As a minimalist, I never noticed how many multiples of the items in the list below my friends own. That’s the inspiration behind this post, really – discussing the items I only own one of among my friends. If you are decluttering, this post may be useful for you, but some of the items may not be realistic to minimise – as a singleton, I only need things for one person and so I of course will need less than a larger household.

Anyway, I hope you can find some inspiration and an insight into my minimalist lifestyle and the twenty things I only own one of.

mug

I only drink one hot drink a day and so one mug is all I need. It’s big and holds my coffee – what more do I need?

formal shoes

I keep one pair of formal shoes for funerals/job interviews or any occasion that requires formal dress. They are a simple black pair of brogues that are extremely versatile and will last probably forever.

SCRUNCHIE

When I shove my hair up at home, I find traditional hair ties to pull my hair too much. While scrunchies come in many patterns and snazzy colours, I keep it simple with one black ribbed to keep it minimal.

PERFUME

I have had the same scent for many years – Gabrielle by Chanel. Again, this is probably going to remain as the only scent I wear forever.

BEDDING SET

I do my laundry in the mornings, so by the afternoon my bed is already remade. For me, it seems silly to own more than one bedding set.

SUITCASE

My suitcase is small and can hold everything I need for trips. Bonus – it’s small enough to go on cheaper flights that only allow carry on luggage that fits in the allotted box.

BLANKET

If I’m cold, I have a blanket. No need for multiples in crazy or seasonal prints.

WATCH

My watch was one of the first expensive purchases I saved hard for at my first job. I love it and will repair it if broken.

TOWEL

My towel is huge and does the job – again, I wash this around my showering schedule and I don’t feel deprived from only having one.

BAG

I have a simple black bag that holds everything with space for anything extra I may take with me. It’s minimal and matches any outfit I wear.

PHONE CASE

A phone case is a protective cover – not an accessory. Mine does the job, so I’m satisfied.

EARPHONES

Buying AirPods was a game changer for me and they have replaced my earphones, headphones and wireless headphones completely.

WATER BOTTLE

Mine is a giant 2l water bottle that I mainly use when at work.

BELT

Like many other in this list, a belt has a purpose – to hold up trousers. Like many things I own, this is black and so matches with everything.

STYLE/COLOUR OF SOCKS

I only wear white trainer socks on an everyday basis. I do own one pair of thicker socks to wear with boots in winter, that double as ‘bed socks’.

MAKEUP PRODUCTS

I own one foundation, concealer, eyeliner, etc. Once you find the product that works for you, it seems wasteful to own many different ones.

DVD

I would own 0 DVDs, but, I adore the James Bond franchise and financially, having the physical box set of the films, is massively cheaper than renting or buying a digital copy. This was one of the Christmas gifts I asked for this past year and I have no regrets.

SCISSORS

Seriously, who needs more than one pair?

PEN & NOTEBOOK

Separate items, but they go hand in hand. My Parker Pen takes ink cartridges, leading to less waste than replacing an entire plastic ballpoint pen when it dries up. A notebook is what it says – it takes notes. I don’t need many variations in different sizes in order to do what I need to do and so one notebook works for me.