So you probably started or have been a long time minimalist, but found that you're not getting near enough to your goal of living an efficient or minimal waste lifestyle as you would like. Well, I've got one phrase for you Zero Out. My husband actually mentioned this term to me first, but it was like a light bulb in my brain, why hadn't I thought about this before?

WHAT IS ZEROING OUT?

You might already have an idea about what "zeroing out" means just by the phrase. But I'll give you a simple explanation here.

So, you want to reduce food waste or stop using liquid shampoo and instead use bar soaps, you should first finish what you have.

That's right, getting rid of stuff and donating things to Good Will might seem easy, but it isn't always the best solution. After all what you're really doing is just displacing items and not really dealing with the actual issue. So, by zeroing out, you reduce the wastage.

Yes, it might seem terrible to own that SFL containing bottle of shampoo, but the best thing is to not toss the entire bottle, but to use it up and start with a clean slate.

Clean slate. Just think of that, you can't just get rid of everything in one go, maybe you can just use that old shirt or wear out those shoes until you can afford to do the research and save up the money to get a good replacement.

Dumping everything and getting eco-friendly products is not necessarily the best solution to start minimizing. After all, not everyone has a boat load of money to spend on new products or clothes.

So, when you're thinking of ways to change your lifestyle to a more minimal one, start by zeroing out, and clear out the pantries, bathroom cabinets, etc before adding more in.