Welcome to The Rich Minimalist
The objective of The Rich Minimalist style is to work towards a healthy, free and happy life. We achieve this by focusing on becoming time-rich. Here I will show how.
With "The Rich Minimalist" I am referring to the practice of combining a minimalist lifestyle with the pursuit of “feeling rich”. What I mean by that is to choose a certain lifestyle and then find ways to generate enough income to sustain that lifestyle. The more frugal we live, the easier it will be to achieve financial stability.
I consider myself a rich minimalist and it’s a journey not a destination. There is always something to improve or new ways and things to try. The core principles, however, remain the same. My aim is to be rich in time not necessarily money: As much time as possible that I have at my own disposal and I decide what to do with it.
Follow my journey as I share stories, philosophical musings, and practical tips about achieving freedom and happiness based on a minimalist lifestyle that’s financially stable.
Topics I am covering revolve around:
Prioritizing health and fitness
Frugal lifestyle through, eg, van life or tiny houses
Financial stability through passive income and escaping consumerism
Seeking personal growth and challenges
Importance of having good people around you
The Rich Minimalist Mini-Manifesto
The objective of The Rich Minimalist style is to work towards a healthy, free and happy life. I believe to achieve this we need to unlearn a couple of things that society and education taught us.
The key is not career and money. The key is health and freedom.
We achieve this by prioritizing our health — you can only be free and independent if you are healthy — reducing our materialistic and monetary needs, and re-focusing on a more frugal and minimalist lifestyle. We don’t need a huge house for happiness. We need a safe space, a roof over our head, water and warmth. A camper van or a tiny house can perfectly deliver this. Way more important is the ability to connect to nature.
In this publication I will emphasize on intentionality, and a focus on quality over quantity to create a life of abundance, purpose, and contentment rather than material possessions. This approach involves simplifying one's life to eliminate clutter and distractions, which frees up time, money, and mental space to invest in experiences, personal growth, and meaningful goals. Ultimately, this will lead to greater financial well-being and a richer, more fulfilling life.
You will feel richer. You will be a rich minimalist.
Core Principles of The Rich Minimalist
Below are the core principles summarized.
Freedom and Time
Eliminating distractions and clutter (both physical and mental) to create more time and mental space for activities that bring joy and purpose, such as pursuing passions, connect with nature, spend quality time with good people, help someone or building meaningful businesses.
Quality over Quantity
Intentionally choosing fewer, high-quality items that are well-crafted and designed to last, rather than accumulating numerous cheap or disposable goods. Forget brands and what other people think. Get or build what is really fit-for-purpose.
Intentionality and Value
Making conscious choices about what to focus on and what to bring into one's life based on core values and genuine needs, rather than impulse or societal pressure.
Redefined Wealth
Shifting the definition of wealth from solely financial gain to include elements like freedom, time, contentment, peace of mind, good people, and meaningful experiences.
Discipline
Practicing self-discipline, such as consistently working towards a goal, overcoming challenges, or resisting impulse consumerism. Focus on redirecting resources towards long-term goals.
Investing in Experiences, Challenges and Growth
Prioritizing spending resources on meaningful experiences and personal growth rather than accumulating possessions. Use challenges to foster growth.
Some Examples of Practical Applications
I describe some examples of practical applications of the core principles below.
Take Care of Your Body. It’s the Only One You Have
Put your health first. You won’t be able to enjoy all the freedom you create if you are sick. And you’ll be a burden for your loved ones. Don’t eat shit. Exercise and move a lot. Reduce stress. Carefully select the people in your inner circle. Get quality sleep.
Connect With Nature
In our modern life, most of us consider it normal to sit eight hours in front of a computer inside of an office building. But it’s not and it makes us sick. Aim to get out as much as possible — even if it’s just a morning walk in the forest or along the beach.
Tiny Living
Living in a camper van or tiny house (at least part-time) can not only help you save money but also helps you become aware of what you really need. And it improves your quality of life.
Financial Planning
This includes applying strategies like fully understanding where your expenses go and why, understanding your risk appetite and execute accordingly, avoiding credit card debt, investing in different pots with different time horizons, leveraging the compounding effect early, building businesses, and creating (semi-)passive income.
Mindful Spending
Asking whether a purchase is a genuine need that will add value to one's life, which can prevent overspending and reduce clutter.
Grow Through Challenges
Setting yourself a tough challenge with a clear deadline can be a wonderful catalyst to achieve personal growth. This can be anything from a signing up to a sports competition, a trip to a foreign country far outside of your comfort zone, a public speech, learning an instrument and playing in front of people, or starting a business.
What to Expect from This Channel
All the publications on this channel will be related to this Rich Minimalist idea. That includes topics about:
Frugal lifestyle
Financial independence
Personal development
Health & fitness incl nutrition, workouts and recovery
Outdoors and survival
Van life
Tiny houses
Posts will be published about weekly and summarized in monthly emails.
Who Is This For
With this publication I want to help people who seek authentic happiness, people who want to escape the rat race and focus on what really creates happiness.
My articles will fall in three categories:
Some will be abstract and philosophical to go deep and get to the root of things. This will help to get a better understanding why we often do things the way we do them.
Some articles will cover super practical how-to tips. This can include, e.g., most efficient heating systems for camper vans, how to forge a ax, how to size a tiny house solar system, or how to stay fit while on the road.
Sometimes I will add in real-world survival stories including the lessons we can learn from them.
This channel co-exists with my website Happiness Ride.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment: