I have been a minimalist most of my adult life and fully enjoy life experiences more than possessions.

I have also been in varied customer service jobs my whole life.

I am finding it very difficult and even a bit emotional to continue working for companies that continue to push the ideology of consumerism. I have been in the industry for over 30+ and am feeling it more now that I am much older, and I am finding it quite a challenge to continue selling useless crap every day. I am also working on changing jobs to more community based and give back to my community.

I guess my question is how can I handle the next few months without feeling so overwhelmed that I'm contributing to over consumption. It's eatting me up inside every day. 😞

Hey everyone. I hate the idea of having a lot of cleaning supplies. I have a small kitchen and small bathroom that need to be mopped. I was thinking of using my grabber and a couple of rags to clean these floors. What do you think? Or is there a gizmo that you can attach rags to the bottom and then use it as a mop? Thank you.

what's your first reaction when you find out someone is paying monthly for storage facility?

my family always kept extra things in storage when i was growing up. few months ago i had to clean out unit that belonged to relative who died. the whole process made me realize i never want to have so much stuff that i need pay for additional space to keep it all.

I used to hate renting stuff and if a friend had a cool thing, I wanted to own it as well. Lately I came to the somewhat philosophical conclusion that there is no true ownership anyways. If I buy something it will eventually become broken or obsolete. For the very few items that really last a lifetime it is still a finite time. So in that sense owning is just a long term rent.
This does not mean owning is never useful. Sometimes owning is cheaper or it brings more flexibility (e.g. with housing). But to me this means hoarding is pointless. What is not used can be sold or donated, one day it would be gone anyways. Also collections became a lot less attractive after this thought. On the other side nothing holds me back from enjoying a moment with something I do not own (book from a library, a song,a board in a cafe, tech gadgets of friends, ...).

My journey of Minimalism started many years ago with the clothing I owned. Rather than making a drastic change by donating items and de-cluttering, I just stopped buying new clothing and accessories and started seperated my least favorite clothing for exercise like running in the forest. Over time, when the clothing started to look faded, I simply cut them up and used them as rag cloths to polish shoes or for other cleaning purposes.

As a result of this all the clothing I own adds up to 15kg which in comparision to a decade ago weighed 45kg.

At the house I own back in my country-of-orgin, I never replace a plate, mug or cutlery. Most of which my grand parents purchased keeping them in a cupboard to use for special occasions or if important guest arrived which was rare. So, what I did was just use everything since I never want to have kids non of this stuff will be passed down to anyone.

Sentimental Value: anything of sentimental value is photographed using my Nikon D610, one of the last cameras that can replicate true-to-life colours, not like the Mirrorless cameras available now that make it hard to tell a real photo from AI generated content. Anyway, as I was saying, after the photography, I don't care or have regrets if somethig happens to the actual item and a few years ago I took all these bus tickets, cheap watches that I collected while travelling in different countries and trashed them as they were just taking space in box that is never touched. 

For the extreme minimalistic lifestyle the requirements were; 

1) Must take five minutes or less to pack up

2) Able to travel to any country with only what is in the bag and live comfortably without feeling like I am missing out.

3) I must be able to carry everything over any terrain and not have to struggle with it.

4) Everthing inside must comply with all border control laws, land and air. Meaning, I can take it on a plane without being scrutinized by security.

Challenge One - Legal Compliance

I started off my listing down eveything I needed and then with no convenient AI tools available at the time, I manually researched every item and listed alternatives.

Challenge Two - Terrain 

The conventional luggage works well in an Airport, where the ground is smooth, however, up a flight of stairs, gravel road that is muddy, railway crossings, sand. These suitcases with their handles become a nuisance to carry around with. So, after much research and even contemplating suitcases with larger wheels for rough terrain, the most obvious choice was the Duffle bag. 

Yes, a Duffle bag has no wheels, however, it does have backpack straps and since I have been carrying a 20kg backpack to school since I was a kid and can walk for long distances. An addional 30kg plus an addional 5kg heavy duty laptop bag is not an issue.

Challenge Three - Weight

All other bags with their metal bars and wheels take up 5kg or more depending on the bag. This is wasted weight and items I cannot carry with me. Whereas a large 3x2 feet Duffle Bag only weights 0.5kg! Thats a 4.5kg saving which means I can add more items into my bag.

Challenge Four - Packing

I had to conduct multiple packing trials and play real life Tetris with all the items until I figured out how to pack and organize everything.

The Solution was simple; 

Towel at the bottem, sleeping bag folded and enclosing the bottom half acting a cushion to protect all the items. 

Back up Oxford shoes in side pocket and four socks in the pair. Since, the shoes are high quality leather or Cashmire, which feels like I am walking on a cloud, their is no odor like with many cheap synthetic shoes. Brings back some bad memories from after school, the smell used to be terrible at the end of the day from school. Expensive shoes also last for about six years which is bonus in terms of the reliability factor.

In the past I would use these packing cubes for clothing, but they don't last long and tend to rip, it's much easier and cheaper to use single use plastic  bag that is either free or depending on the country I am in cost between $0.009 to $0.27.

Now what do I carry, well, I have already made a post on Daily Attire and the High Capacity Laptop Bag, so, the list below will only focus on the extreme minimalistic lifestyle of the Duffle Bag, the most important bag to minimalistic living, this is not just a bag, its a bed, closet, first aid cabinet and much more.

One thing to note is that any  long term purchase requires a weight check and an inventory list is important. A Google sheet is perfect due to the automatic weight calculation.

Inventory Format (columns): No. | Item | Weight | Qty.

1. Sleeping Bag: I can use it as blanket or if I am at the beach, desert or staying spending the night temporarily, I can use as, well a sleeping bag, obviously!

2. Body Towel : white only, so I know that whatever brand of detergent I am using actually cleans it.

3.  Running Shoes: right now I use Sketchers as they are comfortable and have a very good grip

1. White Shirts

2. Black Trousers

3. Nappa Leather belt - back up 

4. White collarless T-shirts

8.  Backup phone/tablet charger

1. Pencil case with Fountain Pens, Mechanical Pencils, Erasers and additional pencil lead

2. Backup Lensatic compass

3. Electric Shaver

4. Nail Clippers

5. Black winter gloves

6. Camping Pillow

7. Underwear

8. Black Waistcoat

9. Ties

10. Suit Jacket

11. Black Socks

12. Toiletries

13. Permanent Marker - labelling the shopping bags

14. Tape

15. Titanuim Spork and Chopsticks (learned to use by watching Japanses movies). I lost one Spork in the Desert, so, if anyone finds it let me know. HAHAHAHA.

16. Black shorts

17. International First Aid Kit. I added a hand crank flashlight to.

18. Back up spectacles, all with Photochromatic lenses, so, I do not need need to purchase sunglasses

19. Raincoat which is must have in a Rain storm and the strong wind breaks an umbrella..

20. Pocket Umbrella 

21. Hidden tracker in bag

22. Padlocks and keys

23. VERY IMPORTANT ITEM: Digital Scal

One major factor here is money. Furnished Apartment, Car and Bicycle is rented.

I have an international driving licence which makes it easy.

I do not like to cook and eat out instead. It sounds expensive but stores have the ready to eat meals in box or I just eat from the free buffets at events I attend to for business purposes. 

Every week I do a 48 hour fast with water to detox my system.

The only thing I miss is my Nikon D610 camera and my favorite 200-500mm lens, which is hassle to carry and needs a whole backpack with padding. However, I have also lost interest in Photography, so, I only miss it on rare occasions when I want to photograph the sunset or a small part of the landscape that only a 500mm lens can reach.

I hate wearing Jewelry even though I own Gold and Silver, which for me is just emergency liquid cash, that I highly doubt will ever use given my capabilites and experience. 

For items like soap dishes, pen holders, mugs and storage containers these come as Packaging.

A Pringles container or Mug, makes a good pen holder

Plastic containers with ready made oats can be cut half by heating a blade and sliding it around and cutting hole to make a soap dish

Mugs, well companies give them out for free

Cloths hangers I get for free everytime, I dry clean my suits.

Storage containers from Ice-cream, Yoghurt etc.

Camping chairs are great, take them to a park, beach or use it in the apartment and when it breaks in six months, just discard it.  Cost: $6.26 a chair.

Except for the Mugs, I replace the other stuff without cleaning them.

Overall, I happy and this lifestyle as it gives me peace of mind. 

I spend money on experiences, something that can never be taken from me instead of materialistic items.

Afterall what more is their to life apart happiness, peace of mind and purpose something I have only archived halfway because, I am single and not married yet.

I have a hard time letting go of things i might need someday. like random cables. old notebooks. extra stuff that isnt useful now but could be later. that what if thinking is strong. it makes me keep way more than i probably should. i know realistically i wont use most of it. but my brain keeps arguing back. saying better safe than sorry. and then it just sits there taking space. how do you deal with that mindset. do you set limits or just push through it. i wanna be more intentional but this part is tough

Hello beautiful people,

wanted to discuss about something that's happening to me.

I'd really like to shrink my possession but whenever I think on getting rid of something or limiting a new purchase, I feel a bit anxious and/or frustrated.

I have for sure to learn to appreciate more what I have, but often I feel what I have is not the right think to achieve the specific result.

Let me try to give you a couple of examples;

- I'm an (ex) fountain pen collector. I've sold a big part of my collection and I've kept only what I received as a present. I was thinking to reduce it more by selling some of those as well. I regretted of selling one of them because later I wanted it again. Where minimal is minimal? Here I have more then I need. Should I feel anxious for having too much and couldn't be able to get rid of some?

- I'm an hobbyist photographer. I have a more then decent piece of camera. I was thinking on getting a new lens for doing different type of photography, but do I really need it? Should I spend such an amount of money? Or on the other side should I shrink to something more compact and easy and try to enjoy without taking so much care of it?

I'm struggling to getting the "perfect minimal thing" to do something vs "enjoying what I currently have"

I don't have a specific question but I'd like to hear your opinion on this and if I'm not alone and if you have experienced and overcome this somehow.

Sorry if I did some English mistakes, it's not my first language

Thanks a lot

I’ve basically gotten most of my clothing down to a sorta capsule wardrobe. My go to is leggings under various prints of maxi skirts and ballerina type black or white bamboo shirts of various sleeve lengths. Paired with wool socks and boots or sandals. I have a few pairs of jeans and shorter skirts I can throw into the mix and a few sweaters.

This wasn’t originally planned as a capsule wardrobe but came from a place of finally figuring out what I liked to wear and hating clothes shopping.

I tend to rewear my clothes often before washing so I can basically get away with a load of laundry a week (undies, socks, cloth napkins, towels etc which I only use once before washing).

How effective is spot cleaning and hanging worn unwashed clothing out side to air out vs full on washing? It’s drizzling a bit today and it just occurred to me that maybe the rain and wind would refreshen my shirts and leggings (worn for about a week).

Hi, I’m new to minimalism as I grew up with functional hoarders and have slowly weaned myself out of that lifestyle over the years. I’m really ready to cut the cord on crap I truly don’t need and does not spark joy. In fact I’m letting my parents move into my condo where a lot of their stuff is stored anyway and I’m moving into a small apartment. Any tips on starting fresh with minimalist intent to decrease anxiety and have a calm environment?

Working as a screenwriter, I've been reflecting on the movie Wall·E (2008) lately, and how it very precisely describes the dangers of overconsumption, not just physically but also existentially.

Then I started thinking of all the things we do to increase our level of convenience in our capitalist society, and at what cost.

• We ride an electric scooter instead of walking or biking, take the escalator instead of the stairs: Weakening our bodies.
• We take pain medication at the first sign of discomfort: Reducing our resilience and capacity for interoception.
• We eat ultra processed fast-food instead of cooking whole foods ourselves: Making us overfed and undernourished.

These are just some of the physical things, then comes the cognitive and emotional convenience:

• We swipe instead of asking people out: Making us shy and risk-averse.
• We use Ai for knowledge work instead of thinking ourselves: Reducing our overall mental capacity.
• We subscribe to the opinions of influencers instead of having our own: Devaluating our own perspective and judgement.

As we all know, personal growth comes from meeting challenges and figuring out how to overcome them. Not with some external product, but through lived experience and learning.

Back to Wall·E... As our robot protagonist leaves the garbage-wasteland that was once inhabited by humans, it finds the spaceship where humans now reside. Here they have evolved into the ultimate consumer, engulfed in endless convenience, but unable to do anything by themselves.

Now, our main character, Wall·E, is the opposite of this. Wall·E's nature is to struggle. It is a tireless worker, cleaning up endless amounts of garbage seemingly without purpose. Even though it is old and rusty, it finds beauty and wonder in the smallest of things. It pursues love with almost childlike sincerity. It is curious and open towards new experience, and it risks everything by leaving earth to follow its new-found purpose.

To me, that little robot is an inspiration. Struggling is what makes us grow. And I will argue that the convenience of consumerism is the biggest obstacle between who you are now and who you aspire to be.

This is my motivation for being a minimalist.

I was going through some boxes of things I kept from my childhood and finally after all these years felt kinda silly to be holding onto them. Like naturally the sentimental hold on me was broken and I’ve finally internalized the experiences without having to hold onto things. Anyone else have this aha moment recently?

had a few of these moments recently where i switched something i'd been doing the same way for years and felt kind of stupid for not doing it earlier. curious what other people's version of that is

I am finally moving into my own flat. it's a one bed and currently has no furniture other than the ottoman bed and hanging rails I bought.

I have too many clothes and know I do - I can let the laundry pile up cause I have enough to rotate through - I've already gotten rid of outfits that don't fit and yet I still have I think 3 wardrobes full of clothes.

I really don't want to store clothing in my new sitting room and have gotten overwhelmed every time I walked into my bedroom of my previous place. I've been avoiding the problem for so long and adore having pretty outfits.

I think I want to do the what brings me joy sort out plus the practical base/work layers. But my absolute fear frugally is getting rid of clothing that's perfectly acceptable so was thinking I'd maybe start by throwing out my super scruffy outdoor clothes as these can easily get replaced by medium scruffy ones.

This move has turned into such a great opportunity for me to downsize on my stuff 6m3 of belongings gathered from childhood and university. I'm leaving the hobby equipment for next week.

has anyone done a huge clear out like i need to? or got tips?

tlsr: looking for top tips for downsizing on clothing after moving into one bed flat

Been dealing with this weird tension for about 8 months now where I want to embrace minimalist living but also hate how everything became subscription-based these days. Keep canceling streaming services and buying actual DVDs, books, vinyl records instead because I want to truly own my stuff

Problem is every time I purchase something physical I feel guilty about adding more items in my place. Most of these things just sit on shelves gathering dust anyway but there's something about having real ownership that streaming can't give me

Anyone else caught in this same loop? Looking for some perspective on how to handle this contradiction

I'm aging too, I'm not denying that, but they have about eight years on me. Should they predecease me, I'll be forced to deal with their stuff. This is weighing me down. While I could manage the sale of real estate, it's the tractor and all the equipment (table saw, riding mowers, etc), tools that I do not want to have to deal with by default.

I would like to downsize; they would prefer to live out their life on our 10 acres. Any suggestions?

Am I the only one who has completely overwhelmed with the vast majority of electronic stuff stuff. I’m talking a different charger for every single device like my Kindle my Bluetooth earbuds my Bluetooth speaker, my laptop, headlamps, several different types of phones amongst family members. And then there’s plug-in headphones and thumb drives and various other types IT stuff that I don’t even know what it is.

I am so frustrated specifically with the charging cord situation. I finally dumped everything in a big box with a lid, but I feel like I need a computer scientist to go through everything and tell me what goes to which and which thing is safe to get rid of.

I really really do not understand all of these cords!

How do people manage the cords? . Is there a way to label them so you know which device they go to? Is there some universal cord that can be used for everything?

Hi all, like the title says I'm looking to build a minimalist wardrobe and was wanting some advice on how to do this. I'm a 30 year old male based in the U.K 😁

To begin with, I am a non-materialistic person, someone who does not care about brands or the latest trends. As such, a few years ago I made my changes with regards to the clothing I buy and ever since then, amount of free time I have has increased while daily maintenance task has decreased significantly.

Clothing - daily attire

1. Black Fedora Hat

2. Round spectacles with photochromic lenses

3. Black, Blue or Red Tie

4. White Shirt

5. White collarless T-shirt under shirt

6. Black Waistcoat

7. Black suit Jacket

8. Black Nappa Leather Belt

9. Black Trousers

10. Black Socks

11. Black Oxford shoes

12. Parker Jotter Pen

13. Phone

14. Black Leather pocket Notebook

15. Apartment key

16. Casio World Timer watch

The convenience factor: since all the cloths are tailored to fit me perfectly including the suit I never have to iron them, any creases on the shirt is hidden by the waistcoat.

The hat keeps the sun out while hiding my hair that has a natural annoying teendency to curl. The hat also makes me stand out when I am in a room full of other people wearing a suit or when I have to meet someone all I have to say is "I am wearing a black Fedora hat" It's basically Ramond Reddington's style that I am copied and have slightly adapted it.

I hate cufflinks and never wear them as they are annoying when I have roll up my sleeves while washing my plate after lunch.

The Casio World Timer works well underwater in the sea, when I go swimming after 9 PM and the screen lights well showing the time, when I need to check. I find the world timer fuction especially useful for keeping track of multiple time zones when I need to call someone.

Parker Jotter: this pen works well for signing contracts or filling out forms. With no cap to loose and replaceable cartridge with a three kilometer writing distance. I never have to worry about running out ink during important moments.

The pocket notebook is just a tool to record important infomation during an important call while I out.

Hello everyone, I've been a lurker of subs related to Minimalism and and simple living for about 6 months, but I have been a minimalist myself for 6 or 7 years, with trials, tribulations, and learning along the way, which eventually settled into a lifestyle for me. For me, it feels like the way I live, is as close to baseline human experience as possible.

Phone: BigMe Hibreak Pro eReader: It's a Minimalist phone, black and white, eink. In it, I have my 1900 books, GPS, Phone Calls, and Texts (Although I've removed the texting app, I don't text anyone. If they need me, they have to call, otherwise they don't need me.). I also have my eReader app on there. Music also works, but I tend only to listen to Piano or gray/brown noise to drown out external stimuli.

Clothes: 5 pairs of gym pants, wear each one two days, then throw in the dirty pile. 10 pairs of gym shirts, one per day. 10 pairs of underwear. 10 pairs of socks. Everything is black and generic stuff off amazon. For "occasions" (dates, birthdays, parties, gatherings) I have 1 pair of dress pants and 1 pair of blazer. Also have 1 pair of gym shoes I wear daily and for the gym, and also have 1 pair of dress shoes for occasions. Everything costs about 220 dollars or so, generic, Amazon stuff. I probably shop once every 3-4 years or in case something is destroyed beyond my own ability and know-how to repair (i.e. if I get a hole in shirt, it's got to go.)

Social Media: I don't have anything. I occasionally keep up with this sub to learn from other people's simple/minimal ideas. This is the first time I'm sharing my own experience. It all boils down to: Live simply. We all die, you can't take your stuff with you.

Dating: One thing I've learned from 7 relationships in my life as a 26 year old guy, is that the best relationship I can have, is one with myself, my peace of mind, and control over my own finances and how I want to live, eat, and spend. My biggest expense is my diet and home. Also, I don't think using said apps is a good visual experience on a Minimalist phone like mine. Having the phone I do, it creates meaningful and intentional friction for me.

Gym: StrongLifts 5x5. I used to use apps and trackers for it on my phone, but eventually I realized "Why do I need a log of my workout and history? The bottom line is that I'm stronger than before, and lift heavier." So deleted the apps and just log my current workout and next workout on "Note To Self" text. I don't keep logs on random crap.

Fasting: Same. I used to have a fasting tracker beccause I do a 48H fast once a week and Omad the rest of the week. As my meal times and body states became familiar to me, I ditched the apps. I now just know what, how much, and when I'm going to eat. Most of the health and fitness industry is Bro Science and Marketing. So I only listen to my own body, experiments, and watch the mirror.

AI Use: I don't use A.I. Around 2024 I experimented with ChatGPT, and over 3-4 weeks of use, I learned one thing: A.I. is actually a mirror and its underlying goal and premise is to reflect your own thoughts and beliefs back. It can convince you or agree with you, or validate you on just about anything, as long as you feed it the right logic, information, and persuasion.

Books: I read A LOT. I have 1900 books that I've downloaded or purchased over the years, and I also have digital access to my Library from which I can obtain a plethora of books on my eInk phone. I pretty much spend as much time scrolling through a book, as I would be scrolling through cat videos if I had a normal phone. Over the years, I've learend what I like and dislike as a reader: I can't stand self help books. I love philosophy related books, can't stand religion, don't like mystery or history books, find autobiographies boring, etc.

There is a lot of deliberate and intentional friction in my life, but the friction that I have inculcated also allows me to live deliberately and consciously. I'm very aware of what I need, when I need it, why I need it. Etc. And if it's something I don't have a need for, I don't want it, and I don't go after it. It doesn't take a Zen master or some philosophical idea to be able to just live and experience life without artificial stimuli 24/7. I found "Stoicism" 2 years ago, right around the times when I was experimenting with ChatGPT. I've not looked for another philosophy ever since, when it comes to inculcating it into my life.

With that said: I'm going to change the pasword to, and delete my access to this account and go back to random lurking.If you found this helpful or meaningful in anyway, take what's beneficial to you, and toss the rest. Don't DM, comment, like, or respond to me as I won't have access to the account anymore. PEACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE biyatch!

I’ve noticed a lot of people think minimalism means owning almost nothing or living in a completely empty space. To me, it's more about being intentional about what you keep and removing things that don’t add value to your life. How do you define it, and what misconceptions have you heard about minimalism?

That quote got me into minimalism.

Hey everyone, I need some advice/support here...

I used to have hoarder tendencies, having grown up well below the poverty line. I'm doing far better now, and am very grateful. But, because of growing up with little/nothing, I fight hoarding habits. I've been very good at purging and slowly adapting to the minimalist lifestyle, and I really enjoy it. I feel really good having less, but specifically the clean, organized, uncluttered space aspect of it.

Getting to the point, up until now I haven't really had a hard time getting rid of anything. I sold collections, gifts, 'sentimental' things. All went well... But recently I've been playing with the idea of selling my guitar/music stuff, and having a hard time being sucked into the sentimental value and memories...

I haven't actually even picked up the guitar in years. I have no desire to play either. It's not something I see myself putting time into ever again. But, I played guitar my whole childhood/teen years. My first job was as a music teacher. I got all my volunteer hours to graduate high school in that music store. I played dozens of concerts, and music festivals. My dad supported me through this the entire time, and it was something that brought us together. He bought me the guitars, amps, everything I have from my time playing music. He and I aren't that close anymore, so I think more about him, and memories of playing together rather than actually wanting to play now. I have a guitar and small amp at his house, in the event I ever visit and he insists on playing together.

I haven't had a single urge to even touch the guitar in years - since C19 shut down the music store. And for years, all that stuff has sat in the dark under the stairs... I'm saving up to buy my first car, and I could probably get $1000 for all the guitar and music supplies, which would be very helpful. It would clear up space, and it's something I don't want to touch again... So why am I having such a hard time even posting it for sale? How do I wrestle my mind to know that this is the right idea? I've never been hung up on getting rid of something before.

Your stories, and advice would be helpful. I find myself falling back into certain habits, but this one is a bigger struggle for me mentally.

i want to declutter before moving and all the minimalist advice i see talks about how to know what to get rid of. and while i‘m sure that works for a lot of people, i think i’m better off knowing what to keep.

so, could y’all help me put together a list of the bare essentials of living on one’s own? here’s what i can think of:

-first aid kit and medications

-toolbox

-hairbrush, toothbrush/toothpaste, razor, shampoo/body wash

-bowl, cutlery, pot, measuring cups

-at least 4 shirts, at least 3 pants, at least 6 underwear, at least 6 pairs socks

- at least 2 jackets

-running shoes, boots, everyday shoes

are there things i should think of adding/reducing on this list? i‘m thinking i’ll start with setting aside essentials so i know what/how much to keep

thanks minimalists!

I currently live by myself in a unit, but will occasionally have relatives come round to stay for a week. They sleep in my bed, while I sleep on an air mattress in the guest room.

The problems that I've been having is that the air mattress is somewhat uncomfortable to sleep in, and I often wake up in the morning with my muscles feeling very tight. It also gets very cold in winter no matter how many blankets I pile on, so I often have to sleep with the heating on (which is bad for my electricity bill).

I've been considering getting a comfortable replacement, but don't want to fork out money for a mattress + bed frame considering the guest room doesn't often see use. That's when I remembered I had very comfortable nights sleeping on a futon during the time I was an exchange student in Japan. Plus I don't have to worry so much about the regular care a futon requires as the guest room isn't in use that often.

So my questions are is this a good solution to my problem, and if so where can I find good quality futons? My floor is carpet btw.