Although it’s commonly thought that the United States is an inherently materialistic place, minimalism is actually currently on the rise in popularity. Those who are interested in minimalism tend to favor a decluttered lifestyle, with only a few of each item deemed necessary by their standards. While this may seem crazy to some people, it’s actually a very easy, simplistic way to live.

However, a common misconception about minimalism that many people have is that minimalism is cheap.

Minimalism is by no means whatsoever "cheap."

It can save you money, but it is not cheap. I say this because it is almost nearly impossible to be truly minimalistic without first being fairly wealthy. Minimalists are able to cut back on owning a lot of products because they buy a few high-quality products that are expensive but will last far longer than a large number of cheap objects.

Minimalism is seen by many as a philosophy and a lifestyle, but this lifestyle isn't easily accessible. Actually, a lot of contemporary minimalism is just materialism with an added spin.

One of the reasons why it's so hard to escape poverty is because when you are not wealthy, you can't afford quality goods and services. This means instead of buying a $100 pair of shoes that last you 2 years, you might have to buy 4 pairs of $50 shoes, meaning you spent twice as much for the same amount of wear. And this goes for all products other than shoes, such as cars, appliances, furniture, electronics, etc. This is a large factor in why it is easy to stay rich, but difficult to escape poverty.

This all being said, decluttering your life is never a bad idea. There is a phenomenon in which those who are less wealthy tend to hoard their belongings, and I believe this is because if you're poor, it's harder to obtain material items, and so you do your best to hold onto them and continue to buy more. It is difficult to be able to live a minimalist lifestyle when you can't afford high-quality products, and instead buy need to buy lots of lower quality products... Although minimalism is trendy right now, it may be wise to hold onto your necessities if you aren't making that much income yet (as long as you aren't hoarding).