Simplifying Life

Jolaaled

JenniO wrote: »

RE: random acts of kindness.

Also, being kind to other road users and 'letting people in' or 'letting people out' in these hectic xmas shopping centres can't be a bad thing either. Why does everyone turn so selfish behind the wheel of a car? :rotfl:

THis is a good one, Jenni!
I'm def gonna start doing this more

rosieben

Teacup, that’s a great list! I love the term ‘spendy person’ - I used to be one of those and how!

Jennio, I love the idea of compliments as acts of kindness, I shall try to incorporate that into my days asap. What a great world it would be if we were all kinder when we’re behind the wheel too!

Great ideas everyone, keep ‘em coming - and the blogs Ceridwen (sorry, Hester!) :D

larmy16

Just a little aside about giving up television. I work for quite a few families as a cleaner and out of them, just one limits their children to miniscule amounts of tv. When I go to the house, it is these children who are engrossed in playing, the little girl is an avid book reader and they have such amazing imaginations in their play. It is almost old fashioned!

As I said they do have a tv, but it is never ever on in the daytime and the Mum told me they rarely watch it before bed either (not even the kid's programmes).

As a result, these kids seem to be living a much simpler life - not filled with wants due to the insidious influence of advertising. Hope this helps someone who may be thinking of going without tv.

When I went the other day, both of them were up in their rooms playing happily and I could not help thinking how wise the mother had been, as they dont seem to be saying all the time "Im bored - there is nothing to do!"

rosieben

When my kids were small I rang up to report a fault on our rental tv, and the girl on the other end of the phone couldnt believe that we had lived without tv for 3 weeks before I remembered to make that call!!

Kids are grown up now and dgd is 8, we spend our time together playing cards (ashamed to say that dgd is an excellent poker player ) and board games and Pass the Pig, and (in the summer) frisbee championships and garden sized Jenga etc.

We had a day together a couple of weeks ago and my great niece and her oh spent the evening with us. we played 'who am I?' and GN has posted a rather fetching photo of me with a post it note stuck to my forehead on her facebook page! :rotfl:

Television is for when there's nothing else to do!!

OddjobKIA

rosieben wrote: »

When my kids were small I rang up to report a fault on our rental tv, and the girl on the other end of the phone couldnt believe that we had lived without tv for 3 weeks before I remembered to make that call!!

Kids are grown up now and dgd is 8, we spend our time together playing cards (ashamed to say that dgd is an excellent poker player ) and board games and Pass the Pig, and (in the summer) frisbee championships and garden sized Jenga etc.

We had a day together a couple of weeks ago and my great niece and her oh spent the evening with us. we played 'who am I?' and GN has posted a rather fetching photo of me with a post it note stuck to my forehead on her facebook page! :rotfl:

Television is for when there's nothing else to do!!

you knmow that could haver been mrs Oddjob she used to work for Granada rentals in NW london back in the late 80 early 90's

Hardup_Hester

Hi
Thanks for the Veggie info, I'd rather have a good veggie meal than a poor meat one, both myy DD's were veggie for a few years as was one of my lodgers, so it holds no fears for me, lol. At the moment I tend to be lazy & if I'm cooking pork for hubby, which I can't eat, it disagrees with me, I do chops mash pots & veg for him & I just have mash & veg, but I'm going to make the effort to actually prepare a veggie meal for me.
Hester
P S More blogs Ceridwen!!!

teacup_2

Wow thanks everyone who liked my list and the" random acts of kindness" one. Feel chuffed that people liked it and it meant something to people "food for thought " eh !.
Example I did two little things today very small ,a little lady could not reach something in the supermarket so i reached it down for her. Then I bought a dvd and it was reduced from £5.00 to £2.00 and the asda lady said "ooh thats good value and a great film , have they got anymore?. I said there was one so I went and got it for her as she was behind the counter working, she was very appreciative and i think we both felt good!. Me helping and her with the dvd !. Its funny really but their are so many things you can do wether it be small or big .
Jennio they were great ones and so easy to overlook. I am always someone who open doors for people and its amazing how few people do actually do this ( when I have been coming through anyway !).
Will look at the links added too .Would like to keep this up .
I think sometimes especially at christmas it is so easy to get swept along with consumerism and materialism and feelings of inadequency if you compare yourself to x Y & z.
I know its not about what you spend but I spent £50. each on my children this christmas and it was carefully thought about and I think as long as their is a lovely dinner and family or friends around to share it with and good films to watch all these things make the day . So another one for me is making sure the children appreciate life in general and what really matters and not feel empty if they havent got all these gadgets what the advertisers tell us we want / need. We need food/ water and air and good health is nice too, and each other!:T ..

some nice stuff ceridwen (will check link out):T

It is so easy to moan about things that are trival isnt it ? Opposed to being nice to one another especially on the road its always someone elses fault . Or how we have no money left !

x teacup

PasturesNew

I lead a simple life.

If I were on benefits I'd get my rent and council tax paid and I'd get £59/week. That's it. Nothing else. So, I rented the smallest place I could (cheapest rent, smallest council tax) and I added up the 'value' of how much I'd get in benefits, which is £650/month for that lot. Rent/£350; CT £45.

I never sign on/get benefits. It's not worth the hassle. All I have to do is find some way to earn £150/week after tax - which is the equivalent of £8750/year.

Instead of getting a job, I decided to sign up for a course and stay at home to study while supporting myself. I now work from home with my focus being that all I need to make is the same money as that.

Obviously December is a bit lean ... but already I've made this much.

So. I am leading the simple life and am happy.

By most people's standards I completely "go without". I think the TV gives a very VERY false impression of what other people have - and the sheeple then chase that dream and rush out to buy tat they don't need, feeling there is an injustic if they don't have it.

OK, I don't buy things, don't go out much, don't have holidays.

I'll come back out into the other/real world when I am good and ready and get a "proper job". But not yet.

I don't like shopping. I am rubbish at it. So it's easier for me to not buy things. I am probably hibernating.

How far would YOU go to down-size and simplify your life?

PasturesNew

Oh ... and for the record, talking of decluttering. I sold/gave away everything I owned 6 months ago and started again. Everything I've bought since has been on the basis "If you want to move again, everything must pack into ONE journey of a very small car - no 2nd trips in case the new location is hundreds of miles away"

Sola

PasturesNew wrote: »

Oh ... and for the record, talking of decluttering. I sold/gave away everything I owned 6 months ago and started again. Everything I've bought since has been on the basis "If you want to move again, everything must pack into ONE journey of a very small car - no 2nd trips in case the new location is hundreds of miles away"

Very good idea. I love the idea of a fresh start like that but DH won't hear of it. So I get rid of my stuff when I feel like it, and selectively cull his, like 10-year-old dried facepaints etc. that he hasn't looked at in years, old magazines, old clothes cluttering up his wardrobe.

I have various magazines knocking around, so my aim for the New Year is to select articles I know I'll want to read again, scan and save them on the pooter and recycle/give away the rest.