Simple Living |
Gaining Peace In Your Life
Simple living can mean different things to different people. For many it means simplifying your life so that you have time to enjoy it. Some people live more frugally so that they can afford to work less. For some it may mean decreasing outside commitments. Reducing clutter is another common thread. Some have found inspiration in books like Simple Abundance and others come to it themselves.
For me it has always been my preferred way of living. I do not like to be in debt and am happy living within my modest means. My fiance feels the same way and that really helps. Many people think that buying all the best things will make them happy but the stress of having to deal with the credit bills does just the opposite. It is very liberating to know that you have no debt other than a reasonable mortgage or car loan. If there is a big-ticket item that I want, I figure out how much I have to save over a period of time to buy it. I have to wait a little longer but it is well worth it.
My fiance and I have chosen to work in jobs that allow us to work thirty hours a week in order to have more family time. I am now working four days a week and he works five days for six hours a day. Because he works Saturdays he also has a day off during the week. We have arranged it so that my children only go to a sitter three days a week. The children love being home more and we are saving $64 per week on childcare. My fiance's job may change so that this won't always be possible but for now it is wonderful. My job has flexible hours so that I have been able to attend my daughter's school field trips and I can't imagine having missed that opportunity.
We are community minded people but we have come to realize that we have to put limits on the time that we spend in volunteering. If not we spread ourselves too thin and we cannot give our best. We also keep looking for volunteer opportunities that allow the family to participate together.
The children have been cooperative about living simply (so far). They really think about what they ask for because they know they won't get everything that they want. One thing that I do is put what they ask for on either their birthday or Christmas list depending on the time of year. Just seeing that I am taking the time to write it down makes them happy. Just before the birthday or Christmas we go over the list to see what they still really want. Then for each child, I choose one item for birthdays, two for Christmas and maybe get them an outfit if they need it.
I live in a small house that has no basement and only one closet so reducing clutter is a must. We have wardrobes for our hanging clothes and tend not to keep things that we never wear. We also don't buy anything without thinking first if we have a place for it. Our home was built back when people didn't have a lot of extras and I keep reminding myself that a much larger family than mine was raised here so we should be able to manage. Living in a simpler, less cluttered space is more relaxing.
Living simply is not about giving things up, it is about gaining peace in your life. It is about enjoying your life now, not later on when you have the time. I don't want to wait until retirement to enjoy my life. I want to enjoy my life now. Living more simply allows me to do that.
