster and kettle. Hobbies are mainly outdoors: gardening, vounteering with rescue horses, walking. I've started trying to exercise more but nothing that needs much in the way of equipment. Just leggings, trainers and a swimming costume. Doing some online courses. Just a laptop required. Choir - again, happens away from home and no equpment needed. I like journalling and have notebooks and some nice pens, but they don't take up much room.

I love the simplicity of not having too much stuff. I can find things and keep the place clean without much difficulty. It wasn't always this way and I'm by no means perfect and so clutter does creep in, but it never takes long to reset.

Ed to add in answer to the question of what do minimalists actually do, well, a lot less cleaning/organising/looking for things ( see also: shopping) and more time to read/ do hobbies/see friends/ watch telly etc

My idea of bliss. My bedroom is like this, living room too, kitchen is not but that’s due to kids using the breakfast bar to dump things. I hate clutter and I regularly have a massive clearance of things I do t need, use or wear.