RE: Living with less money
November 29, 2013 at 9:48 pm
(This post was last modified: November 29, 2013 at 9:48 pm by Raeven.)
I don't know... there's nothing very simple about the simple life.
My late husband and I were "back-to-the-landers" when we sold up in California and moved to Oregon to become as self-sufficient as possible. First thing you learn when you buy land is, you need a truck. Not always and not every day, but there's no way I'm hauling hay, straw, wood, goats or pigs in my regular vehicle.
I grow most of my own food between the garden and livestock. But there's still sugar, flour, coffee, salt, spices, citrus, etc.... all the things people traded for back in the day. I don't produce those myself and would find it difficult to do without them -- although I could if I had to. I almost never eat out. It's a rare treat when I find someplace that can prepare food better than I can. I like good wines and good coffee, those are my primary "vices." I, too, make many of my own clothes. I still needed a sewing machine, threads, measuring tools, stuff to lay out materials, materials, etc. Not sure I became less of a consumer because of that.
I work from home, only need to go to town once or twice a month. So I've reduced my "footprint" enormously from when I used to commute to and from work where I used to live. But since my husband passed, I jump into town more frequently than I used to, because it gets lonely out here. And since I'm home alone so much, I haven't stinted on toys. I don't have to, because I make a decent living out of what I do. And I like my electronics. There are big screen TVs and a fine sound system, and I replace my primary laptop computer every three years without fail. But I live on one-third of what my husband and I used to make put together, so I'm making do with much less money than I used to. I could grow my business but I choose not to as I prefer to not to wrangle with employees, and I prefer also having a lot of free time to do as I please. Sometimes I like to travel. I could certainly do without it, but I don't wish to. If this is the only life I get -- and it is -- then I aspire to see as much of this world we live in as I possibly can.
I don't buy useless crap and I detest commercialism. If I give gifts, they are invariably homemade and consumable: Liqueurs, candles, jams, candies, like that.
So again, I don't know... I live better than most people, and I know it. I'm self-sufficient, but I don't "make do" much. And I'm pretty sure I don't fit within the OP's definition of someone who is living a more frugal life. But I am. It's not really that easy of a question, is it?
My late husband and I were "back-to-the-landers" when we sold up in California and moved to Oregon to become as self-sufficient as possible. First thing you learn when you buy land is, you need a truck. Not always and not every day, but there's no way I'm hauling hay, straw, wood, goats or pigs in my regular vehicle.
I grow most of my own food between the garden and livestock. But there's still sugar, flour, coffee, salt, spices, citrus, etc.... all the things people traded for back in the day. I don't produce those myself and would find it difficult to do without them -- although I could if I had to. I almost never eat out. It's a rare treat when I find someplace that can prepare food better than I can. I like good wines and good coffee, those are my primary "vices." I, too, make many of my own clothes. I still needed a sewing machine, threads, measuring tools, stuff to lay out materials, materials, etc. Not sure I became less of a consumer because of that.
I work from home, only need to go to town once or twice a month. So I've reduced my "footprint" enormously from when I used to commute to and from work where I used to live. But since my husband passed, I jump into town more frequently than I used to, because it gets lonely out here. And since I'm home alone so much, I haven't stinted on toys. I don't have to, because I make a decent living out of what I do. And I like my electronics. There are big screen TVs and a fine sound system, and I replace my primary laptop computer every three years without fail. But I live on one-third of what my husband and I used to make put together, so I'm making do with much less money than I used to. I could grow my business but I choose not to as I prefer to not to wrangle with employees, and I prefer also having a lot of free time to do as I please. Sometimes I like to travel. I could certainly do without it, but I don't wish to. If this is the only life I get -- and it is -- then I aspire to see as much of this world we live in as I possibly can.
I don't buy useless crap and I detest commercialism. If I give gifts, they are invariably homemade and consumable: Liqueurs, candles, jams, candies, like that.
So again, I don't know... I live better than most people, and I know it. I'm self-sufficient, but I don't "make do" much. And I'm pretty sure I don't fit within the OP's definition of someone who is living a more frugal life. But I am. It's not really that easy of a question, is it?
