Best and Worst Life Changing Purchases I've Made as a MINIMALIST | Minimalism Money

Minimalism isn't just about the things we don't buy. Our purchases can impact our lives for the better or worse. Looking back at nearly 14 years of a minimalist lifestyle, I have made purchases that have changed my life. And I've also made some regrettable purchases that made me take a step back and re-evaluate why I made that choice. For me, a minimalist mindset is about being intentional of where I spend my money so that my purchases actually enrich my life. I consider a purchase a worthy one if it enhances my life, adds value, improves my quality of living, or helps me achieve a goal. All of our purchases will look very different because we have different lifestyles and unique goals and ambitions and budgets. These are some of the best purchases I have made that have really enhanced my life. Studying with knowledgeable yogis in my early 20s set me on a path that shaped the rest of my life. I am truly grateful for all of my yoga instructors who have passed down their knowledge to me so that I may do the same. The study of yoga and meditation shaped the kind of person I have evolved into. This not only impacted me but everyone I come in contact with. I'm a more patient mother, a supportive wife, and an empathetic friend. Getting my life coaching certificate enables me to be at service of others. Through the life coaching process, I learn more about myself which helps me to connect with others more deeply. Spending a little more money on a quality manduka yoga mat has changed my life and it saved me a fortune by not having to replace a cheaply made yoga mat. I bought my current manduka mat nine years ago and my previous manduka mat I bought in 2004 which my husband still uses. I'm sure that there are plenty of quality yoga mat brands out there. Manduka just happens to be the one I'm familiar with and the one I've used for 18 years. My mat has become home to me. It is my constant friend I can always count on day after day. I have healed my body and soul on this mat. I have become strong both physically and mentally. I have softened my rough edges and found peace. Owning my own yoga mat enables me to practice yoga daily at my convenience. Practicing yoga for over 25 years has improved my health and there is no price tag on good health. Spending money on traveling has enhanced our family's quality of life immensely. It has opened our minds to other cultures, landscapes, people and experiences. We have all benefited from seeing other parts of the world. I love how unique humankind is and yet we're all connected. Travel has made the biggest impact on our family and also individually. It has taught us all how to get out of our comfort zone, the ability to be adaptable, to appreciate the differences in other human beings and to have the courage and trust in the kindness of strangers. This camera and recording equipment is far more to me than just a bunch of hardware. It was a huge leap of faith in myself. When I bought this equipment I was taking a huge step toward my dreams. I have always wanted to inspire people and offer a voice of support and calmness to others. Through YouTube, technology and other social media platforms it enables me to talk to all of you around the world and hopefully offer you a little bit of peace, clarity and inspiration. I've learned that by doing just a little bit of research and buying quality items saves me a ton of time, money and keeps a lot of things out of the landfill. I would rather own three pairs of quality pants that last me years than 30 pairs that I have to replace every season. For example, smart wool socks cost a little bit more but they last for years. They don't get holes or stretch out so a few pairs of smart wool socks is all I need. Or a packable lightweight down coat that I got because it was after season for a really good deal. Quality doesn't always have to mean more expensive. I have found some of my favorite quality items at thrift stores and buying things after season that way I can get them on sale. None of us are perfect and I have definitely made some very regrettable purchases even living as a mindful minimalist. Because we've been a minimalist family for 14 years we don't buy a lot of things so when we do make a mistake on a purchase it's usually a pretty big one. The biggest regrettable purchase we have made is buying our first RV when we were going to travel the U.S. We were selling our house and going to and there were a few really big mistakes that we made. We went to a showroom lot, got starstruck by all the big shiny new RVs and didn't shop around. We thought that because we were downsizing from a house we needed the biggest RV possible. Because of our impulsive actions we bought a 45 foot three axle toy hauler with three sides two bedrooms and four queen size beds. In our defense it did look a lot smaller on the lot than it was when we were pulling it. It was the equivalent of driving a semi-truck. It was so ridiculously excessive and oversized that we didn't fit hardly anywhere. We could only go under a few bridges. We couldn't go on most roads unless they were highways or freeways. We couldn't get gas unless we were at a truck stop. And all of the places that I had already booked to stay at were state parks and national parks which we did not fit in. After six very frustrating months we traded in that big RV for something that was more reasonable and manageable. Much like the RV situation, a few years back my husband and I got a little excited and bought a Ford 150. Don't get me wrong, I love Ford trucks. They are beautiful and well built. However, we were not planning on how expensive it was to maintain. I mean new tires for that truck were over $2,500 and if anything was broken it just cost us a fortune. Plus we didn't really need a truck. It was a want. So we learned our lesson pretty quick and it was a very short time before we traded that in. Plane tickets can be insanely expensive. Our first few months of global travel I would hunt for the very cheapest ticket there was out there and we learned the hard way that not all airlines are created equal. On one trip flying from Europe to the States we had five layovers, three of which were not indicated on our itinerary and took nearly 40 hours to get home. Another cheap airline ticket price did not reflect all of the add-ons. By the time we had purchased the seats, the carry-on, and the water it turned out that it was just as much if not a little bit more than if we would have gone with a more reliable airline. When we first became minimalists 14 years ago I had it in my mind that I could only buy really cheap clothing items because we were a family and I had little kids and so I spent a lot of money on clothing from discount stores that didn't hold up. We ended up spending far more money replacing the cheaply made clothes than we would have if we would have just bought quality the first time. Quality over quantity was the lesson I learned. As a mindful minimalist I have made some fantastic purchases that have shaped who I am and helped me reach my goals. I've also made some really regrettable purchases too because I'm human. We're all human and continually learning and growing and hopefully improving. Thank you for watching today. I really hope you enjoyed this video and got some value out of it. I invite you to please click subscribe. Maybe look at some of these other videos on mindful living. Have a beautiful day.