Simplifying Life

teacup_2

I love this thread it is insperational and interesting. Its so easy to get bogged down with things, and worry about money not having enough etc feeling like your missing out etc. But I am trying to be more positive all the time . As its about sorting out your needs fom your wants and taking stock and taking a good look at everything in your life. I have suffered from depression and think a lot of it was from my negative outlook on things and reactions to lifes little things, not feeling good about myself because I was looking at people around me and comparing myself looking at their material wealth etc, awfull really but I didnt feel as good as some people . But I have really changed, I just let things bog me down for a few years and couldnt rid the glumness I felt. But now onwards & upwards ! I say, still have me moments though..Now I know whats important and whats not. Its all about simplifying and expectations you can put on yourself, like I will be happy if , when & but .......Just enjoy now

tiddles

I too am finding this thread really inspirational; now that Christmas is (nearly) over I'm just trying to sort out ideas for simplifying: decluttering, sorting out finances, priorities in life, etc. I've been in this state of mind for quite a while really, but it's becoming more and more important to me as I get older.

No hints there - just my thoughts - thank you everyone for all your inspiration!

Ellidee

I think when you are young it's all about accumulating things but as you get older you want to declutter and simplify. Our 22 year old son hasn't lived at home since he went off to Uni 4 years ago but we still have loads of his 'stuff' in the loft. He is renting a room in a small flat so nowhere to put it there. What would we do with it if we decided to downsize ?

tiddles

I'm getting really keen now - I'm going through the whole thread making notes in my posh new desk diary!

Prudent

A big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I have been gradually simplifing over the last few years. I had a major declutter last spring and have felt much less pressured since. I seemed to spend most of the 'housework time' simply tidying before. This year I am going to tackle the whole eating /kitchen thing. I have tiny kitchen and get really stressed when I have visitors because there is no storage and no place to cook. I am going to pare it down to a minimum, get into the habit of making simpler meals for visitors, but invite them more often for relaxed meals.

Jillinoz

In some ways I will be simplifying my life in 2008, but in others I will be complicating it massively - but in a very joyous way, as I am in the process of adopting as a single parent and I am hoping that a small person will be coming to live in my home in the next 12 months!

I've already managed to reduce the layers of complexity in my life, as I am fortunate enough to be mortgage-free and, as a consequence, have downshifted professionally to a part-time job working from home. I have not watched TV since May 2006, nor have I bought a book or CD in the past 18 months or so (I'm a strategic orderer at my local library!). I shop locally and am lucky enough to have the time to shop daily - I've even emptied, defrosted and unplugged my freezer and have no intention of switching it on anytime soon. Well maybe when the aforementioned small person does come to live in my house!

My personal mission in 2008 is to reduce my spending on luxuries further (not necessarily for reasons of finance or economy more as a personal discipline and also to minimise my impact on the earth) and so I have pledged not to buy any clothes, shoes, accessories, non-essential toiletries, books, magazines, perfume, homewares, CDs etc for the next 12 months. I hate with a passion the whole concept of fast fashion but I do love 'slow' clothes, the cashmere jumper or the handmade shoe that lasts a lifetime, so this will be a tough one for me, I'm ashamed to admit. But I'm also a stubborn so-and-so and have told so many of my friends and family about my 'not buying it' mission, that I simply can't lose face.

Good luck with your challenges one and all.

Jillinoz

teacup_2

congrats on the adopting and how exciting too. How lovely to be mortage free too . You sound very disciplined especially with tv , I have managed to not buy newspapers anymore , occasionally though.
I love your personal mission too. I will go for this too especially not buying anymore clothes and I havent for a long time too, I have stopped buying magazines however I do have one bought for me on a subscription which I love .I rarely buy cds and am going to use all my smellies up in bathroom cabinet and drawers. Its when we keep adding to it we get all this clutter and how much of it do we need really.
Its right as you get older you stop wanting clutter, & Tiddles I second your thoughts too.
This website has transformed my spending and made me question and look at things that I am paying out to get them cheaper than I was. When you struggle with money ,and not being able to stretch it you appreciate the pounds and I am definaetely more carefull from it. Looking at all the shopping advice and having lots of people who are all in the same boat , maybe worse , maybe better it certainly gives you good advice:money:

JAMIEDODGER

thanks for this thread ceridwen:)

i am constantly looking for new ways to reduce and simplify my life. i started a blog back at the beginning of november to chart my progress and hope to extend this over the next 12 months together with doing some mse challenges too:)

Charis

JenniO wrote: »

It simply occured to me on boxing day that my 3rd bedroom was adding at least £10k to my property value and yet I'm using it to store cr*p and a giant wardrobe. Shouldn't I be using that valuable space more wisely?

So I am thrilled and very motivated now to STOP perhaps being on the computer so much (although I love MSE) and start earning myself an income in my beautiful little room.

Oh dear. My 3rd bedroom is my bolthole and my computer room. I am an addict. :cool:

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Having lived in an ice cold, damp house when I was a child I don't think I will go down the yurt path. A good friend has a cottage with wood burners and they use masses of (chopped!) wood to keep the place marginally above freezing. I love the smell of her cottage, but woodsmoke is full of dioxins.

One non-environmentally-friendly thing I can't imagine going without is my tumble dryer. Because I work part time I am not able to put out the washing and be around when it starts to rain to bring it in. In our bungalow there are no radiators (warm air CH) and if I dry the washing in front of the gas fire, we can't see across the living room. Also it causes a huge amount of condensation. On other MSE lists people are asking why their walls are so mouldy. In a poorly ventilated house and /or with the heating turned down as low as possible, saving in one area could cause a problem in another.

I think with all these ideas we need to choose what will work for us and what won't and not feel so far from the 'ideal' that we are paralysed into inactivity. There's a lot of food for thought so far and I agreed with the poster who said she would declutter her house, her shed and her head.

On the subject of toxic friends, which came up on this thread, what do you do if members of your family are a huge emotional drain? Even if you don't see them/live with them, you still feel concern for them, and somehow responsible if they are your offspring. :rolleyes: Anyone else have this problem?

Charis

System

I had a friend who lived a couple of doors down to me when we were young kids. We were quite close before but having our children made us closer still. I must admit, I could tell her anything and I still can but emotionally she was quite draining. Some of what she said made a lot of sense but sometimes she made me feel so small. She would critisize my choice of clothes, my makeup, my relationship with my husband and generaly everything I did. I dont really think she realized she was doing it but it would make me defensive and I would question myself constantly. I hate confrontation and rarely argued back and just accepted it was how she would see things, but it wore me down.

She moved away about 4 years ago and although I can still talk to her, I dont see her very often but we ring eachother every so on. I cant tell you the relief it is for me to not have someone run me down. I feel so much stronger in myself and although I miss having her around at times, I think her moving away did me a favour.

I am all for simplyfying relationships, especially when your getting nothing but grief out of them.