When a "2 bed, fixer upper, townhouse, in an upcoming neighbourhood" is going for half a million.....most millennials have accepted they won't be owning homes anytime soon.
Many of us are renting the homes and starting/raising our families in them. We are choosing smaller spaces to keep costs down, or are forced to move around often, due to the unstable market of renting. This means our lifestyle needs to reflect the somewhat nomadic nature that comes along with renting.
Minimalism isn't a trend...it's a necessity for our generation! Having boxes full of "family treasures" is no longer practical. It's a concept that seems to be challenging for other generations to grasp. Why wouldn't we want a box full of Great Aunt Helen's knitted sweaters that nobody is going to wear? The nerve of us.
The trouble is, many of our parents and grandparents came from a generation where home ownership was the standard...especially when you were raising children. Not only do they not understand why many of us are unable to purchase in this overinflated market, they also are puzzled by our minimalistic attitude when it comes to clutter. Many of them bought a home, raised children in it and lived there well into their retirement years. The reality of today's market is , that just isn't possible.
It isn't as simple as "saving" or "cutting back" . Paying $1400 monthly in rent for a one bedroom apartment along with other monthly expenses, doesn't leave much if any room for saving. Our generation has had to get creative with living arrangements and adapt to what is finically practical. Apartments, multi unit family homes, condos and other rentals are our reality.
Due to the instability of renting, we understand that we could have to move within 60 days notice. Having a minimalistic approach to life is essential to our sanity. Only having to move the essentials is key to making the process less painful. I guarantee if your Great grandmother had to move multiple times in year... she wouldn't have kept so many "treasures" either.
Having the bare minimum makes our daily lives easier. Not only are we avoiding tripping over clutter, our minds feel less cluttered as well. Our generation has enough to worry about as it is...we don't need to feel responsible for all the clutter our parents/grandparents collected over the years.
So the next time your mom tries to convince you to take a box of "family treasures" simply give it a hard pass. Remember you aren't responsible for their stuff. No matter how cold that might seem....you don't need to lug that box through every rental property you reside in.
Our living situations and values are different and thats ok. We shouldn't feel like we are failing because we haven't been able to follow the same path as those who came before us. Homeownership is no longer practical for many of us and our lifestyle reflects that. Despite so many aspects of society evolving over the years...this narrative of buying a home and hosting Sunday dinner needs to go. Our lives are different and thats ok. Consequently it's understandable to not want unneeded clutter in our homes and minds.
Less is more.
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