Recently I watched a video on Youtube where a minimalist shared things they only owned one of. While I am far from a minimalist, there are certain things that I find I really only need one of. Especially as I am in the process of moving a lot this year, I have been getting rid of a lot of unnecessary stuff, which has left me with just one of some things. Today I wanted to compile those into a list and share them with you guys in case you are trying to declutter a bit during this time at home too!
1. Makeup
Okay, so I own more than one makeup product. And when it comes to things like lip colors and nail polish, I definitely own too many. But for most items, like mascara, concealer, highlighter, etc. I only own one. I find I just need one because if I have one I like that does the job well, and I don’t want to have to decide every time I put on makeup what to use.
2. Kitchen Utensils
While I definitely own multiple of some things, for many utensils such as a potato peeler, pizza cutter, whisk, etc. I only own one because I don’t use them that often to begin with! And I can always hand wash it if I need to use it again quickly. But does anyone really need 3 pizza cutters?
3. Jean shorts
To some people this may seem normal, but if you follow influencers on social media, you will know how many have excessive amounts of clothing, especially things like jeans or shorts. To me, having one or two pairs I really like is sufficient since I only wear them a few times a week during the summer. If I found a second pair that had a different fit or wash that I loved, I would probably buy them as well, but for now, we are sticking with one pair that I like!
4. Vase
It seems like a lot of people hoard vases, but how often do you actually use more than one or two? And don’t you tend to gravitate towards the same one or two in your collection? I just have one that I found in my last house when I moved in (lol college house perks?) and claimed as mine because I didn’t own one. I could see myself getting another one down the road if I found one I loved, but for now I have one I like and use!
5. Phone case
Is hoarding phone cases even a thing anymore? I feel like when everyone was first getting iPhones, it was the “cool” thing to have like 20 different cases to switch out on your phone. The most I ever had at one time was 2 or 3, but now I just have a neutral one and have one at a time. It is way less hassle when it matches everything, and at this point I care more about how it will protect my phone than if it has a cute pattern.
6. Suitcase
I only have one carry-on suitcase, and it has served me well for years. I could see myself potentially needing a bigger one if I was going on a long trip, but unless that happens, I am sticking with the one I have! I do have a duffle bag that I will also use for shorter trips, but I don’t really count it as luggage since it can fold up small in my actual suitcase to store. A carry-on size is perfect if you only want one piece because it can be used for weekend trips or 2 week trips, and is good for road trips or plane rides!
7. Screen
This one may be a bit of a cheat since I have a phone and a computer, but what I mean by this is I only have one computer and no TV. I know some people own multiple TVs and/or computers, but I just use my computer for school and internships and blogging and watching shows. It works well for me and I don’t see the need to get a TV to take up space when I don’t watch much TV to begin with!
8. Pair of glasses
I know some people like to have 2-3 pairs of glasses that are different to switch between depending on their mood or outfit, but I just go with one neutral pair that I can wear whenever I want to wear glasses instead of contacts. I feel like I also take better care of them because I know if I break or lose them, I won’t have any!
9. Vacuum
I only own one, normal vacuum. These days people can have so many different ones with handheld ones, the ones that vacuum on their own, etc. I just have one normal sized vacuum that works well for an apartment!
10. 1 set of sheets
For some reason freshman year, I thought I would need 2 different pairs of sheets for my dorm bed? I think I had read online in one of those “things you need for college posts” that it helps so you can do laundry less often or something, but in reality I really never needed that extra pair. When I got a bigger bed a few years ago, I decided to just get one pair of white sheets so they are easy to clean and match everything. I have yet to need more than that one pair, so that is all I have now!
Those are 10 things that I only own one of! It was surprisingly hard to come up with this list because as an enneagram 6, I like having back-ups of things *just in case*. So while I like to think I am not excessive, there are things I have 2 or 3 of that could maybe be consolidated down to one in the future.
Tell me in the comments below if there is something on this list you also only own one of, or if you could ever see yourself becoming more of a minimalist!
xo, Scarlett