In today’s Western society, it is easy to be swept along in the wave of endless consumption. The children “need” the latest video game. Mom and dad “need” a brand new vehicle or two. At Christmas, everyone “needs” a gift. “Buy, buy, buy!” is the message broadcast day-in, day-out by the stores working so hard for a piece of the financial pie.
Many people find that although they have everything they are supposed to strive for in life – a high-paying job, a big house, and a fancy car in the driveway – they feel unfulfilled and unhappy. When possessions and purchases cease to fulfill, maybe the answer is as simple as stopping the mindless accumulation of things and starting to look elsewhere for happiness.
What it Means to Live Simply
The Simple Living Network, an organization dedicated to providing resources for those interested in the simple lifestyle, says on their website that “Simple living is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. Rather, it is about living an examined life — one in which you have determined what is important, or ‘enough,’ for you, discarding the rest.”
In the 2003 SimpleLiving.net article entitled “The Garden of Simplicity,” author Duane Elgin describes ten different approaches to the lifestyle. Elgin’s description of “Frugal Simplicity” suggests that, through cutting back on spending and careful financial management, an individual can achieve financial independence, free up resources for others, and reduce their impact on the Earth. Who wouldn't want to give this a try?
In the January 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, Allison Glock profiles two families who have taken the idea of living simply to another level in her article “Back to Basics.” Glock tells the story of Kristen Martini, a mother of two who chose to move with her children to an 800-square foot cottage in the woods. Instead of shopping for recreation like she used to, she gardens. Martini’s children play outside instead of with video games, and she spends a meager $35 a month on electricity.
Glock also talks about Tia and Terry Meer, a couple who spread the message of voluntary simplicity from their log cabin in Florida. The Meers attempt to live as self-sufficiently as possible on their piece of land in the woods. They harvest rainwater, grow their own fruit, and plan on converting their home entirely to solar power in the future. As it is, they spend only $30 per month on electricity, and $100 per month on groceries.
For those interested in paring down their lives, it may not be feasible to consider uprooting the family and moving to the woods. But in these tough economic times, it makes sense to consider cutting down on spending and taking a good, hard look at one’s consumption. It may turn out that simply having enough to get by is more fulfilling than having a myriad of possessions that aren’t necessary.
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