There
are so many stigmatism's and generalizations floating around in the world. We hear
these words and we associate different meanings to them, yet we often neglect the
fact that they mean very different things to different people.
Simple
living to me does not mean living without. Frugality does not mean not spending
money or never buying things. They both mean being selective about the things
we do and bring into our lives. Choosing quality over quantity. To strive to
only have things in our lives that are useful or bring us joy. Not to be bogged
down by an endless amount of possessions you never use or obligations you
cannot fulfill.
We
all have our vices, the things that bring us joy. Remember that question if you
were trapped on a desert Island what would you bring with you. That is a pretty
easy answer for me, well first and foremost would be my son and husband.
Followed up by my kindle of course with wifi and endless funds to buy a
lifetime supply of books and my coffee pad machine to compliment it. Those are
things that bring me joy. Those are the things that I do not question having in
my life.
I
question the need to have 30 different shirts or hanging on to that jewelry I
have not worn in over 5 years just due to the fact that I spent money on it. I
far rather have a few items and maybe even spend a bit more then my normal
comfort level to get items that I adore.
I
want to walk through my home without tripping on things. Without endlessly
shuffling around items that have no home.
I
do not intent to boycott consumerism, but rather to question it. To ask myself
to think long and hard before spending money on items only to later experience
buyers remorse and realize what a waste it was. I rather spend that extra money
on experiences or perhaps to upgrade and gets items that before seemed too far
out of our range. Not to suggest we are going to go about living a lux
lifestyle, but when one no longer feels the need to buy the latest and best of
everything you can get those items you have really wanted for a very long time.
You can spend the money on that museum pass you have long wanted.
When
I look back at my life someday I do not want a life filled with possessions and
regrets. I rather have lived a simple life one full of amazing experiences.
To
me simplicity and frugality go hand and hand. By living a simpler life, we are
making frugal decisions. Ones that allow us to really evaluate what is
important in life.
What
is important to me right now is getting out and experiencing the world. I live
in Europe something so many people dream of, yet I never took the time to be
thankful or to embrace the opportunities that lay before me. I want to skip
that cute little shirt I saw or a set of new shiny unneeded pans and instead
buy the regional family museum pass that gives us entry to over 200 museums and
castles. I want to experience life and savor it rather then drooling over the
latest trends.
This
is what simple and frugal living means to me. What does it mean to you?
1 comment:
That's a feeling I'm having a often lately - that I just have too many things. Especially as my fiancee and I are consolidating into one home... It's so hard for me to get rid of something that is still good, even though I don't need it and I would be happier without it cluttering my home!
I think it's also something positive that I see in Germany (and France, as well - but I have experience with the rest of Europeans to know if it's a pan-European thing). The average German thinks more carefully about their purchases than the average American. There is more research into what exactly to buy and less impulse buying. And just less quantity! For example, many of my coworkers have far fewer clothes and shoes than I do, though they've selected good quality classics that they can wear for a long time. Seems like a good plan! I'm not ready to part with everything, but I will think much more carefully what I want to replace when it wears out.
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