I believe that many are starting to come around to a transformation to a more sustainable, simple and frugal lifestyle. It seems to be coming about, as I feel people are just tired of debt and waste and miserable environments. Hopefully, we seem to be going BACK to a more simple life. We seem to be more concerned about the environment.
Now to listen to many we should have FREE everything. Free schooling, free health care, free food, free college, free, free, free! (****Not trying to be political - and don't want this to turn political)
There is NOTHING free - we all pay in some way - usually big ways. This type of thinking is NOT embracing personal responsibility. We each need to be responsible for ourselves!
Advertisers tell us we need stuff! "You are your stuff". "Your stuff is you". "Your stuff is better than their stuff". "Buy more stuff". We are bombarded 24/7. The advertisers come into our homes, our devices, our vehicles...….. They make it look so glamorous - like you get the stuff and don't worry how you will pay for it! Just charge it! Worry about that later.
What an illusion we are being fed.
Not only are people creating horrible debt, but they are creating mountains of trash and people who are irresponsible in so many ways. I just find this to be a terribly sad situation.
We can all live better with less - less money, less stuff, less stress, less aggravation, less complication, less waste, etc.
Less fast food and more slow and deliberate food.
Less processed food and more natural home grown food.
Less materialism and more re-use and creativity.
Less poisons and chemicals in the earth and more natural ways.
Less working mindless hours and more family time.
It seems we are paying more, doing more, working more and somehow getting less! WHY? The better idea should to be to do more with less!
Have more joy, more beauty, more wisdom, more health, more fun, etc.
This is NOT about being poor. A simple, sustainable and frugal lifestyle is for everyone!!!!!! Rich, poor and all who are some where in between. Actually the poorest are the ones who can teach us the best lessons.
YOU have control of your kitchen.
YOU have control of your checkbook.
YOU have control of your purchases.
YOU have control of your decisions.
YOU have control of your immediate environment.
Think about the last stuff you bought that you just had to have. Is it as important and nice now as it was in your mind? How much per hour do you make? How many hours did you have to work to get that item? How many taxes did you have to pay to earn that money? That is part of your life you will never get back - for stuff!!!!!
Our world is changed one person, one household at a time. We ALL need to be the CHANGE we want to SEE!!
We need more people willing to take the personal responsibility to create a better future - instead of the one that is being created by a world of excess and bad choices.
Let's be the change!!!!
*NO Politics please
Amen Cheryl! Nothing is free and "government funding" means our tax money.
ReplyDeleteYep - 100%!
DeleteIf we all take care of ourselves - all the rest falls in line
It seems to me there is a lot of gray area between completely free healthcare and people going bankrupt over medical debt. I am appalled that GoFundMe has become an acceptable way to pay for astronomical healthcare bills.
ReplyDeleteI agree - Nothing is free however. We all pay.
DeleteNeeds to be other solutions.
I'm with you on all counts! It is estimated that the USA will reach 1 Trillion $$$$ in consumer debt. That is (if memory is correct), $6400+ per person. We have zero debt and I know many others are as well. So what is the real debt per person that carries it? And minimum payments increase the debt. It is crazymaking.
ReplyDeleteI live in an area of the country that is highly desirable this last 5y and housing has doubled. Today's young adults CANNOT afford to buy as wages have not kept up. I went 7y without a wage increase 2009-2016. That's a 14.14% loss of buying power. Good thing we were already nonconsumers. Our savings rate was not impacted-we simply reduced what we did spend.
I truly don't understand how today's 20 somethings are making it without parental help :-( Our economy is in serious trouble IMO.
AGREE. We had been debt free for years - we worked hard to be that way. Neither of us came close to making what people make today. We lived very sensibly.
DeleteThe area I live is nothing fancy at all. Because of a few changes made in an area about 2 mi away (now a desirable artsy place to be) home prices have increased dramatically. Contractors are buying pieces of crap house for $20,000 and selling them for $250,000 - $300,000 minimum!!!!! TRUTH
Insane. It is definitely a seller's market - not a buyers market. I don't know how people pay those kind of mortgages
Now my neighborhood does NOT go for any where close to that - I got a notice the other day that our area has increased in value by 75%. It is nuts.
I just don't get any of it.
Personal debt is the highest it has ever been. We are 100% debt free and having debt makes me feel like I can't breathe. I guess those who are so heavily in debt are just used to it.
ReplyDeleteI think you must be right. I keep thinking about wanting a different vehicle - but trust me it will be used - I can't imagine going into debt again.
DeleteI enjoy peace of mind too much!
We are 100% debt-free, and I have always been frugal. I didn't plan on losing my job (company abruptly closed) and three months later my husband developing a health problem that left him with double vision and unable to drive three years ago. I was 56 and had planned to work until age 70 to max out my social security (I was out of the job market raising kids for 13 years until first husband cleaned out the bank account and left me and our sons.) Had I not been frugal all along, I could never stay home and take care of Hubby (who is 88).
ReplyDeletePeople may laugh at my 49-year-old mobile home and 7-year-old car (that's old in this part of the country, they usually rust out before they wear out), but they are both paid for, and the money is in the bank for the next car.
As I approach my 60th birthday later this year, I have been taking a good hard look at how we live and taking steps to simplify our lives. Things that seemed essential when I was employed now seem like frivolous luxuries. I got rid of the dishwasher to add a cabinet to get the blender and mixing bowls off the counter. I actually enjoy doing the dishes by hand. It is a good time to reflect on the day. Due to Hubby's dietary limitations, I have been cooking mostly from scratch for a few years now. I will be installing an outdoor clothesline this spring. We exercise regularly both to improve our quality of life and because the gym membership is a lot cheaper than health care. We haven't had cable TV for 10 years and can't get any over-the-air stations. The TV hasn't even been plugged in in over two years, and the last time was for hubby to watch an exercise DVD. I see a little TV at the gym (can't avoid it), and I just shake my head. The advertisers aren't going to get to us!
Just this week I decided to greatly cut back the amount of time I am online. I eliminated all but a couple of news websites and all of the blogs I was reading except this one. This is the only blog I've found that has a community of people who seem to get it as far a true frugality and personal responsibility.
I like your reference to the number of working hours it takes to purchase an item. I was introduced to that concept by the book "Your Money or Your Life" by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Rubin. A classic, it sat on my bookshelf for years until I recently gave it away, thinking that someone out there needs it worse than I do.
Keep preaching it, Cheryl! We may be a minority, but we are important!
Funny I had my opening line to you decided in the 3rd paragraph and you ended with it. Preach it!!!!
DeleteWOW - good for you. You are better at this than I am. I still have my TV and cable - can't seem to let go. Crazy I know.
I am slowly getting rid of stuff. It is amazing how a major shift in your life plan can make you re-evaluate everything. You gave a good example of that as well.
Nothing wrong with a 49 year mobile home. My vehicle is a 2002 - so 18 years old! Given a bath it still looks pretty good and it runs! Only brand new vehicle either of us ever had. We decided when we paid off the house we would splurge. Yet we paid it off way early.
We have good people here, and I do believe so many of us want the very same thing. Simple, happy, frugal and responsible lives. We all want to leave a better world - or at least one not for the worst for wear.
I sure hope you never decide to leave us - you offer a lot to everyone. We all work together beautifully.
Thanks for the testimony.
Great topic. Hubby just got a new to us truck. It is a 2011 and several people keep asking why we didn't buy something new. Well it would cost twice the price at least and this has everything Hubby wanted and needed. I still drive my 2006 mini van and she is good to me so why would I get something else.
ReplyDeleteWe only have a mortgage as debt. We are in our 40's and have less then 10 years left. Our 3 kids have no school loans. We are currently helping our oldest with her upcoming wedding. OD and her fiance are saving currently for a house so they went with a small wedding.
With everything going on this year, we had no plans on taking a vacation. A friend offered us the use of their cabin on short notice. They said we could bring friends if we wanted. So we went. We ate out twice, one was a treat from our friends. Everything else we cooked. We spent very little money and had 4 wonderful days away. I made a very nice thank you basket for our friends out of my gift stash. We went for hikes, played cards, read books, watched Netflix and sat by the fire and laughed so hard that I almost wet myself. We don't need to spend lots of money to have a great time.
Love this. If he is happy with the truck that is all that is important. Yes, a new one would have cost a lot more, and would have devalued a ton just driving off the lot!!
DeleteYou are doing so well and are on the right track. You are teaching your kids valuable lessons. I love hearing that.
The fact that your oldest went for a smaller wedding to save says sooooooo much. Good job!
Your trip sounds lovely. Oh I like that she got a thank you basket from gift stash. That is cool.
Absolutely - fun, a good time, and a good life have nothing to do with spending money!!!
Thanks for proving us all right - we are a good bunch here.
Congratulations on having only your mortgage in your 40s! I know how fantastic that feels :-) We focused on being mortgage free by our 50th birthdays. We beat that goal by 5 months!!! It was such a freeing feeling. I am already celebrating for you!!!!
DeleteI drove my car for 17y all the while, saving $ to write a check for the next one. It was a fantastic experience!
Love the cabin vacation experience. Relaxing and rejuvinating I am sure :-)
Go Go Go!!!!
Got to love the encouragement you all have for each other!
DeleteThank you Elle. We also make car payments to ourselves. It might seem silly to others but it works for us.
DeleteI agree, we all need to be responsible for ourselves. We can't change the world, but we can make our little corner better.
ReplyDeleteI made your little meatloaves tonight, and the family loved them.
Thank you!
Yes mam, we can control us. If we all did - it would be so much nicer.
DeleteYAY! Glad you liked them.
Have a good day.
Our consumer culture makes it so hard to not buy and not shop. Most of the stuff we think we need is not a need. It is sad.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. Other than food and utilities and home (& of course my animals) I really need very little.
DeleteIt is sad.
I was wondering where your post was going...and you did a great job. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteAnother great post, Cheryl. We are in our 70's and have been debt free for the last 10 years. It is so liberating! We are both retired now, so the $ we have is all we will have. Hopefully the economy stays good so our IRA's don't tank! I've always told my husband that no matter what, we'll find a way! We've been married 53 years and I think he believes me!! haha. We are both at the age we are thinking of aging in place---don't want assisted living. Both my parents recently died after being in that system for about 5 years. I am hoping you will do a post someday about aging in place. Love your thoughts!!
ReplyDeleteSo happy that you and your hubby are doing well and debt free. It is a tremendous load off the mind.
DeleteSame here - I have my monthly pay (per hubs benefits) and my investments and savings. It is what it is!
We are industrious and YES we will find a way.
I like that idea for a post. I have my ideas on it - one day soon! Thanks for the suggestion! I love getting ideas from all the sisters here.
I agree. Here in Australia retail has slid dramatically. If I am an example I know why! Years ago I loved to shop! I loved the mall! Now I hate the mall! I cant think of anything worse. We reached the point of too much stuff, too many clothes... Now I would rather wear pretty much the same things most of the time and stay home. I am more interested in security and helping my family than any kind of shopping. We do more and more so we need to buy less and less! xxx
ReplyDeleteI totally understand. I do not like the mall at all! Not sure when the last time I went to one was.
DeleteWe all like being self sufficient, growing, sewing, mending, re-using, etc. and the stores don't get that business. Too bad. We help the economy in other ways!
I love that phrase - "we do more and more so we need to buy less and less". Beautiful philosophy!