Slow Living 2024 - Doing It Old Style!

leftatthetrafficlights

It's a bit early to be starting this thread but it's the last day of 2023 that I will have the time so I'm doing it now! 

I have decided that 2024 is going to be the opportunity to put into practice all the things that I have thought about, wanted to do and dabbled with in 2023. I have a few diaries on the forum which touch on these but I thought that it's a good time to bring them all together and save updating time!! 😉

So, slow living - for me it's about living a frugal, seasonal, low waste, low buy, sustainable, vegan, healthy, immersive and mindful lifestyle. 

It's about introducing frugal and healthy routines that support that aim (I have very recently realised that routines are the enemy of procrastination - total LBM and has only taken over half a century to come to!! 🙄🤦‍♀️) and utilising my 'down time' to nurture myself, connect with the things that are important to me and be present in my life. 

2023 has been a fraught year for me for a number of reasons and it has brought into sharp focus that living a life I love is the most important thing I can do for both myself and my family. Time and health are the most precious commodities we have and I want to celebrate both while I still have them. 

ETA: I have deleted a couple of posts as they were basically me 'thinking out loud' and too long winded and detailed for a thread!! 😳😂

London_1

Good luck in 2024

    I will follow your progress, I too am eating from my cupboards, as I have far too much foodstuff in there I'm not vegan, but do enjoy veggie stuff part time  very little red meat, mainly chicken, but love veggie curries lasagne and chilli. I cook myself from scratch as I can cook twice as much for half the price.

  I rarely eat out as I prefer my own cooking and think often I've often been disappointed with restaurant food.
I am an ardent less waste advocate through, and abhor waste of any kind especially food I don't buy food to throw it away.
But then I grew up with rationing so know the value of food and how hard it is to get sometimes I've been lucky this year one of my grandson caught the gardening bug and green its and second crop spuds in my garden, and it now talking about crop rotation He is a school teacher and lives and works in London so when he comes down to Kent to his parents he likes to go fishing, or help keep my garden in shape I'm at the age and arthritic bones that find gardening more difficult, but Ben and one of his brothers Jack are good lads and both like to get out into my garden. He planted all my spring bulbs for me last weekend around 50 odd of them so it will look pretty come the spring.

i've even cut back on my car usage and double up on the days when I use it to do several things IE Tuesdays coffee morning ,library, visit a friend are on the same route. i think my mileage this week was about 14 miles

Mainly because it was far too wet to walk or catch a bus as I use a stick to get around ,but once the nicer weather comes then it will be my trusty bus pass for visiting
 I cannot walk too far at the moment as my health hasn't been great this year  (two months in hospital )but I'm getting more mobile as the weeks progress, just need a bit of sunshine  that will help.

Well enjoy your Christmas and have a happy and healthy New Year to you and yours   

 JackieO xx

Smudgeismydog

I’m so excited to see your new thread. I’m planning on 2024 being a year for me to focus on what really makes me happy, and living a slower, healthier life, so I will follow your posts with interest.
Looking forward to following your journey and hope I can join you on the ride
x

dND

Hi @leftatthetrafficlights, can I join please.  I'm not sure if I'll achieve all the goals, ie vegan or cutting down as I'm hoping to be in my new to me house and having to fit it out .  It needs renovating and having moved from France I left nearly all furniture behind.
But I do need to reset my life and goals and I think that this is an ideal place to keep me focused. 😁💕

leftatthetrafficlights

Thanks @London_1 - I hope you have a lovely festive period and good luck with your move to the IOW in 2024! 😁 

@Smudgeismydog - I'd love it if you'd join me for 2024! 😁

Slow living means different things to different people but I think that nurturing ourselves, living in the moment and in harmony with our environment is the key to genuine happiness and contentment - I know that I'm in a very fortunate position in comparison to most but I believe that regardless of individual circumstances, it's so important to allow ourselves to take the time to breathe and be grateful for what we have. 

I have spent some time today talking to my family about how I'm intending to live in 2024 - they are, as always, very supportive in principle (how this translates on a practical level is always very different! 😂) so it's not going to come as any great surprise to them -my dd is probably the most enthusiastic about the changes as she feels that my dgs will benefit from the healthier choices I will be making for him while he's here 😉 

I've been peparing stuff today as i have a relative coming to stay tomorrow for the festive period so my time is limited  - I had a mooch in my understair cupboard and found my epsom salts which is helpful - I'm planning on weekly/fortnightly home 'spa days' so will use them up in baths on those days 😁 

I've made a batch of hair mask stuff today too - another thing for my spa days! I've also had a couple of hours on YouTube finding meditations, music, pranayama practices etc and saving them to my watch later list! 

I will sort the final preparations for solstice tomorrow - I have a few more bits to buy - then I am done for 2023 shopping wise.

Financially, my 2024 budget starts tomorrow - I haven't worked out the annual figures yet but I intend to have a low buy/no buy year other than the budgets I have set for the garden and house - I need to buy some paint to sort the ceilings in the bathroom and kitchen and I have a 'seeds and growbag' budget for the garden (but I'm going to try half of my tomatoes in homemade compost this year and see how they work - if successful, I can eliminate my need for growbags next year 🤞).

I am reducing my grocery budget by £24 per month which will be a challenge but I'm determined to utilise my massive storecupboard stock as much as possible along with growing much more veg so it should be very doable! Until the end of the year I'll be accommodating relatives so food choices are limited but once they are gone, I'll post what I eat and what I've used up 😉 

Right, got to go, dh needs some help with moving some stuff in the spare room 😁

leftatthetrafficlights

Happy Solstice!! 😁🥳

boultdj

Solstice blessings to you as well.

Rowan9

Great thread! I’ll read along with interest 

leftatthetrafficlights

dND said:

Hi @leftatthetrafficlights, can I join please.  I'm not sure if I'll achieve all the goals, ie vegan or cutting down as I'm hoping to be in my new to me house and having to fit it out .  It needs renovating and having moved from France I left nearly all furniture behind.
But I do need to reset my life and goals and I think that this is an ideal place to keep me focused. 😁💕

I'm sorry that I missed your post @dND! I'd be more than happy to have you joining in!! 😁 

Solstice was lovely but a very late night and lots of guests so it's all a bit tiring at the moment! 😴😂 I'll be posting more in a couple of days once the herd thins but I hope you all have an amazing festive period!!🥳🙌🥂

Mamaofmanybudgets

Can I join for 2024?

I used to be very old style, but as the years have gone on I've just lost touch with it all really...... and it's gotten more depressing as time has gone on. 

My goals for 2024 include budgeting, decluttering, home cooking, using up craft supplies, and just generally getting better again at homemaking and raising my children, things I really enjoyed doing but have unfortunately let slip as time has gone on these past few years. 🤷‍♀️

Here's to a better year next year! 

leftatthetrafficlights

Welcome @boultdj, @Rowan9 and @Mamaofmanybudgets! 😁