#EssentialsOnly – My 30 Days of Stoic October
This October, I’m doing something simple, strict, and surprisingly hard: spending 30 days living with only the essentials. No extras. No indulgences. No mindless spending. I’m calling it #EssentialsOnly, and I’m pairing it with the mindset of #StoicOctober—a month of practicing restraint, clarity, and discipline, based on Stoic philosophy. My wife and two girls are doing it too (this is going to be interesting – they are SHOPPERS!)
The idea isn’t new. The Stoics figured this out thousands of years ago. What’s changed is the noise we live in now—constant offers, upgrades, deals, dopamine on demand. I wanted to see what happens when I shut that down.
It’s not about deprivation. It’s about control.
As Epictetus said:
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
That’s the challenge—shrinking wants down to what actually matters.
The Rules Are Uncomplicated
Each day, I cut something nonessential. Could be small, could be habitual. The goal is to notice the moment I’d normally say yes, and say no instead.
A few obvious things could be:
- Skip the morning latte out.
- No takeout. “Man conquers the world by conquering himself.” – Zeno
- Don’t buy the new shirt. A new shirt isn’t freedom. Freedom is not needing it.
- See 2 for 1 sale and tempted? “No man is free who is not master of himself.” – Epictetus
Some days it could be about food, others about tech, others just time. Skip the weekend brunch, I didn’t really want. Brew coffee at home instead of hitting the café. Ignore the app update I’d usually justify. Skip the snack at the gas station.
It’s Building Something
Each “No” builds on the last. Not in a dramatic way, but in the background. Like I’m regaining small pieces of attention I’d been giving away.
Restraint isn’t punishment, it’s power.
That pretty much nails it. This isn’t about saving money—though that happens too. It’s about not being pulled around by habit or impulse. It’s about choosing what I want to need.
Some quotes hit harder on certain days:
- “He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing.” – Epicurus
- “You have power over your mind – not outside events.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.” – Epicurus
I’m not tracking this with an app. No spreadsheets. Just daily awareness, a quick note, and a post with the hashtags.
That’s It
I’m posting my daily reflections on X.com under #StoicOctober and #EssentialsOnly. You can find them there. Not asking anyone to join. Just showing what it looks like.
Less isn’t just enough—it’s starting to feel like freedom.
