Start Adapting to a Minimalist Lifestyle While Still in College

As a college student, you might think that you're already adhering to a minimalist lifestyle: you have no real spending budget, and you share a room with a twin-sized bed with at least one other roommate. But college campuses are overflowing with surplus, from food to garbage to school supplies and other material items. Living a minimalist lifestyle can help you declutter your mind and your commitments so that you're more free to think creatively, concentrate on what really matters in life — your family, friends and goals — and help the environment. It's also a sensible way to start saving money if you eliminate your dependence on things you want rather than need. Starting to adapt to this lifestyle in college will make it easier for you to live on a budget and stay grounded when you graduate and are thrust into the chaos of the working world.

A lot of us have too many clothes. Go through your closet and put aside to recycle any clothes that you keep packing each year but haven't actually worn in at least a year. Clothes that you try on but never really wear because they don't fit right or aren't your color should go to your dorm mates or to a donation service. You'll find that you're not missing any of your old clothes, either, since you never wore them anyway, and you'll have freed up tons of space in your closet. Ah, that's better.

Keep the momentum going by creating a running shopping list of everything you need and want. Try not to buy anything impulsively, unless it's an obvious need like toothpaste or deodorant, and review your list every week or so to see if you still really need the things you've written down. Chances are, you probably don't feel as enthusiastic about spending your money on those four magazines as you did last Saturday.

Your eating habits contribute greatly to the type of lifestyle you have, so watch what you eat and how you eat. Reduce portion sizes, telling yourself that if you are really and truly still hungry, you can go back for seconds or dessert. It's hard at on campus, but try to recycle whatever you can, and only grab a napkin or two at a time, instead of an entire wad. You'll learn more about the reasons why you eat, and may even lose a little extra weight as you also learn to care about the environment and resources it takes to feed you each day. Don't take your minimalist lifestyle to the extreme and start living like an ascetic. The point is to live according to your needs, not deprive yourself of them.