This is Optimal Finance Daily. Frugal Minimalism. Do less, buy less, worry less, live more. Part 1 by Liz of frugalwoods.com.

I'm currently engaged in what can only be described as a battle with our basement. When we moved to our homestead last May, we established a mentality and practice

of minimalism in our home. Mr. Frugalwoods and I eliminated just about every object that we don't

actively use on a daily basis. As we unpacked, we only removed things from boxes that we find

ourselves in need of regularly.

And I wish, fervently, in fact, that I could take my own advice and establish a practice of

minimalism throughout my entire house, including the basement.

But that hasn't yet come to fruition.

Having only what we need. What didn't we unpack? Here's an

example. Throw pillows. Back in Cambridge, I had this elaborate array of throw pillows on our bed

that I had to take off every night and reapply every morning after waking. What a waste of time. Mr. Frugalwoods and I made the

unanimous decision when we moved that we'd no longer be slaves to such worthless time sucks.

No one even saw these pillows except for Mr. Frugalwoods and me, and now we both thought of them as a

chore. How dumb is that?

We first wasted money buying those pillows. We then had to purchase a bin to store them in while we

slept. We had to clean them periodically, and ultimately, they came to represent a dreaded daily

chore, all because I thought we should have throw pillows.

Because on Instagram, people's beds have throw pillows.

And on HGTV, everyone waxes about their lovely throw pillows.

But I didn't want throw pillows.

Mr. Frugalwood certainly didn't want throw pillows.

They evolved into nothing more than a pointless

...