6th question—Simple Living Guide

[lisas3575]

If I may be so bold, I'm not sure the etiquitte of your book club, so please forgive me if it's bad form to post a new topic on y'alls book!:o

If the book spoke to you, how are you making changes, big or small, to make your life more simple?

Some choices I've made since reading the book include:
• cooking at home more often to enjoy the company of DH
• changing my own oil (!) so I can be more familiar with the workings of my car
• quit going to an expensive salon for my haircuts-- I'm now on a quest to find the cheapest good haircuts in my town! So far the winner is the local beauty college ($3.99 on Tuesdays), but it takes about 2 hours so I usually don't choose them
• I was car shopping when I read this book and decided my bare bones 6 year old Civic is just fine!
• Paid off DH's car loan
• Decided to work from home!

These choices and more have allowed me to have a more balanced life and I'm so much happier! I don't feel like I'm "deprived" or whatever, I feel much more free.

[SusanMac]

I'm making a concerted effort to not stress out over having a "perfect" house. We recently bought a new house, and I was obsessing over having new furniture here, new artwork there and just making it picture perfect like in the magazines.

The book was a reality check for me that our current coffee table is just fine (even with a few chips on it) and I don't need to add to any landfills.

And, sure enough, no one has yet to point out that we live in a slum or that Martha Stewart would be appalled :-) In fact, I look at the decorating magazines with a new eye and often laugh....those aren't REAL living rooms, and no one I know spends $30 a week to have fresh floral bouquets on every table.

[lisas3575]

I thought of another thing I'm trying out... I've started making use of my local library! I used to buy all my books new, but now I try the library first, then the used book store, or borrow from someone who has it. This works with other items as well as books-- I'm trying to find more used things I want, or borrowing things from friends instead of buying that lawn edger that I use once a year.

[jane]

For me the biggest thing was to pay off my debt, and I am currently bugging my family, friends and co-workers about the need to pay it off and not to rack it back up again.

I think the best thing about the book for me was simply the reinforcement of what I had already started to adopt for myself-partly out of budgetary reasons, but probably moreso out of the fact that keeping things simple makes me feel better.

[BeckyM]

I'm really trying to think more about whether or not I really NEED things before buying them. I think about what space it will take up and decide whether or not it will really "earn" that space.

I've also tried to think less emotionally about some of the things I already have. I laughed out loud in some of the sections of the book where she was talking about having an emotional attachment to things that just sit in the basement in a box, yet we couldn't bear to part with them. I laughed so hard because I certainly could see my own irrational behavior in her words. I'm trying to critically look at what belongings I really don't need any more, so we can clear out some of the clutter in our house. It definitely makes me feel more free when I get rid of a bunch of stuff I don't use (yesterday it was a stack of old Bon Appetit magazines -- but don't make let go of my Cooking Light issues!).

One other thing I've done actually sounds like it is counter to what the book says, but I have quit cooking as much. The reason is that I would go to great lengths to prepare really nice elaborate meals, but we wouldn't end up eating until 8:30pm, then we'd just have to clean up and go to bed. Since my husband doesn't like to cook, it's not something we can enjoy together, and it was becoming more of a chore than something I could enjoy. So instead, I am picking a couple nights a week to cook something nice, and the other nights we eat leftovers or sandwiches or something simple. That way I actually enjoy the cooking when I do it, and the other evenings my husband and I have more time to spend together. :)

Becky

[BeckyM]

I thought of one thing I'm NOT going to change though. I'm NOT going to quit paying someone else to clean my house! I'm fortunate enough to have a good job that pays more per hour than I pay to have my house cleaned, and I would much rather spend my Saturdays gardening, biking, hiking, spending time with friends and family, reading, and a whole list of other things. I would also rather spend that time at WORK than scrubbing my toilets, so I think I'm making the choice that is right for me! I'd much rather spend a few extra hours working to pay to have my house cleaned than have that chore facing me every week. YUCK! I don't mind doing it occasionally, but I love the freedom I feel from not having that be a continual chore.

[BevP]

You know, Becky, you did adopt the simple living philosophy about the cleaning. You decided what you wanted, where your priorities were and whether it was worth the price. Sounds right to me.

I feel weird saying this, but much of the book I already knew. Learned the hard way, thank you very much. Most of my friends probably think I'm cheap but who cares. When I go to the movies, I go to the matinee which costs 4-5 bucks less and is the same movie they show at 7PM. I prefer used books, the words are the same and it's fantastic recycling. I wash out my zip lock bags and use them again. It's earth friendly and those things cost too much to just use and toss.

However, despite all that, I still have more stuff than I need or want but don't know how to get rid of it. So that is the part of the book that is helping me the most. I joke that what DH and I need is for the house to burn down just let us take the photos and few other irreplacable items. Ok, maybe a change of clothes too.

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by BeckyM
I'm really trying to think more about whether or not I really NEED things before buying them. I think about what space it will take up and decide whether or not it will really "earn" that space.

Nice! I'm trying to do the same thing. The part where she pointed her finger directly at me and said "are you buying decorations to impress your friends' sensibilities" was a big a-ha moment. I totally invent these fantasies where I have friends over and their impressed with some little knick-knack or antique or whatever. I hadn't realized I was keeping house for someone else!