Our Journey to Minimalism

We’re glad you stopped by! I’m Melody and this is Angie.

Loving the beach life!

We’re The Minimalists Next Door and our philosophy is pretty simple.

• Less is always more, especially when it comes to possessions and obligations.
• Having debt severely limits your freedom.
• Travel forever changes the way you see the world.
• Simplicity is a choice that must be made daily.
• Life is too short to be unhappy.

In 2012, we began reassessing our life and realized that “stuff” and “debt” were robbing us of fun and happiness. Angie was miserable in her job and I was miserable with our surroundings, so we decided to make a radical change. We sold or donated more than 50% of our possessions and moved 2,200 miles away to a city we had never heard of – North Port, FL. For three years, we explored Florida, learning to paddleboard, snorkel, and sneak hot dogs into a baseball game . It was here that we discovered letterboxing, decided boat ownership was not for us, and became Master Naturalists.

In 2015, we purchased a vintage 1985 Serro Scotty travel trailer, with the intention of living part of the year in my mom’s backyard and traveling the US during the other. Things did not go quite as planned but we enjoyed a summer of camping and traveling before settling into a 1-bedroom apartment in my hometown of Gallatin, TN. Though we never intended to stay here, you might say that we have certainly “bloomed where we were planted”. It is here that we’ve mastered the art of dumpster diving, learned to grow and preserve our own food, and found that living with less really does make life more fun.

One thing that we’ve learned over the years is that minimalism is an individual journey. For some, it’s about getting rid of everything and living in a tiny home. For others, it’s about freeing the mind of clutter. We like to think that minimalism is about incorporating simplicity into your everyday life, about learning to live within your means and finding enjoyment in experiences, rather than in acquiring stuff. But most importantly, it’s about understanding yourself and what makes you happy. Whatever your definition, we hope our stories will inspire you (and occasionally make you laugh out loud).

If you’re new to minimalism, you might want to start with one of these posts.

• Tips for Minimalist Living
• 5 Rewards of Being Minimalist
• Eat Like a Minimalist
• Cleaning, Minimalist Style
• Even My Hobbies are Cheap

If you’re interested in learning more about us, go here.