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Minimalism on a Budget: My Top Tips for Frugal Living in 2025

By Rachel

published 01/02/2025

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Last Updated on January 2, 2025 by Rachel Granholm

Live simply and minimally this year! Find out how owning less stuff leads to an overall healthier life.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the constant barrage of advertisements pushing us to buy more, more, more? Or, perhaps, you’ve found yourself drowning in clutter, struggling to keep up with the constant influx of material possessions. In today’s consumer-driven society, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that more is better. But, what if it’s just the opposite? This year, instead of striving for more stuff, let’s be encouraged to adopt a more minimal lifestyle. Join me as I share my top tips for frugal and simple living in 2025!

Table of Contents

Declutter and Thrive: Strategies for a More Minimalist 2025

What if I told you that the key to true happiness and contentment lies in living with less?

Recently, the concept of minimalism has taken the world by storm, with more and more people embracing a simpler, more intentional lifestyle.

As a self-proclaimed “frugal minimalist,” I’ve discovered some invaluable tips for living a minimalist lifestyle on a budget. In this post, I’m sharing my top insights and strategies for incorporating minimalism into your life. Join me for more on decluttering your space and your mind while finding contentment in the simplicity of minimalism.

Living with Less: How Minimalism is the Way Forward

Hello, guys! Happy New Year!

Do you have any specific goals for 2025? Something you want to accomplish? A un-helpful habit you want to break?

Personally, my goal for the new year isn’t necessarily a goal but a sort of lifestyle change. You see, my soul, my entire body, really, is craving simplicity. That includes slowing down, being intentional with my time, practicing mindfulness, and, probably the biggest one, is spending less money on things I don’t need.

What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is a way of living with less. It’s a lifestyle choice that involves surrounding yourself with less ‘stuff’.

There are many ‘levels’ of minimalism depending on how far you want to take it but the basic premise is the same: living a simpler life with less noise, fewer material possessions, and less commitments.

How Can Minimalism Help With a Healthy Lifestyle?

There are endless positive benefits to adopting a more minimal lifestyle.

From experience, when I have less things cluttering my home, I feel calmer and have more clarity. I spend less time on tasks such as cleaning and looking for things and, as such, gain more time for hobbies and fun activities.

Other Benefits of Minimalism:

reduction of waste
encourages you to focus on what’s important
lowers anxiety, stress, and depression
puts you in the present moment
allows for a slower pace of life
helps one become less attached to material things

How Minimalism Changed My Life

But, minimalism goes beyond spending less. It’s a lifestyle choice that can help one to pursue goals and passions.

Living and adopting a ‘living with less’ approach has allowed me to work full time as a content creator and write my blog. This blog is my dream job and I just feel unbelievably blessed that I get to write and share my passions with the world each day.

If there is something that you want to do or achieve but it feels impossible to leave a 9-5 job because of expenses, this is your sign that it’s totally and completely possible. Take inventory of your life, your monthly budget, and the things you are choosing to spend money on. You’ll be amazed at the small amount of money that you can live off of, comfortably, if you put your mind to it!

Minimalism changed my life in the most amazing way. So, if there is a goal you’ve always dreamed of achieving or a business venture you want to pursue but money is holding you back, minimal living could be your answer.

3 Simple Habits for Minimalist Living

So, you might be wondering…”Rachel, how do I do it? Where do I start?” Great questions!

Below are a few simple and actionable tips that you can start doing today. Little things, done in baby steps over time, add up to big progress!

1. Strategies for De-cluttering

The first thing to do is start de-cluttering your home.

My advice here would be to go room by room and closet by closet. Start in whichever room or space feels manageable. When going through items, make a pile to keep, a pile to donate, and a pile to trash. This can be done in phases to help avoid overwhelm, too. You don’t have to do it all at one time. Simply start small.

Keep in mind that if something hasn’t been used for a year or more, you most likely will not use or wear it this year.

2. Resist Impulse Purchases

We’ve all been there…you know…those cue lines at Sierra or TJ Maxx? While standing in line to check out, you gaze upon all the ‘kitschy tchotchkes’ lined up along the corridor that no one actually needs but grabs anyway because it’s only $2.00?!

That’s what I mean by impulse purchases.

It’s SO easy to do, isn’t it?! I’ve fallen into it many times. But…you guys. That’s the retail industry getting in your head! Don’t let them. You truly don’t need any of it. Look on your phone if you have to or engage in conversation with whoever you are shopping with.

It takes time, practice and mindful energy but, over time, you will start to notice the benefits of sticking to your list or only buying exactly what you went shopping for in the first place.

3. Find Alternatives to ‘Buying’

By this I mean, ‘what is a healthy thing you can do instead of buying something?’

We all have those times during the week where we get on Amazon or Target and mindlessly scroll through all. the. things. There’s just something inside all of us, convincing us that we need a new thing.

But, instead of using shopping apps when you are bored or tired, is there an alternative, mindful thing you could do instead of spend money?

Think: simple stretches, a few push-ups, call your mom or a friend, watch a favorite YouTube channel, or maybe even whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Minimalism on a Budget: My Top Tips for Frugal Living in 2025

Overconsumption is a real challenge that many people face. And I totally get it because, in this time of society, it’s hard not to ‘keep up with the Jones’. But, what if you decided not to do that? What if you made the choice to be happy with what you have, use things in different ways, and save money in the process?

One of my main goals for the new year is to spend as little money as possible. With how expensive everything is these days, I would like to keep as many precious dollars in my bank account as possible.

What I’m Choosing Not to Buy This Year in Order to Save Time and Money

So, to help achieve said goal, I’ve come up with a list of items that I’m choosing to not buy in 2025. Some parts of this list came easy to me and others did not…like shoes. I love shoes. But, it’s a challenge that I’m willing to take on.

Below are five areas of living. For each area, I’ve compiled a list of items that I’m either choosing not buy at all or having a ‘low-spend’ on them, meaning I will only buy it if needed, like if it breaks or something.

Here is what I’m not buying this year!

1. Clothing I’m Not Buying.

I wouldn’t say that I abide by a ‘capsule wardrobe’ but I for sure have way less clothing than two years ago. I’m at that age in life where I know what types of clothing I like and will actually wear on a daily basis. This helps me to not over-buy or purchase clothing that I won’t wear.

Recently, I took inventory of all my clothing and decided that I don’t need any more pieces in these areas for the year ahead:

Pants- jeans, joggers, dress pants
Jackets- jean jackets, blazers, ‘light’ jackets to go over a t-shirt, etc…
Any Kind of Sweater
Dresses
Plain Tees
Vests
Button-Up Shirts
Sweatshirts- hoodies, crewnecks, etc…

2. Winter Gear I Don’t Need.

Yes, here in the North winter is the real deal. To enjoy it, you do need to have the correct outdoor gear. However, when taking inventory of the winter gear I already have, this is what I do not need this year.

After all, you can only wear one jacket or pair of gloves at a time!

Winter Hats
Mittens or Gloves
Scarves or Neck Gators
Jackets
Snow Boots

3. Shoes I’m Not Buying.

You guys. When it comes to new things, shoes are my weakness. I’ve always loved shoes. Don’t take me to DSW if you know what I mean. But again, you can only wear one pair of shoes at a time.

And, over the past two years, I’ve upgraded most of my footwear to quality shoes that fit my wide feet. So, the shoes that I have now will last me a long time. No more of these!

Boots
Sneakers
Dress Shoes
Sandals- slides, dress sandals, beach shoes, etc…

4. Home Decor I’m Skipping.

This was another difficult category for me to pair down because we all know how much I love decor. This isn’t to say that I’m going to stop thrifting for vintage and such because that’s a hobby that I enjoy.

However, this list gives me a guide as to what I don’t need any more of and to stay away from while at the thrift stores.

Anything for the kitchen such as dishes, drinking glasses, mugs, cookware, etc…
Furniture- no more room for anything unless I get rid of something else
Throw pillows and blankets- you can only have so many pillows and blankets out a time
Mirrors
Rugs
Lamps

5. Accessories I Won’t Be Purchasing

Accessories are those little things that most of us don’t even think about on a day-to-day basis. But, these smaller things tend to be expensive and it all adds up quickly!

I am choosing not to buy the following for the year:

Bags- backpacks, purses, fanny packs, re-useable bags, etc…
Sunglasses
Socks- recently re-loaded my sock drawer with a variety of socks for the year
Headphones
Phone accessories- phone cases, pop sockets, etc…
Water bottles or to-go coffee mugs
Ball caps

Other Tips for Calm and Intentional Living

These last two ideas are big realms all on their own and could be a whole separate blog post. But, I feel that they fit into the minimalism category and want to briefly touch on them.

Experiences Over Things

This year, I want to focus more of my time on getting out and experiencing things.

Meaning, I want to spend less money on material items and, instead, use that money to pay for adventures that align with my hobbies and interests; on activities that will bring joy and a deeper meaning to my life.

Things such as:

renting AIRBNB’s that will allow me to fly fish in new places
getting out in nature
small day or weekend trips around the Midwest
installing a bike rack on the car to be able to take the bikes further from home and explore new bike trails

Digital Minimalism

Finally, I can’t stress highly enough the importance of decluttering your digital life.

As well all know, all too well, the amount of screen time we engage in is just crazy. Humans are not meant to sit in a chair all day and stare at a screen for 10 hours…that’s not how our bodies are built!

It’s so crucial, for your emotional health, to be mindful of your digital habits that may be cluttering your mind.

Take inventory of how much time spent on a phone or computer per day and, if possible, try to spend even 15 minutes less a day on it. Then, move to 20 minutes less per day. Then 30 minutes. I’ve put this into practice over the past year and it’s done wonders for my overall happiness. I’m able to be more present with my family and spend more time on important things such as getting outside.

For me, this looks like:

turning off and closing my computer by 4 PM
putting my phone away around 7 PM for the day
deleting 8 photos from my camera roll each day
deleting old e-mails and/or contacts on a regular basis

Other digital things to keep in mind and take inventory of:

the things stored on a phone
the amount of photos saved in the camera roll
how much time each day spent on phone apps

Closing Tidbits on Minimalism on a Budget: My Top Tips for Frugal Living in 2025

In this new year of 2025, frugal and budget living will continue to go hand-in-hand with minimalism. This is a powerful lifestyle choice for those seeking simplicity as well as financial freedom.

Less truly is more.

As we kick off a brand new year, full of fresh starts and new possibilities, why not give minimalism a chance? You truly have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

Be encouraged to live intentionally with less stuff, finding more meaning and purpose along the way.

If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!

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