When I buy something, I try to ask myself, do I really need this? Living in a minimal way doesn't have to be about sacrifice -- in fact, it can actually be liberating to remove the clutter around you. It can give you back cash, physical and mental space. People like Brian Jones, who had everything he owned stolen in the rental truck he packed up the day before he moved remind us of this. Less is indeed often More.
Here are three things that I've noticed I don't need:
The Bath Mat
It's a fixture in the bathroom but I've always wondered why. I dry off in the tub or shower where any drips are contained. Easy. No need for a bath mat that I have to buy, wash, dry, replace etc...
The Paper Towel
These things are expensive, take up space, and kill trees. According to the EPA, paper and paperboard products constitute the largest portion of municipal solid waste (MSW). Just go cloth. Anything that is designed for a one-time use should be re-examined, but the paper towel is enemy #1. And c'mon people!...it's not that hard to use a dishtowel. You don't even have to buy one...cut up some of your wrecked clothing and you're good to go.
The Cocktail Napkin
The cocktail napkin has a pathetic five-second life: From bartenders hand to bar to sticky mess on the bottom of your glass. An empty symbol of "good service," it rarely serves any purpose whatsoever. A sturdy coaster could do the job and live to see another day. Heck, it's not as if you're worried about stains on the bar anyway.
This is a quick list of some of mine. What's on your list? Please comment below!
More From Huffington Post on Waste
::Top 10 Most Useless Items of Crapola
More From TreeHugger on Paper Waste
::A Picture is Worth... Watch the Amazon Go Down in Paper
::Greener Dryer Better: LCA of Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels
::Non-Ode to a Cocktail Napkin
How to Green Your Kitchen
::How to Green Your Kitchen
::Clean Up Your Kitchen
On Living Minimal
::A Story about Losing, Leaving and Buying It All Back
Photos: Sean Justice/Getty Images; Bix Burkhart /Getty Images; Tariq Dajani /Getty Images