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Originally Posted by plain and simple
- For over 10 years, I haven't owned a car, tv, radio, stereo, CDs, DVDs, a dishwasher, microwave, etc., If there's something I want to watch, I use my computer. I love hymns and gospel music, all of which can be found legally online to listen to for free. I cook from scratch every day, including my bread. No Cambell's Cream of Anything in my home!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joke Insurance
No dishes? Do you use paper plates, cups and utensils then?
LOL No dishWASHER - other than me! I have dishes. A four place setting. Actually, I love to cook. If I could, I'd stay home and make meals for people all day long.
So, my kitchen is well-stocked with a few more gadgets to contrast the way I keep everything else simple. No big fancy pieces of equipment, except my Breville Juicer (an investment in my health). But I have little things like a garlic press, a zester and a food processor. Those things are easily replaced with a single knife. And I'd like to have a Kitchen Aid Mixer but, my hand mixer does the job and takes up a lot less space. Come to think of it, I don't own a blender either. Huh. I guess I've never needed one.
I'm not setting out to purposely live like a pioneer. My simple lifestyle evolved (or would that be de-volved) naturally. It's so freeing and I have plenty of time in the day to do everything, including relax. In the past, I've seen what an abundance of possessions does to people. They're controlled by and/or addicted to them. They worry about losing them, having them stolen, getting them scratched or damaged, updating them with the latest and greatest, being possessive of them, etc., it's SAD! The last two generations have been the "stuff" generation who forsook real relationships for stuff and online friends.
Thankfully, people are starting to wake up to the need -- and the freedom of -- de-cluttering. I'm deadly serious when I say that, until you've lived without a television for two years, you can't fully understand what I'm talking about. It takes about 18 months for the effects of the media, advertising and Hollywood to wear off and get people to start thinking clearly, and for themselves, again. Once you do, you see EVERYTHING differently. Watching other people's behavior and habits becomes scary. Possessions, especially the fun, techno gadgets are time stealers. That means they steal your life. Nobody on their deathbed ever said, "I wish I played more Wii and XBox." Or, "I wish I'd downloaded more music into my iPod."
LOL No dishWASHER - other than me! I have dishes. A four place setting. Actually, I love to cook. If I could, I'd stay home and make meals for people all day long.
So, my kitchen is well-stocked with a few more gadgets to contrast the way I keep everything else simple. No big fancy pieces of equipment, except my Breville Juicer (an investment in my health). But I have little things like a garlic press, a zester and a food processor. Those things are easily replaced with a single knife. And I'd like to have a Kitchen Aid Mixer but, my hand mixer does the job and takes up a lot less space. Come to think of it, I don't own a blender either. Huh. I guess I've never needed one.
I'm not setting out to purposely live like a pioneer. My simple lifestyle evolved (or would that be de-volved) naturally. It's so freeing and I have plenty of time in the day to do everything, including relax. In the past, I've seen what an abundance of possessions does to people. They're controlled by and/or addicted to them. They worry about losing them, having them stolen, getting them scratched or damaged, updating them with the latest and greatest, being possessive of them, etc., it's SAD! The last two generations have been the "stuff" generation who forsook real relationships for stuff and online friends.
Thankfully, people are starting to wake up to the need -- and the freedom of -- de-cluttering. I'm deadly serious when I say that, until you've lived without a television for two years, you can't fully understand what I'm talking about. It takes about 18 months for the effects of the media, advertising and Hollywood to wear off and get people to start thinking clearly, and for themselves, again. Once you do, you see EVERYTHING differently. Watching other people's behavior and habits becomes scary. Possessions, especially the fun, techno gadgets are time stealers. That means they steal your life. Nobody on their deathbed ever said, "I wish I played more Wii and XBox." Or, "I wish I'd downloaded more music into my iPod."
Wow!..That's an amazing story. I couldn't agree with you more.
I'm not where you are yet, but have gotten rid of a ton of stuff and my wife has followed suit. Another thing I am learning is that mental clutter can be just as detrimental as physical clutter.
I have also arrived at the point where life's experiences are more important to me than owning a huge home full of things, fancy cars, etc. I told my wife that I would rather travel and see the world than simply buy things for the sake of having them.
I'm done trying to keep up with the Joneses and instead simply re-discover who I am. Having too much just takes so much time and effort to maintain, insure, clean, etc. In the end, it's not worth it.
Are you familiar with Everett Bouge, Rowdy Kittens, Miss Minimalist., etc?
STEPKA: I can empathize with your situation...
12 years ago I had the same thing happen with my folks.
My brother and I had to try and sort through 50 years of accumulation.
The majority of the things were ruined by weather,critters,and time.
Ended up renting one of those big dumpsters and just pitching things.
Found cardboard packing dish barrels full of dishes wrapped in newspapers from the 40's among other things.It was so sad to see all the things my mother had but never used,waiting for the right type home to live in...also
left a strong impression on me to never want to live like that or put my only child through something like that once I am gone.
Not sure how successful I have been thus far, just hope I'm not as bad as
my folks were.Only time will tell, and a possible move in the not too distant future will really tell.
As much as I've simplified my life by way of living with few possessions, I'm still searching for a way to simplify my work life. I have absolutely no respect for the company I work for. They treat their employees so horribly that, when I tell people about it, they're in utter disbelief. I was in Corporate America for 20 years and couldn't take the cubicle world anymore. I can't bring myself to go back to it. I thought I wanted to work with people (retail) but soon learned that I drastically over-estimated the intelligence and common sense of the average consuming public. I've been doing this now for three years and can't take it anymore.
So, having absolutely ruled out going back to Corporate America and refusing to work another retail job, what else is there to do? I'm tired of fulfilling other people's objectives and would like to start fulfilling my own. I don't want to start a business (I have no capital anyway) and the only thing I'm really passionate about is writing.
I'm sure others must be going through similar situations. How have you simplified your working life?
I have a fairly simple living style and try to keep the stress level on the low side. I've been renting the same 1 brm apartment the past dozen years, and working in the same engineering job. It is a cubicle engineering job most of the time, but I get out of the office several times per week to check on some of my engineering projects or to plan new ones. It also helps that I am not micro-managed in my job. I have been working in the same field of telecom engineering over 30 years so I don't need any hand holding with bosses to get the job done. That keeps the stress down too. Although I am an hourly employee and need to punch in and out on the computer time clock, my hours are flexible and as long as there are 8 hours of work it does not matter if I arrive or leave at a particular time of the day. Most of my co-workers are good people to deal with, and I get over 6 weeks of paid vacation every year so I probably have it better than most of us 99 percenters. Vacation time is another huge stress reducer, and helps to prevent burnout in a long career. 99 percent of 99 percenters (who are full time workers) probably don't get enough time off. I also work almost no overtime, never work on weekends and never take a blackberry home or access the server at work from home.
One thing that keeps my stress level down is the daily bicycle commute to and from work. My short route is about 6.5 miles, which takes a bit under 30 minutes. Most of the time, I ride about 13 miles each way, which is a more interesting route and takes about 55 minutes each way. I park my bike in a enclosed bike locker at work, and there is a shower and locker room there so the logistics of bike commuting are no problem. By the time I get home, all thoughts of the work day have disappeared and there is no stress at all. Near perfect year round climate helps too, and there are bike lanes along the right shoulder of most major cross town arteries.
Another thing to keep stress down is I don't have any subordinate employees, so there are no hassles of being a boss. In a prior job, I was an engineering manager for over a decade, and even though I earn less now than I did in the 1990s (like many other people) my quality of life is better due to the reduced level of stress. I was just not happy as a boss, I prefer to work on the technicial aspects of my engineering projects.
I'll probably keep working another 3 years or so until about age 60 and think about an early retirement. If I move somewhere outside the expensive coastal zones of the west coast or east coast, there are lots of options where I don't need the big bucks coming in every paycheck so I have time to enjoy more of my own objectives.
to this forum. i'm very interested in simple living...and living in small spaces.
my situation is a bit unique, in that i'm divorced, and have my kids 1-2 times during the week, and every other weekend. much of the time i'm alone, but of course, i need to have space for my kids, aged 15 and 12.
currently i'm in a 2 bedroom apt. my daughter has a room and my son and i share a room.
i've possibly made a mistake by making a contract on a house (supposed to close in a little over a week). the house is not large by the standards of most...less than 1600 sq. feet.
but i'd really like to spend less on a house so i can pay off the mortgage sooner and not be burdened by the payments. or at least initially...i'd like to have LESS of a mortgage payment, so i am not spending most of my income on that.
i am fairly simplified right now, although probably not so to the devoutly minimalistic, but i'm working on it. do i need time to gradually move into that lifestyle? i mean, i know it's what i want...but sadly, i've let others kind of guide me into the "normal" house thing with mortgage, etc.
- Expense-wise, I have no monthly subscriptions to anything. No cable, TV, Satellite TV or Radio, No extra phone service plans with texting or internet, no assistance plans, no clubs, no fitness centers... nothing.
You've done a fantastic job of living a simple life. Thoreau would be so proud. I have only one question. If you have no internet service at home, how are you able to post on this site. Do you go to the library for that, too?
You've done a fantastic job of living a simple life. Thoreau would be so proud. I have only one question. If you have no internet service at home, how are you able to post on this site. Do you go to the library for that, too?
You slightly misread that part of my post. "No extra phone service plans with texting or internet," . I do have the internet but not as an extra service on my cell phone. No internet plan, no texting plan, no nothing... I only used 16 minutes on my cell phone plan last month. I'm seriously considering switching back to a regular landline. Depends on which is cheaper these days.
I just found this thread... okie dokie, I'll bite!
I haven't had a TV plugged into the wall since 2009. Haven't been to a movie theater in over a decade. Don't have a radio in the house. The only time I listen to radio is when I'm in the car, and most of the time I turn it off after 1 or 2 songs.
I've never owned a cell phone. Just a cable landline phone. We don't have "clubs" here... it's too rural smalltown. I haven't spent time at the bar in over 2 yrs. I just plain don't go out.
My biggest addiction is the Internet and that's because I consider it my personal library of knowledgeable wealth.
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hey guys, i'm new
