Tips and Tricks for Minimalist Living as an Engineer in Indonesia

 In recent years, minimalist living has gained popularity around the world, and Indonesia is no exception. As an engineer working in this vibrant archipelago, embracing minimalism can enhance your productivity, reduce stress, and help you focus on what truly matters. With the rapid pace of technological advancements and the need for engineers to stay efficient, minimalism provides an opportunity to streamline both your personal and professional life.

Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you adopt minimalist living while working as an engineer in Indonesia:

1. Declutter Your Workspace

As an engineer, your workspace is crucial to your productivity. A cluttered desk can lead to distractions and hinder focus. Begin by decluttering your work environment:

• Keep only essential tools: If you’re working on physical projects, limit the tools and materials to what is strictly necessary.
• Digital decluttering: Organize your digital files by creating a streamlined folder structure and deleting any unnecessary documents or software that are not critical for your work.
• Invest in quality equipment: Instead of accumulating various gadgets, focus on high-quality, multipurpose tools that can serve multiple functions.

2. Simplify Your Wardrobe

As engineers, the nature of our work often involves long hours at the office or in the field. Simplifying your wardrobe can save time and energy. Here’s how:

• Embrace versatile clothing: Invest in a few high-quality, neutral-colored pieces that can be mixed and matched. This minimizes decision fatigue and reduces the need for excessive clothing.
• Smart and functional choices: As an engineer in Indonesia, where the weather can range from hot to humid, opt for breathable fabrics such as cotton or linen. Consider clothing that suits both formal and casual settings, making it easier to transition between work and social occasions.

3. Go Paperless

Engineering involves tons of data, schematics, and calculations. However, transitioning to a digital workflow can drastically reduce paper clutter:

• Use cloud storage and note-taking apps: Leverage tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive to store important files and documents. This eliminates the need for filing cabinets and reduces physical clutter in your workspace.
• Digital project management tools: Use digital tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion to track tasks and manage engineering projects without relying on paper notes or planners.

4. Minimize Your Living Space

Living in major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, or Bali can be expensive and space-constrained. Embracing minimalist living can lead to both financial and personal benefits:

• Downsize your home: If you live in a large apartment or house, consider moving into a smaller space to save money and simplify your lifestyle. Opt for a space that fits your needs without excessive room or furniture.
• Functional furniture: Invest in multi-purpose furniture that serves more than one function, like a bed with storage or a collapsible desk for your home office. These small adjustments can make your living area more functional and organized.

5. Adopt a Sustainable Lifestyle

Minimalism and sustainability often go hand-in-hand. Engineers in Indonesia can easily incorporate eco-friendly practices into their minimalist lifestyle:

• Energy efficiency: Install energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs to reduce energy consumption. Also, consider the environmental impact of your work, whether in the design of products, buildings, or systems.
• Public transportation and cycling: Instead of owning a car, explore public transport options in your city, or consider cycling to work. In cities like Jakarta, where traffic congestion is a concern, this can save both time and money.

6. Limit Digital Distractions

In the digital age, it’s easy to get distracted by emails, social media, and other notifications. As an engineer, focusing on deep work is essential for producing high-quality results:

• Set boundaries: Allocate specific times for checking emails and social media so that it doesn't interfere with your focused work hours. Consider using apps like "Forest" or "Focus@Will" to maintain concentration.
• Declutter your devices: Uninstall apps that are not essential for your work and turn off unnecessary notifications to reduce distractions.

7. Prioritize Your Time

Minimalism isn’t just about physical possessions; it’s also about managing your time more effectively. As an engineer, time management is key to maintaining balance and productivity:

• Batch tasks: Group similar tasks together to minimize transitions between different types of work, making your day more efficient.
• Time blocking: Dedicate specific blocks of time for deep work, meetings, and personal activities. Avoid over-scheduling and ensure you have downtime to recharge.

8. Foster a Minimalist Mindset

The foundation of minimalist living lies in your mindset. To make minimalist living sustainable, cultivate these mental habits:

• Intentionality: Be intentional about what you consume—whether it’s physical items, information, or experiences. Only bring things into your life that add value or joy.
• Let go of perfectionism: Engineers are often perfectionists, but it’s important to recognize that you don’t need to control everything. Focus on progress rather than perfection.

9. Simplify Your Relationships

Minimalism can also extend to how you interact with people. Prioritize meaningful relationships and avoid the clutter of superficial interactions:

• Quality over quantity: Focus on building strong, positive relationships with colleagues, friends, and family rather than spreading yourself too thin.
• Networking with purpose: Instead of collecting business cards or attending every event, network with the goal of building long-term, valuable relationships that align with your career and personal values.

Conclusion

Minimalist living is not just about decluttering your home—it’s a holistic approach that can simplify your life, improve your productivity as an engineer, and reduce stress. By adopting these tips and tricks, you can focus on what truly matters, embrace efficiency, and lead a more fulfilling life. Indonesia, with its unique challenges and opportunities, is the perfect environment to experiment with minimalism, making life more purposeful, streamlined, and enjoyable.

Embrace the minimalist mindset and see how it can transform your life—both personally and professionally—as an engineer in Indonesia.

20 TIPS FROM MOM TO SAVE MONEY

Mom for every people is an awesome creature from God. For me, mom is a super woman . On her hand everything can be used and will work efficiently. In this article I'm glad to share you what mom can do for saving money.

1. REUSE THE CLOTHES
Reuse the clothes is a perfect way to reduce the waste also. Mom usually using the old clothes for cleaning or make a mat from old clothes. Stage of the clothes in our home is like this : GOOD CLOTHES FOR ROAMING AROUND - SLEEPING WEAR - WORKING WEAR - MAT/CLEANING CLOTHES.

2. BUY DISCOUNT ITEM
In some big shopping mall there're many discount come when a big days. Some of item will have a very big discount in that time also. For example there are discount like buy 2 get 1, buy 3 get 1, etc. Mom usually used that moment for buying a branded things for us. But before she go shopping, she will make a target for shopping first. She will have the limit for spending money and the target what kind of things should she buy. In my home, we only buy clothes like dress and pants once a year only. We do that before Hari Raya Idul Fitri only. We buy some dress at that time. In between, we just buy inner wear only or some sleeping wear if needed.

3. COOKING
Mom used to do cooking everyday. Everyday she will wake up around 5 a.m. and will do prayer, cleaning home and cooking for our breakfast and lunch. Before 7, all of the menu for breakfast and lunch will set ready in our dining table. Cooking can reduce the cost of living. So she just need give us money for snack time only. And of course for children snack time is no need. When I was a kid I used to use my snack money for buy some small-small accesories like plastic necklace and some jewellery.

4. BUY GROCERIES FROM TRADITIONAL MARKET
The main thing which can reduce your cost of living is buying groceries from traditional market. No need buy potatoes from big shopping mall. Or buy onion from minimarket or modern supermarket. Buy groceries from traditional market have some advantage like, the fruits and vegetables is more fresh. Then the price of that things is cheaper. You can do bargain also in traditional market.

5. BEING CREATIVE WITH BOTTLES
Being creative with bottles is a good things from my mom. She using the plastic bottle for gardening. She using the glass bottle become the roller to making a butter cookies also. Some glass bottles can use for keep the fresh water in a fridge. In home, we only have the ordinary fridge without cold water function, so mom keep freshwater in a glass bottle. Not only bottle, we can use the jar from the jammed become a vase for your artificial flower also.

6. BEING CREATIVE WITH CLOTHES
Being creative with clothes is very important. You can use the old clothes to become handkerchief, mat, barbie doll dress, apron, napkin, etc. It can save your money from buy all of this things.

7. STITCHING YOUR CLOTHES
Some girls need a gown for going to the party. They need a beautiful gown and they can get it from shopping mall. Nowadays there's some brand who sell the ready stitch gown. But if you look at the price, this gown cost is very expensive. So better way to reduce the cost is buy your own clothes and stitch that clothes in a cheap taylor. Your ability to find a good and cheap taylor is a main thing.

8. PUT WATER IN SHAMPOO BOTTLE
By added water in our last drop shampoo, it can increase the number of using the shampoo become 2 or 3 times more.

9. FRY SOMETHING WITH LESS OIL
Fry 1 egg with 1,5 spoon oil is enough. No need fry something with extra oil because mom always avoid to using used oil. Used oil is not good for our health, so the best way to reduce the oil is fry something with enough oil only. Put the medium heat in your pan will make it fry and cooked well. No need using extra oil to make it cooked.

10. BUY A GOOD QUALITY ITEMS FOR SHOES AND BAG
 Buying a shoes and bag is an ordinary activities for some people. Some people making this activities as their hobby also. Some people keeping many brand of shoes and bag. They spent much money for the bag and shoes collection. It is different in our family. We didn't do collection of our bag and shoes. We buy if we need. Especially for bag and shoes, we will buy the branded one. No need a number one brand... The standard brand with good quality is enough for us. For dress we can use anything even there's no brand. For shoes and bag, better choose the brand one because a good brand usually have a good quality. If your shoes and bag have a good quality, you will save more money from repairing and replacing that bag and shoes.

11. BUY GOLD
Make a habit to put your liquid money form into gold. Gold is a good long term investment and mostly gold is save from crisis. Making buying golds as the way you save your money.

12. PLANT YOUR WASTE
The meaning of plan your waste here is better you do simple farming behind your garden. If you buy the scallion with the roots, aftr you cut the leaves, you can plan the roots. And voila... Later you can use your own scallion from your garden. I saw this things when I went to Europe. In the lunch time we ate in Chinese Restaurant. I saw they plant their own scallion, basil leaves, rosemary and many herbs nearby the window. Of course this way will keep your money save inside the pocket.

13. GARDENING DAN FARMING
Do gardening and farming on weekend. Some people doesn't want to do this things. They hire a gardener for taking care their garden. But sometimes I think we can take another part to take care our garden. We can do gardening and farming behind our home. In my home in Pekanbaru, mom and dad do gardening and farming in front and behind the home. We have chili, scallion, onion, eggplant, cucumber, long bean, banana, coconut, mango, ginger, turmeric and some herbs we need in daily life. The quantity of this plant is not big also. Just one or two plant will save your extra money to buy small-small things for your recipe later.

14. USING FAN RATHER THAN AC
Fan can helping the air circulation in your home. AC can make the temperature like your wish. In your home, if there's raining outside, better don't use fan or AC. Use your AC wisely. In my home in Pekanbaru we are very rare using our portable AC. We using fan in our daily. Sometimes we are not using both. If the weather is not hot, we just stay inside the home without both of them. For example while my mom cooking in our kitchen, she will open the door and switch off the fan. Wind from outside is enough for making the temperature inside home better.

15. USE DIFFERENT CLOTHES FOR DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES
Using working clothes for working, using sleeping wear for sleep and using roaming around clothes for going outside and doing sightseeing. It will keep your clothes looks suitable with every moment. If you use sightseeing clothes for working, later when you want to go roaming around, that clothes is not looks good for using. So you need buy new one, it means you have to spend money again.

16. USE PAPER EFFECTIVELY
Using paper effectively I do in my office. While working there's some mistake we did. When we print the document or make something. The failed document printing paper we can used it for make a notes paper. So later no need buy sticky notes paper again. You can reduce the paper using in your life and save the world too.

17. DON'T USE TOILET PAPER
In my home in Pekanbaru we don't use toilet paper. Mom will provide small towel for every person at home. So no need toilet paper. This things also happen because our Indonesian culture using wet toilet, so because of that no need toilet paper anymore.

18. DO IT YOURSELF
Do everything at home by yourself. It's like stitching a broken clothes by yourself if you can. Repairing the plumbing by yourself if you can. Repairing the roof by yourself if you can. Make a creative aquarium by yourself if you can. Trust me... It can save your money more.

19. REDUCE USING TISSUE
Using tissue is not necessary in some ocassion. No need have a tissue f you have your own napkin. You can have a napkin clothes and wash it regularly and reduce the tissue using in your daily life.

20. AVOID LAUNDRY
Avoid laundry is a good things. For a small family with 2 children, going to laundry is not necessary. You can buy washing machine and do your own laundry. In my home in Pekanbaru, mom never go to laundry store. She wash everything by that washing machine. For me here, I use a thick blanket, I only go for laundry for cleaning that thick blanket only. For daily clothes I will wash and ironing by myself.

OK... I think this is some tips I know from my mom. Just remember when you think you are too lazy to do something, remember outside there, there are some people who very struggle to reduce their living cost because don't have money. So we have to respect and thankful with whatever we have. Spending money impulsive will making God angry to us. :)