Short answer – no.
This question about minimalism is right there at the top with other annoying assumptions like minimalists can own only 100 things or all minimalist homes have white walls. However, this misconception is understandable given the typical media coverage about simple living. For years, I’ve read articles on people quitting their high-paying jobs to start small businesses, live simply, travel the world, or retire early. Very frequently, these people had impressive job titles with high salaries and were successful in changing their lives. If they had failed, would they be portrayed in the media?
Journalists (and often readers) love these stories that dramatize huge “before” and “after” contrasts (omitting lots of nitty-gritty details). I’m guessing that stories about middle-class people decreasing their incomes by $10,000 – $20,000 or more to live a simpler, more minimalist lifestyle don’t sound very exciting. Yet that drop in income is most likely a larger percentage with a bigger impact than the stories glamorized by the media.
Medium answer—minimalism is not about income.
Leaning into a minimalist lifestyle may seem, at first, about getting rid of a lot of stuff, which in turn, seems to imply a higher income at the start. After all, would you have so much stuff without a higher income? Unless you are truly poor, the average person in the “developed world” collects quite a lot of superfluous possessions that are neither used nor needed.
Earning a good income doesn’t mean you have savings, either. Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn aka The Minimalists talk about earning high salaries but spending even more. They acquired huge debts along the way. Perhaps they were compensating for growing up poor or they got sucked into the American ideal of big houses, fancy clothes, and expensive cars. Like many other minimalists (at various income levels), Joshua and Ryan eventually realized that their lifestyles were not aligned with their values. So they instantly became minimalists, right? No. It took time to declutter, pay down debt, and change their lifestyles. It’s a journey with successes and failures along the way.
Long answer—it’s not the size of salaries, homes, or possessions that count but how you use them.
Can real minimalists have a lot of money? Sure. Perhaps they donate a lot or have large families or a desire to retire early. Do real minimalists all bike to work and live in tiny houses? Some do, but for most of us, this isn’t practical. Joshua Becker has written how he and his wife decided to minimize and go down to one car when they moved to Arizona. However, they soon discovered that living in a suburb with two kids and only one car made their lives unnecessarily difficult. They eventually got a second car, so both adults could manage their lifestyle in a more pleasant and meaningful way. Becoming minimalist doesn’t require moving or suffering for the sake of owning less!
Next time you come across the assumption that minimalism is only for the young or the childfree or the single person or the rich or whatever, take a closer look at the evidence. The media have limits to their coverage and rarely go into the details.
You don’t have to fit all your worldly possessions into a backpack. There’s no magic number for the amount of items you should own. You’re allowed to own the car or the home or the possessions that give meaning to your unique style of minimalist living. Let’s try to educate ourselves and the public to go beyond the superficial headlines and stories about minimalism. Let’s encourage everyone to dig deeper into its essence. Living life with less excess and more meaning is the true privilege.
RESOURCES
Babauta, Leo Essential Zen Habits: Mastering the Art of Change, Briefly
The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life
Becker, Joshua The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
Carver, Courtney Simple Ways to Be More with Less
Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More
Millburn, Joshua Fields and Ryan Nicodemus Essential: Essays by The Minimalists
Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists
Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life
Robin, Vicki and Joe Dominguez Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial MORE
For more resources, go to this page: Resources
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Living minimalism as a continual process is what’s important, because we are living, breathing, changing human beings who may or may not have some drama in our lives. Just like with successful dieting, it’s a change in lifestyle, not a temporary, time-limited program. I love your writing. Keep on making us think!
Thank you for your kind words, Kay! I totally agree that minimalism is a lifestyle, a way of thinking, not simply a composite of “to do” lists, which it is often reduced to!