Simplify Your Life By Wanting Less

Hi, my name is Leah and I want things. I want things I don't have the money for. Things that I may never have the money for. I want a new refrigerator even though my old one works fine. I want a new vacuum cleaner because my old one isn't as good as this new one I've see on TV. I want a new mattress set, and fresh paint for my bed room, and a remodeled kitchen, and new floors for my basement, and...

I could go on. This is the voice in my head and it never stops. It never sleeps. It's a hungry monster that wants and wants and wants and is never satisfied. Even when I get the object of my utmost desire, I'm not satisfied because there are always ten other things I want next.

I recently realized just how much time I spent wanting things I couldn't have. I would go shopping and see all the things I wanted and go home angry that I didn't make enough money to buy them all that day. I started working at 15 so I could buy all the "stuff" I wanted and I realize now that I haven't really stopped and thought about a purchase in a very long time.

I realized my problem was a problem when I was in a crafting store and saw one of those wooden word blocks. The word spelled "Simplify" and I thought how wonderful it would be to simplify everything. To just buy what I needed and not all this crap. I almost bought the word block decoration, but then I realized that having to buy yet another object, even one that was admonishing me to be simple, was not the point.

Recently I read an excellent book called 101 Ways to Simplify Your Life. Now this book was written in the 90s and the author talks repeatedly about the excesses of living in the 80s. I'm sure it's nothing to living in 2008 when just the costs of food and gas are enough to max out your credit cards alone. We have less money to spend on stuff, but have we really cut back on any of it?

I've started to simplify, to whole heartily desire less stuff in my life so that my heart and mind are clear enough to enjoy the things that I already have. Here are some of the new rules I'm living my life by:

Unload the junk - I'm planning a yard sale at the end of the month to get rid of all this excess junk. There is no reason to hold on to things that I never look at, never look for, and will absolutely not miss when its gone. If it doesn't sell in the yard sale, no problem! I can try to sell it onEbay or just donate all that stuff to charity and be done with it for good!
Shop only once a week - I recently noticed that we were running back to the grocery store 3-4 times a week. Finally I made it a rule - if we didn't get it the first time, it wasn't worth getting. Now grocery shopping is only done once a week and we have to make do with the food we have until the next trip. Not only has this saved a lot of money, but it also is saving us a lot of time too.
Buy local - Recently I stumbled across my local farmers market and was tickled to meet several local farmers in my area. Now I try to shop at the farmers market each week and buy more food there than I do at the grocery store. Not only is this healthier, it's also cheaper and less tempting than the grocery store.
Combine trips for everything - With gas prices at nearly $4 a gallon we're seriously cutting back on our errand running. Now if I'm going to a certain part of town I write a list of everything else I can do around or on the way there. I've also cut out trips to places that are far out of my way. Now whenever I leave the house I take care of at least 3 things and don't have to leave the house again for several days.
Cancel the gym membership - I talked myself into joining the gym because it would give me a reason to get out of the house, to exercise and be healthy. In truth, no amount of money down the drain is going to make you exercise if you don't want to. I've canceled my membership and have started doing yoga on my own in the morning. If you really enjoy doing something you will make it a habit every morning.
Stop the magazines - I realized recently that my feelings of dissatisfaction with my life were not really based in reality. They were actually the product of looking at magazines that depicted perfectly cleaned and decorated homes with lavish gardens I couldn't even hope to maintain. My subscriptions are cancel and a new "no magazines allowed" policy has been created. I'm much happier without them!
Pay attention to your feelings - I really started paying attention to when I want to buy. Sometimes when I feel down or depressed I really want to go shopping to bring myself back up. Now I notice the feeling and try to do the very opposite. I go for a walk, play with my son, or watch a feel good movie instead.
Regulate your friendships - I've come to realize that I have a serious problem comparing myself to my friends. This is a problem because most of my friends are much older and far wealthier than I am. It's fine to have friends in different socioeconomic places in their lives, but make sure it's not tempting you to behave in certain ways. Never buy things to impress someone else. They don't really care, and if they do, they aren't your friend.
Drive only one car - My husband and I both work at home, which is a pretty unusual circumstance. We realized about 3 years ago that having two vehicles was really silly when usually we went everywhere together. Now we drive a very fuel efficient car and even when I take trips out of town, we don't miss the expense and maintenance of the second vehicle.
Work from home - Working from home has super simplified my life. I wake up at the time that I want and I work the hours I choose. It's not all golden days and rainbow mornings, but it's the best job I've ever worked. I love not having to leave the house for days on end. When I feel the need to get out of the house, I work in the garden or outside on the house. There's always work to be done and it's best to do it when you want to, not when you have to.

More than anything I've come to realize that more is not more. Happiness cannot be found in stuff. Contentment is bred from being satisfied with your surroundings. Constantly comparing yourself to everything and everyone is never going to result in any form of happiness.

Simplify Your Life By Wanting Less

How limiting your desires can bring tranquility to your home