I’ve chucked away a thousand items – trolls say I’m poor & guests have to use paper plates, I’ve never been happier
A MINIMALIST mum who has thrown away 1,000 items and has to give guests paper plates has insisted she’s never been happier.
Dagbjört Jónsdóttir, 39, first began adopting minimalism 10 years ago after finding herself “overwhelmed” with the clutter in her house.
She divided everything up into different sections and has been removing at least two items per week from each section for the past decade.
“I started to notice a lot of change in myself and my family. We were much happier,” she said.
“Because we’ve gotten rid of so much, when we have people over, we eat with paper plates because we only have a few of everything.”
Mum-of-two Dagbjört got rid of everything from towels to sofas and mugs to clothes.
And she’s even thrown away sentimental items such as old clothes and jewellery her parents and grandparents gave her, as she “doesn’t see the need in them”.
Now, the family only have one set of cutlery and plates each.
“We only have one towel each and we don’t have a lot of clothes. Just enough for a few outfits,” she added.
Dagbjört, a freelance marketer, originally from Iceland but now living in Odense, Denmark, said that she’s noticed a massive difference in her and her family’s priorities since starting her decluttering and embracing the minimalist lifestyle.
“When you look around you can have enjoyment just from jumping in the rain with your kids, you don’t need working items,” she said.
“I started noticing my kids playing with toys less and now we have empty cupboards, and we go out and see the world together – we don’t need anything.
“Shortly after Christmas or their birthdays I find that they play less with any toys they’ve been bought.
“Their room ends up crowded with toys that they don’t play with, and they appreciate it more when there is less stuff.
“We have seen through the years that they appreciate going out to the beach with us rather than playing with toys.”
As with anything, Dagbjört’s minimalist lifestyle – which she often shares on social media – has attracted comments from trolls.
But she’s not worried about it, insisting they just do things “differently” than the norm.
“A lot of people hate on TikTok, but each to their own,” she sighed.
“It gives us peace and quiet and it is more environmental.
“People think it’s strange that we don’t have pictures of our children on the wall for example, but we have things in a book, and we just do things differently than other people.”
“Some have also said having less means I’m poor.
“It doesn’t get to me at all, I know I’m not poor, I work for myself, and we own our house and car, so those comments don’t really get to me.”
Now she’s in the process of writing a book, and is hoping to help other people with her “dividing up your home” method.