THE BROKEN WALLET

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How watching decluttering and minimalism videos quietly changed the way I spend (and saved me thousands).

If you want to save more money, live a freer life, and just feel happier with where you are, start watching minimalism and decluttering videos. I promise it can completely change your perspective – and I’m speaking from personal experience.

Full disclosure: I’ve never been a big spender. I’ve been cautious with money most of my life. I’ve been writing about personal finance since 2005, and most of my content is money-saving tips, so I have a pretty good handle on it. Even so, I’m human. I slip up from time to time, and I’ve held onto habits I probably shouldn’t have.

For example, I used to always buy things just in case, or I’d jump on a buy-one-get-one-free sale because I felt like I was leaving money on the table. But about five or six years ago, I had a shift. I started spending more time on social media and YouTube, and I stumbled upon decluttering videos.

I found them oddly satisfying. People would transform cluttered spaces – closets, garages, junk drawers – and it was mesmerizing to watch. Then I discovered minimalism content. I’m not a full-blown minimalist, but I loved a lot of the ideas. I was craving simplicity in my life. And at the time, I mostly watched these videos for entertainment, but without realizing it, a shift was happening inside me.

Over the course of months, maybe a year or two, the things I was seeing started to stick. One day, I remember walking into a store, browsing, and not wanting to buy a single thing. Not even items that usually catch my eye. I also found myself asking questions I’d never asked before: Where am I gonna put this? Do I really need it? And I left without buying anything. I actually felt proud.

A few days later, I watched another minimalist video, and it clicked: I had already been practicing some of their advice without even knowing it. My perspective on shopping – and spending money – had shifted.

Now, I don’t call myself a minimalist. I’m not doing weekly decluttering projects. But I’ve adopted enough of their practices that it’s saved me a ton of money. I’ve gone from buying handbags and shoes I rarely wore to mostly shopping only to replace something that’s worn out. Sure, I still make the occasional impulse purchase, but those are rare now.

Some tools I use to keep myself in check? The one-in, one-out rule, the 24-hour rule, and asking myself the important questions: How often am I realistically going to use this? Even just pausing for 2–10 seconds can make a huge difference.

Here’s the thing: saving money isn’t hard. Underconsumption (or normal consumption) isn’t rocket science. It’s mostly about exposure. If you’re around people who constantly shop and put a lot of importance on material things, that attitude can rub off. But if you surround yourself with people who value balance, contentment, and reasonable experiences over “stuff,” it changes how you approach spending.

For me, it’s about doing what I really love and canceling out the noise. Every financial choice we make today affects our future. Learning how to save money in small, low-key ways now makes life so much easier…and, honestly, it can make you feel richer over time.