1-in-10-out Rule

1-in-10-out Rule Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you’ll never buy anything new. It means you’ll do so with intention. It also means you’ll let go aggressively and deliberately. Or you could do both simultaneously. When I first started simplifying, I was overwhelmed by how much stuff I wanted to jettison. That overwhelm compounded because I still felt the pall of future purchases. To combat impulse shopping and aid my minimizing efforts, I implemented a rule: the 1-in-10-out Rule. For every item I acquired, I had to get rid of ten things I owned. Want that new shirt? Ten articles of clothing hit the donation bin. Want that new chair? Ten pieces of furniture make it to eBay. Want that new blender? Ten kitchen items are axed. This rule helped me reshape my everyday-consumption habits, and, much like the 30-Day Minimalism Game, it helped me strengthen my letting-go muscles. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.