I've felt compelled by something within me for a while now to simplify my life. I want to have a smaller footprint on the world. I want to give less of my money away buying useless stuff. I want to enjoy things that don't cost money. And use less technology which although we are made to think so does not really enhance our lives much. To that end I've been gathering information on how to do so.Yesterday I started reading a book entitled Possum Living by Dolly Freed. The book is about the authors life in the 1970's with her father. They, partly through circumstance and partly through choice, began to live a very simple life.
So far the book is just what I've been looking for. Sort of a bible, if you will, of simplified living. It offers real world instructions on how to live a life free of the usual money draining things and therefore a more free life. The book also is told through stories rather than just dry instructions so it's an easy and enjoyable read.
Hopefully one day I can really live the simple life I dream of.
7 comments:
I feel you....
I could stand to read this book myself. I strive for a "normal" life, since '06, and I've made great strides. There are times where I look back on how I used to blow money and wonder what in the world was I thinking? or if I were thinking?
The majority of things really are useless when you really stop and think about it.
@Don
You should check this book out. So far it's really interesting.
Yeah money goes very fast. And I agree about most of the stuff we buy being useless. I've been cutting back for a while now and my money goes much farther.
I had an epiphony at a strip club where I wished to lose everything in order to appreciate what I had.
I don't think life is so much about the amount of goods so much as the quality of ones living.
(Who is the dancer in the photo?
Now SHE'S hot.)
@UBJ
I don't know who she is. Yep, she's cute.
I feel the same way. I also have cut back on useless spending. At my former home I had gotten chickens, and for the first time I tasted fresh eggs, unbelievable taste! I also had pink grapefruit trees, an avodado tree, banana and plantain plants that I planted, peppers and oregano plus other spices growing. Where I live now there is not much land so can't do much, I could get one or two chickens but I don't like to cage them and I would have to do that here. I had many neighbors that had many crops plus cows, milk,made homemade cheese and pigs for food and sale.The simple life can be done, and there are places here where land is relatively cheap so a retiree could easily make a dream come true here.
I say retiree because the job market here is all but nonexistant. What jobs there are, go to politicians wifes, lovers, children etc, first then whatever's left over, to loyal party supporters!
@cactusrose
Wow! That must have been so cool to have the space to your own chickens and fruit trees. Also it must have been great to have neighbors who grew their own food and had animals.
I have a very small yard. I'm trying to figure out what I can grow. I know I can grow lemon trees and grapes. Even though grave vines take a lot of time to mature and bare fruit.
I hope to start planting a few things this spring.
Is the job market that bad because of the recession or is it always like that there?
@Val
It's always been like that here because it's a small island with no means of sustenance, there are fishermen but even they have had a slew of rules applied as to how far out and what, where and when they can fish,but the recession has made it worse. A lot of stores and small businesses have folded and there have been massive layoffs. Most of the American companies that were here have gone elsewhere searching for cheaper labor. A lot of people have packed up and gone to the US. So you learn to make do and fix stuff. Mnay women still sew for the family. That's one of the things that first struck me when I came here, the huge amount of old, antique tools and appliances and many parts, because people repair things here untill it's just not possible anymore,because you have to.
If you have an outside income you can buy land and a house and live here quite well. The problem here is lack of work.
Good luck with the planting, can't wait to see!
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