Simplifying Life - Mark II

Cottage_Economy

I had a good look at the way i was doing things a couple of night's ago and wasn't happy with what I saw. I have let things slide and got my priorities a bit twisted lately.

The things that help us be more self-reliant don't seem to leave me tired, they energise me, but lately I've been doing too much of the things that don't energise me at all. I accept that there are things that i must do for our future security, and unfortunately they're not exactly riveting and take up some of my free time (freelance work for example).

The things i have identified as energy sappers?

Surfing the internet (although i find pintrest and tumblr a great source of inspiration)
Watching TV
Getting pulled into the silly spats in my husband's car club and family
Socialising with family and work colleagues (I'm treated like a weirdo or a novelty)
Shopping for consumer stuff
Routine housework and routine garden work to stop the tsunami of chaos overtaking. I feel like I'm running on the spot and not accomplishing anything.

Things that give me energy?

Reading
Gardening with respect to making improvements or growing my fruit, veg and cut flowers
Processing food from our garden (jams, bottling, freezing etc)
Deep cleaning
Decorating
Knitting
Cooking and baking
Refurbishing our existing furniture instead of buying new
Reading the Old Style and Pensions/Retirement boards on MSE and planning our future

I don't have a Facebook or twitter account, and Sky TV bit the dust a long time ago. Work doesn't exhaust me, but doesn't energise me either. Same for my freelance work. It's just something i do to earn the money to allow me to do other things.

I've just instituted a no computer day on Sundays, and the amount of time I've got back has been so great I'm going to extend it to most of Saturday as well. I usually have some kind of internet order for my parents to do on Saturday morning but other than that I think i need a complete rest away from the computer at the weekends.

Cottage_Economy

7_week_wonder wrote: »

Oh thank you so much wmf - some fantastic recommendations and links there. I've pasted all the info into a word document for thorough investigation later.

And by strange co-incidence I nipped into the central library and re-activated my Edinburgh City library card today (it had apparently lapsed after a couple of years of non-use). So my resolution for the next wee while is to get back into the habit of using the library and reading more.

Have a good evening all.

I love my library, but it don't love me. I always forget to take the books back, even with an email reminder from them, and run up fines:o:o i stay away unless i'm going to sit for a while and read while i'm there.

Rowan9

Glad it was useful 7 week wonder. I'll post more as I think of them/find them.
Cottage Economy - your post just now has struck a real chord with me. I find surfing the net ultimately exhausting, even though I don't notice at the time. I stayed away from all dog forums during April as I was sitting up late thinking just one more page, just one more site. Anyway, I've stopped completely. Just a wee lookie in Old Style on MSE and a glance at a couple of blogs is good for me. Sometimes I forget but you have reminded me.
I'm off through to the back room to light my candle (wonderful one with rosemary and lavender) and meditate for half an hour. I have just returned to this after an absence and I have missed the positive effects.
W

CurlyTop

Cottage

As always your post has prodded a thought or two with me.

I've not posted for a while as I've been caught up in the hullabaloo of life. Work pays the bills and until I'm mortgage free will be there (not unless I win the lotto first !).

I too, can get caught up in the internet. I got rid of the FB account. Don't tweet. Now, I check the daily mail to see whats going on in the world, bbc for the same reason, amazon to see what daily deal is on (very very rarely get it) and I check my emails daily. Can probably get it down to 30 mins if I put my mind to it. I scoot on here for Debt Free Wannabe and Old style and thats it.

Having a disability has made me realise in the last few days that I'm gonna have to give in to som stuff, like paying a man who can ... paint the garden fence and masonry instead of thinking I can do it myself. Hubby wants me to get a cleaner - no way jose. I like to flick my own dust thank you and as there's only the two of us, I don't see the point in giving money away. I have it down to an art and can go top to bottom, change beds, dust and clean floors in 2 hours each week. Thank heavens for laminate floors ( no more hoovering, except for the stairs). I don't do ornaments, just an odd thing here and there, so not much to dust.

The garden - I do with DH, once a fortnight. As my borders are bare, no plants to tend. Lol. That will change, I promise.

I love to read and have returned to knitting recently, so I can stop munching of an evening and hopefully not put on much weight.

I shop when I have to. Once a week at Aldi, once a month at Iceland and a supermarket for everything that Aldi doesn't do. Like the quietness of Aldi (no background music) and because they aren't that big, they aren't as busy.

don't really have many friends. Learnt who they were over the years, especially when I took ill, but hey ho, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I know live a cba life .... cba? Can't be a***d life. If I don't wanna go out, I don't. Simple as that.

I work Mon-Thur and spend the weekend resting up (after my 2 hour house blitz) and use the time to spend with DH, doing a spot of baking and then doing the things I want to do.

I'd love to stay at home but thats some way off yet. Off to get my crystal ball for those six numbers :rotfl:

nannygladys

Hi everyone, just read the last couple of pages and I have simplified my life quit a bit the last couple of years. I walked out of a well paid job through stress, couldn't admit it to myself and was out of work for a few months, no benefits as made myself unemployed so stupidly spent savings and went in debt living as if I was still working. Woke up and got a part time job (30hrs but only 4 days!!) that I don't need to think about and only do for the money (half of what I was earning before), but the stress has gone, I am slowly paying debt off that has accrued since stopping work in the first place and I can honestly say I am more happy than I have ever been, I love trying to cut my bills right down, cooking from scratch, pottering in the garden and crafting using CS stuff. It hasn't always been easy by any account and I haven't bought any new clothes (except Knickers!!) in 2 years but for the peace of mind and being able to sleep at night its been worth it.

Im still working at it and hopefully by the time comes to retire in a couple of years I will be debt and mortgage free:)

Good luck everyone and don't give up it doesn't happen overnight and you are always learning and changing things to make it work for you, everyones priorities are different as no two situations are the same

nannyg

Cottage_Economy

wmf wrote: »

I'm off through to the back room to light my candle (wonderful one with rosemary and lavender) and meditate for half an hour. I have just returned to this after an absence and I have missed the positive effects.
W

My back bedroom is my bolt hole where I go to relax. My desk faces out so i can see across the field, and all my books are there. And i have candles too - vanilla and lavender usually. Guaranteed to relax me whenever i set foot in there.

By the way, have you ever seen Eckart Tolle give a presentation? I was watching him on youtube a few months ago and he was creasing me up. But his message was spot on. I do spend most of my waking life thinking about what I'm going to do next instead of focusing on living in the the present moment. I have my head down and beaver from one task to the next. I was lying in the bath last night thinking "i must paint that bit." "Look at the cobwebs in that corner" "where did that crack come from?". I don't think I relaxed much at all!

Cottage_Economy

curlytop wrote: »

cottage

as always your post has prodded a thought or two with me.

I've not posted for a while as i've been caught up in the hullabaloo of life. Work pays the bills and until i'm mortgage free will be there (not unless i win the lotto first !).

I too, can get caught up in the internet. I got rid of the fb account. Don't tweet. Now, i check the daily mail to see whats going on in the world, bbc for the same reason, amazon to see what daily deal is on (very very rarely get it) and i check my emails daily. Can probably get it down to 30 mins if i put my mind to it. I scoot on here for debt free wannabe and old style and thats it.

i'm trying to wean myself off the newspapers. The daily mail makes me feel angry when i read it, and i think that's deliberate on the part of the editor to get people caught up in the story and respond. I also don't like the way sometimes i feel compelled to have a look, like an addiction or something.

having a disability has made me realise in the last few days that i'm gonna have to give in to som stuff, like paying a man who can ... Paint the garden fence and masonry instead of thinking i can do it myself. Hubby wants me to get a cleaner - no way jose. I like to flick my own dust thank you and as there's only the two of us, i don't see the point in giving money away. I have it down to an art and can go top to bottom, change beds, dust and clean floors in 2 hours each week. Thank heavens for laminate floors ( no more hoovering, except for the stairs). I don't do ornaments, just an odd thing here and there, so not much to dust.

:T now you've inspired me to get my housework down to two hours. There's only two of us but i seem to be doing stuff every day. And the laundry!!!! I've only just got to grips with that after years of confusion and stomping round the house shouting "but there's only two of us...where has this all come from?!" errrr...it was mostly generated by me actually :d

the garden - i do with dh, once a fortnight. As my borders are bare, no plants to tend. Lol. That will change, i promise.

I love to read and have returned to knitting recently, so i can stop munching of an evening and hopefully not put on much weight.

i have a jumper that i knitted for hubby two years ago that only needs the collar finishing, making up and a zip putting in. I'm going to drag that out this weekend and try and complete ]

i shop when i have to. Once a week at aldi, once a month at iceland and a supermarket for everything that aldi doesn't do. Like the quietness of aldi (no background music) and because they aren't that big, they aren't as busy.

Don't really have many friends. Learnt who they were over the years, especially when i took ill, but hey ho, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

i don't either, but it doesn't bother me that much anymore. I find most of the people around me are opinionated and intrusive - not sure if that's down to social media making people want to be nosy and comment more - and i can't imagine the stress of having to fend off their endless questioning outside work as well as inside as i currently have to. I would never dream of telling someone what they should be doing if i were them unless i was asked for my advice.

Case in point, i mentioned that i wallpapered the landing at the weekend to a colleague at work and a voice piped up from across the room and said "you did it? Not your husband? I'm not sure i like that."

!!!!!!? Have we all sprouted an invisible 'like' button for people to press if we agree with what they say? :rotfl:

i know live a cba life .... Cba? Can't be a***d life. If i don't wanna go out, i don't. Simple as that.

I work mon-thur and spend the weekend resting up (after my 2 hour house blitz) and use the time to spend with dh, doing a spot of baking and then doing the things i want to do.

i would love to do a four day week and suggested to my boss that i could split one day's hours across a week to create the room, but i was turned down on the basis that if he said yes everyone would want to do it.

i'd love to stay at home but thats some way off yet. Off to get my crystal ball for those six numbers :rotfl:

Still can't figure out how to do discrete little quotes of the bits I want so replied in blue.

dreaming

nannygladys wrote: »

I love trying to cut my bills right down, cooking from scratch, pottering in the garden and crafting using CS stuff. It hasn't always been easy by any account and I haven't bought any new clothes (except Knickers!!) in 2 years but for the peace of mind and being able to sleep at night its been worth it.
Good luck everyone and don't give up it doesn't happen overnight and you are always learning and changing things to make it work for you, everyones priorities are different as no two situations are the same

nannyg

NannyGladys - you are so right about not giving up. Although I have put a lot of effort into planning my simplified life later this year I do find myself slipping back into old ways. That Starbucks at work - just one won't hurt will it? Then 1 becomes 2, then every day. And I can get caught up in the Internet but try to forgive myself and start all over again - it's a bit like a diet.

stoppinshoppin

I absolutely love this thread!

Hope you don't mind me joining in.

My life is getting simpler - my hubby retired early two years ago and I work 20 hours a week. My job is stressfull but I would be hard pressed to get the same money in another job.

My youngest is in last year at school and will hopefully go away to Uni in Sept., so I will be to declutter some more. It may also be possible to downsize. That said, I will miss him dreadfully as we chat all the time.:)

I follow blogs such as Be more with Less and Miss Minimalist but I struggle to live up to the minimalist ideal.
Love reading about like minded people xx

Cottage_Economy

dreaming wrote: »

NannyGladys - you are so right about not giving up. Although I have put a lot of effort into planning my simplified life later this year I do find myself slipping back into old ways. That Starbucks at work - just one won't hurt will it? Then 1 becomes 2, then every day. And I can get caught up in the Internet but try to forgive myself and start all over again - it's a bit like a diet.

I always slip on takeaways. Every now and then when i've had a really bad day i just want to pig out on something junky that someone else besides my husband has cooked. I've elevated food to treat status, which is a bad, bad idea.