Bare Necessities

Buy Less, Be More

Finding charm in the little things in a mom-and-pop shop tucked away in Lisboa.

Minimalism isn’t about scarcity. It’s about mindful abundance: appreciating essentials and cutting the noise. By choosing quality over quantity, ethics over convenience, and connection over consumption, you craft a richer, fuller life.

As the wisdom of Socrates reminds us: “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”

Less Stuff, More Life

Not the latest phone in your hand,
but time with the five who truly stand.

“Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
— Unknown

Not a bigger house to fill with things,
but a home renewed where the spirit sings.

“We shape our homes and then our homes shape us.”
— Winston Churchill

Not a lavish steakhouse meal,
but food you cook with care to heal.

“Eat your food like medicine, or you’ll eat medicine like food.”
— Hippocrates (modern paraphrase)

Not another car to crowd the street,
but two wheels beneath your feet.

“Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.”
— Yogi Bhajan

Not a blood diamond’s gleam,
but gems grown pure in labs unseen.

“A diamond shouldn’t cost two months’ pay. But love’s true worth no price can weigh.”
— Vanessa Liu

Not buying books to stack and store,
but borrowing knowledge from the library’s core.

“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.”
— Andrew Carnegie

Not hours lost inside a game,
but free courses that ignite the flame.

“Learning never exhausts the mind.”
— Leonardo da Vinci

Not fleeting wants that quickly fade,
but investments in the life you’ve made.

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
— Chinese Proverb