More time, more money, more happiness.

What if simplifying your life didn't require sacrifice?

Imagine a home with less clutter, a healthier bank account, fewer things to manage, and more free time because shopping, organizing, and decluttering no longer took up so much of your life.

And if that lifestyle happened to benefit the planet too? Even better.

Somewhere along the line we started to equate enjoying with owning.

We don’t just want to see or experience things, we need to possess them.  Why is that?  Where did we get that idea?  You like a painting in a museum?  Buy the print!  You had a fun vacation in Mexico?  Buy the souvenir.  Need to clean your carpet once a year?  Buy the machine. See a cute outfit on a friend? Buy it!

Im sure its partly just human nature combined with the fact that around every corner is someone trying to sell us something.

Owning more is not the key to happiness

If owning things were the answer to happiness our society would be euphoric and studies show our happiness levels are declining in correlation to the amount of stuff we own. Oh, and the junk removal and storage industries are worth billions!

Why clothing rental works for me.

A few years ago I discovered Nuuly and Rent the Runway and have been a loyal member of both ever since.  I am still not totally clear on whether it is the more “eco friendly” thing to do, but it feels right for me.  A former recreational shopper, I haven’t  bought any clothes in ages.  My spending is way down and my closet is so much simpler.   Of course I own a carefully curated collection of “basics” like tee shirts, cashmere sweaters and a few other staples, but that’s it!  (Oh and of course bras and undies, socks and workout gear).

My rentals arrive, I enjoy them, and then they leave. I never have to wonder if I'll still love them next year, whether I'll wear them again, or what to do with them when I don't. I simply enjoy them while they're in my life and send them on their way for someone else to enjoy (instead of straight off to landfill). Best part is that every few weeks I get the excitement of something new without adding another permanent resident to my closet.

Fast Fashion is dangerous for us and for the planet

Fast fashion, on the other hand, encourages us to buy something new almost every day. Clothing is so cheap and accessible that it feels silly not to. "It's only $20!" But those $20 purchases add up, and so do the clothes. Before long, our closets are overflowing, our credit card balances are soaring, and we're left managing piles of things we barely remember buying.

Different clothing subscriptions offer various tiers and memberships but it is all the same idea.  They give you the opportunity to try new looks and new styles constantly and then return them every few weeks for new things.   They take care of all the washing and dry cleaning and everything feels quite new and fresh in my experience.

Why would I buy something I could borrow or rent?

Most rental memberships do offer the option of buying something you fall in love with at a reduced price. If you rent a great pair of jeans that fit like a glove, you can keep them for about half the retail price. Every time I get a compliment on something I've rented, someone inevitably asks, "Are you going to keep it?" My answer is always the same.

"Why would I do that?"

I've already enjoyed it. It looked great. I got the compliments. It served its purpose. Why turn a temporary pleasure into one more permanent possession?

That one simple question has changed the way I think about buying almost everything. Before I purchase something, I ask myself whether I really need to own it. Could I rent it? Borrow it? Buy it secondhand? Could I simply enjoy it for a while and then let it go?

It turns out that owning something isn't the only way to enjoy it.

Perhaps that's the mindset we need more of.

Because maybe real luxury isn't having more.

Maybe it's having fewer things to buy, fewer things to manage, and fewer things to worry

about.

#30WEARS

IF YOU SEE AN ITEM OF CLOTHING YOU THINK YOU WANT TO BUY, PAUSE AND ASK, "WILL I WEAR THIS 30 TIMES?" IF THE ANSWER IS NO THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULD NOT BUY IT.