"Voluntary simplicity is an individual thing… It has to be something that springs from the heart because it was always there, not something you can be talked into by persuasive people, or something we do because we want to be different, or because we’re rebellious to convention, but because our souls find a need for it."
- woman quoted in Duane Elgin’s Voluntary Simplicity
Simplicity, for me, means feeling complete and sufficient within myself as much as possible. It means living without a perpetual desire for more, and cultivating a feeling of satisfaction and contentment.
Simplicity means knowing the difference between what I want and what I need, and knowing that I need very little to be happy. Simplicity sets me free and provides a basis for living more fully in harmony with myself, others and nature.
Some of the methods Linda and I have used to simplify our lives are:
- Live in a location we love, in a small apartment (500 sq.ft.).
- Work for ourselves in part time, temporary, casual, or contract positions (when needed)
- Constantly consider our possessions, then work at getting rid of what does not add to our lives.
- Use our vehicle infrequently (about 2000 km/year), and work towards being car-free.
- Live in the moment. Laugh, play, be silly, and be spontaneous.
- Connect with nature frequently. Nature heals.
- Spend time being, as well as doing. Society rewards doing over being, creating imbalance/unhappiness.
- Get out of debt, stay out of debt. We pay cash for everything.
- Frequent the public library. In our town the public library is free, and one of our favourite places.
- Cook all our own food from scratch using whole ingredients. We eat a largely plant-based diet.
- We love to play guitar and sing. Around our house a jam-session is likely to break out at any time.
- We stay home and relax. It costs a lot to maintain a home - why not enjoy it?
How about shopping for a lot of you food at the local feed store! I have for years. This is feed grade food for aminals. BUT at that its as close to being natural as you can get. You should pick over the dry grains such as whole wheat, millet, corn etc before you use them, but you pick over dry beans don't you? The cost is pennies on the dollar compared to buying "procesed packaged Food" at you local human food store.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting idea. I have never looked into this, but I do know that perfectly good food that could feed people is used to fatten livestock. I would like a big bag of wheat berries so I could grind my own flour.
Thank you for sharing your unique idea. It is something I am going to find out more about in my area.
I do this too.
ReplyDeleteIt's not baaaaaaaaad.
(sorry. just could resist) :)
Anon,
ReplyDeleteThat is a funny and moooo-ving comment. What foods do you buy?
Gregg,
ReplyDeleteThanks for such an inspirational blog. I, too, am fed up with excessive consumerism. What is frightening is that the phenomenon is spreading around the globe - forecasting unwelcome consequences. Some people need to consume more if they are to lead a dignified life; but others need to moderate their excessive greed.
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
Anon,
DeleteConsumer capitalism is spreading, but so is the awareness of its shortcomings, which are well documented (Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein).
Any system based on infinite growth is doomed to fail. Balance, as you point out, is what we need, and it is coming.
Thank you for leaving a comment. The feedback is appreciated.
Greg, I appreciate your blog. I take peace in much of what you are saying. My wife and I just purchased a 260 sq ft place a half mile from the beach in SC. The first step in a plan to seperate from the insanity. I work for the largest full service restaurant company in the world. It has been good to me, but I know I am nearing the end of that path. Thanks for what you do. Kevin
ReplyDeleteKevin,
DeleteCongratulations to you and your wife for initiating your move toward increased freedom and sanity. That is exciting stuff that we love to hear about.
Linda and I are loving our quiet life away from the madness, and enjoy sharing that with others.
We hope that our work with NBA will inspire others, in some small way, to choose the more simple, sustainable path.
Please do let us know how things turn out, and send us a message if there is anything we can do to help.
I love this!! That list is exactly what my husband and I are striving for. If we could just get out of debt and get out of the ratrace now! I love this site - thank you!!
ReplyDeleteYou have the motivation. You can do it! We retired about $60,000 worth of student loans in just a few years by cutting back on everything and making debt repayment our priority.
DeleteSince we became debt-free about 10 years ago, we have managed to stay that way. Not buying anything (extra) has really helped.
Keep on striving and you will achieve the simple life you so desire. It is worth the effort to break free of the ratrace, and live life on your own terms.
Thanks for visiting. Please do contact us if we can help you out in any way.
Speaking of the feed store, I did something "weird" a few years ago. I purchased a large bag of those compressed alfalfa pellets that they feed to rabbits for $4--you have to make sure the feed contains no medicines--and moistened about a teaspoon of this each day and horked it down as a supplement. You know that dehydrated alfalfa at the health food store costs an arm and a leg, though it is extremely nutritious. My health really benefited from this and, in addition, that little spoonful contained all the fiber I needed. Naturally, I couldn't get through that whole bag of food by myself, so eventually it wound up on my garden as fertilizer. I had the best garden ever for three years in a row without adding anything else. ...just sayin' Haha! (...er, you brought it up...)
ReplyDeleteAlfalfa, a legume, has been used for centuries as a food, nutritional supplement and naturopathic medicine.
DeleteNote: Pregnant women, women with premenstrual syndrome, hay fever sufferers and people with autoimmune disorders should avoid alfalfa supplements.
Did eating the pellets make your nose twitch?
Ha-Ha, Gregg! No. No twitching, but I had to start gradually, as there was a lot of fiber in them. I've got to tell you, they SOLVED my problem. When I moistened them, they "grew" to a pretty big size.
DeleteAbout 2 months ago, I discontinued trash pick up service and got rid of the big ugly rolling container that had previously resided by the side of the garage. My family of three couldn't fill it up in a month and I really started wondering why I was paying on average, $10 for every kitchen size bag of trash we got rid of. I mean seriously, I had already paid for everything in that bag, and then paid again to have it taken away! We now share service with a like minded family in the neighborhood, and are looking for another family or two to join in. Here's the problem: we were informed by the garbage collection company that sharing a trash receptacle is considered illegal dumping. I have not found anything in the civil code that addresses this and am getting nowhere with the local commissions. Have you or any of your readers encountered this? My first reaction is that the trash collection company just doesn't want to lose the revenue! Sydney
ReplyDeleteI love your idea! It just makes sense. Unfortunately, often our laws and regulations are anything but sensible. It is all about money. Could you and the other families take the trash to the landfill yourselves?
DeleteGarbage is a commodity these days, and is big business with huge potential profits. It is one more reason support for reducing our consumption is undermined by the rich and powerful. Consume more stuff, make more garbage.
Might be a good time for a zero waste project!
Thanks for your response, Greg! The main lanfill does not take ordinary household waste from individuals, only construction wastes. I will have to check some of the surrounding areas in my spare time (haha!)
DeleteAs a single working mom caring for my 13 year-old daughter and my own mother with Alzheimers, the siren call of convenience (especially food) is constant and tempting, but so, so wasteful! Fortunately, My grandmother was instrumental in my upbringing. She was born in 1900, the first of 17 children on a very modest farm. She taught me to cook, grow, sew, repair and make do with whatever was at hand. I am happily reviving her legacy with a goal of zero waste. Thank you, Gramma Hayden!
When we were newlyweds, (eons ago...) we were in the military and were stationed in the Philippines. We had a day to day eye opening experience, living with people who have very little in the way of possessions, but lead full and happy lives. We took the lessons that we learned from living abroad and have spent the last 30 years of marriage trying to live by what we learned. We live on one income, in a cottage that we built with our own hands,(we are mprtgage free/debt free0. We home schooled our kids, grow our much own food, cook from scratch,(now we are raw vegan...so we don't even cook!). We don't buy anything for retail price unless it is absolutely necessary,(like gasoline) and if we must then we find the best price before we buy. We have made do or done without, I buy most of our clothes and household things second hand at Goodwill or thrift shops, but don't make shopping a sport, even at a thrift shop. I only buy what we have a need for. We spend much of our time outside,working in our gardens, walking local trails or hiking . We spend a lot of time together as a family, playing games, reading aloud to each other, helping each other with our various tasks. I hold dear my family and friends try to make sure that they get my utmost attention and care. There is very little I need and even less I want... what I want most is to live quietly, simply and to be happy in my own skin. Elle
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aviewfromthecottage.blogspot.com
It was travel overseas that finally taught us how messed up consumption was back home, and that we did not want to be part of it when our travels ended.
DeleteWhat a life you describe! Thank you for sharing your inspiring story here. It is evidence that 1) it can be done, and 2) it can enhance life.
We are hearing from more and more people that desire a quiet, simple life with a garden and a few good friends. It is an encouraging trend.
Thanks again for showing the ample benefits of living a simple, small-footprint lifestyle.
I am a 57 years old, single male, living in an 800 sq ft mobile. I had it looking quite nice after putting in new flooring and painting.
ReplyDeleteI now live like "hoarders". Not sure what happened. Do I have too much stuff. You bet. I am always worried that I may be out of a job, so I get all the staples.
Now i have so much stuff that it is piling up and I am having to step over everything. I always had a lot of stuff, but I was always in order. I even had my own filinf system.
Since becoming clinically depressed things have come undone. I really need help, but I am too ashamed to let others see my home. mI have tried to work on one part at a time. I have started another journal. Still no luck. I have been sick since Christmas eve. Both my parents have just came out of the hospital. I go home at night exhausted and it looks as though someone has done a break and enter. I am not giving up, but it does seem endless.
You are certainly dealing with what sounds like an extended rough patch, and I am so sorry about your hardships.
DeleteAre you being treated for your depression? It sounds like you had things in order previously, so that is an encouraging fact. Once your depression is dealt with, perhaps you will feel more like tackling your other challenges.
You say you are ashamed, but reaching out here is an example of you moving toward dealing with your feelings and getting the help you require. Keep on reaching out here, and wherever else help is available.
Have you read our post on Oniomania (compulsive shopping)? Reader comments include many good strategies for dealing with both compulsive shopping, and hoarding.
http://notbuyinganything.blogspot.ca/2011/11/oniomania-when-shopping-becomes.html
Let us know how it goes - we are always here to help.
Good luck.