Simplifying Life

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

My friend retired and thought it would be fun to live in their boat for this summer. She and her husband are experienced boaters. As we all know it rained almost all summer. Hers was a miserable, damp experience. When I saw her last she apologised for looking so unkempt. It is impossible to dry things on a boat so washing has to be kept to a minimum, then done at the launderette which takes hours and is not cheap. She had to use the library for the Internet and missed keeping in touch with everyone. Even taking a shower requires understanding friends or ingenuity with a bucket. Try a holiday on the Norfolk Broads first, then imagine what it would be like if you didn't have anywhere else to go to. Lovely on a good day but scary on nights when the river overflows its bank for miles, then drains away and leaves your boat lying in the middle of a field, at a curious angle. :eek: Choose your mooring carefully if you decide to do it.

Charis

Oh well......it sounded like maybe a nice possibility...back to the drawing board. Keep that one for a holiday idea sometime.

rosieben

Boatie_Bird wrote: »

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Living on boat means that I can't possibly have loads of clutter in my life or lots of electric gadgets.
...

Maybe Boatie_Bird will be able to give us some insight into boat living as you asked earlier Ceridwen. I'd love to hear about it too.

carolbee

I thought I was beginning to simplify, but reading some posts, realise I havn't even started!

thanks for sharing your ways of life, its fascinating isn't it?

I for one would appreciate any tips, and the way forward. Its not so much the material things to simplify, but the whole way of life, although the possessiion of material items does complicate life, ie the administration of bills for mobiles etc

ceridwen

carolbee wrote: »

I thought I was beginning to simplify, but reading some posts, realise I havn't even started!

thanks for sharing your ways of life, its fascinating isn't it?

I for one would appreciate any tips, and the way forward. Its not so much the material things to simplify, but the whole way of life, although the possessiion of material items does complicate life, ie the administration of bills for mobiles etc

Both sides of the equation are necessary I feel - simplifying materially and simplifying the "admin." side of life - so I certainly feel tips on both aspects are welcome.

I have a list on simplifying life in one of my books. The author quotes their own personal simplify life checklist as not having:

- jewellery
- big parties
- theatre
- cinema
- concerts
- excess furniture
- excess rooms
-personal transportation
- inessential home equipment
- houseplants
- pets
- snacks
- 3 meals a day
- - excess clothing
- excess temperature on the central heating
- a second house
- a second anything (or anyone)

Well - thats their list. We will all have different suggestions on that one. I wouldnt use all the above myself - just some. When it comes to food for instance - I do want my 3 meals per day - but dont feel its necessary for them to be "proper meals". If I dont have the time or the energy - then I think "as long as I have some filler food/some Vitamin C and some protein then I have covered all angles".

thriftlady_2

Hmm, thought provoking list, but not sure about some of these, each to their own as you say Ceridwen

ceridwen wrote: »

- jewellery Well, I have quite a bit, but hardly ever wear it
- big parties don't even have small parties
- theatre can't remember last time I went
- cinema like to go once or twice a year
- concerts no
- excess furniture no
- excess rooms no, in fact we don't have enough rooms
-personal transportation yes, 2-car and bike
- inessential home equipment not sure what this entails, but we use everything we have (except the slow-cooker:D )
- houseplants no -oops, just been given one, but it will probably die
- pets no thanks
- snacks one to work on, definitely need to give up these
- 3 meals a day yes, 3 meals seems perfectly reasonable to me -second helpings not though
- - excess clothing definitely don't have excess clothing
- excess temperature on the central heating guilty of this one
- a second house no
- a second anything (or anyone) guilty -I have 3 children-should I get rid of 2 of them ?

I would add
-having a film crew in my house
-having more than one kind of electronic game system, ie-PC games only, no play station, wii, x box
-excess weight -definitely complicates health and well-being-working on this as ever
- having 2 incomes where one will do

ceridwen

My own personal take on the simplify life checklist then:

jewellery - always wear a little (dont do bling) (I know/I know - if I was perfect I wouldnt wear gold - considering how its produced!)
big parties/theatre/cinema/concerts - not much
excess furniture - oh dear, dont get my mother started on that one! She thinks I do.
excess rooms - I dont think so - not everyone would agree! But its only a standard-size house
inessential home equipment - definitely yes! I will get round to dealing with it/using it honest!
houseplants - one. OS style - being an aloe vera one.
pets - no
second house - no
second anything/anyone - one does need more than one friend!

I'm very anti excess weight and diet if it happens.
The 2 points where I firmly draw the line are food and heating. I know I "should" reduce the level of heating in my home from an environmental viewpoint - but I just sit in a miserable "huddle" if I'm cold. Food - got to be a plentiful supply of that - as and when required - in my book and will only cut back (temporarily) if I have to go on a diet.

ceridwen

:rotfl: What I took the author as meaning when she said "no second anything (or anyone)" was as meaning no 2nd boyfriend/girlfriend or a lover as well as a spouse.

Not sure I'd find the time personally to have one man in my life - never mind two!:rotfl:

I gather having 2 "love interests" at a time does tend to complicate life somewhat - lol.

Fozz

I think that not having a car simplifies life a lot (obviously some people have to have one), - no tax, insurance, MOT, servicing, AA/RAC membership, parking charges, petrol, oil or the stress of driving to worry about !
When I go shopping I buy the essentials because I can't carry so much home. It's so easy to fill the trolley to capacity when you've just got to put it in the boot.
There are times when I do wish I had a car, but overall I think my life is simpler without one.

rosieben

Fozz wrote: »

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There are times when I do wish I had a car, but overall I think my life is simpler without one.

I agree Fozz, I'm glad to be rid of the worry of car expenses. I realise that for so many people a car is a necessity not a luxury, that was my own situation until recently. I'm lucky that I have bus stops very close to my home but sometimes it just take so long to do an errand that would have taken just 10 minutes if I had a car!!

daisyroots_2

I have never driven a car in my life, have always lived in London, and now have my free travel pass. But this last week I have discovered a dramatic new way to simplify life. I was booked for surgery on Monday 17th, so the past few weeks have been sending Christmas cards and presents early, turning down party invitations, stocking the freezer with home cooked meals, and organising everything for my 6-8 week convalescence, when DH will have to do everything.

So I went in on Sunday afternoon; nothing to eat after 6am on Monday, nothing to drink after 11am, enema, sat there in surgical gown and stockings, waiting...

Finally my lovely surgeon came at 1.30, obviously in distress. Everyone had called in sick, she could not get a good enough team together to perform my op (which is long and complex - there's a part where it can go tricky and a blood transfusion might be needed swiftly) She said she was not happy to go ahead without at least 3 people, and while she'd rung around she could only get people she had not worked with before, so she was going to do some routine ops with them. She's booked me in for her next list on Jan 7th.

So here I am with an empty diary and nothing to do for three weeks. We're going to our daughter in Devon for 3 days, but that's it ! It's weird but wonderful, everyone else dashing about. The only new commitments I have made are to friends and family. Spent most of today having long lunch then walk with 21 yr old nephew who's in his final year of Psychology, wonderful to have the time to spend with the next generation.

So here's my simplifying tip for any upcoming stressful period, next Christmas, perhaps. In early November, pretend you're going into hospital a week before Christmas, for an op which will leave you unable to do much for weeks afterwards. Tell everyone you won't be available for the duration, and get everything you need/want to do out of the way in good time - then, sit back, enjoy the total absence of commitment and devote yourself to those you love