Thursday, April 17, 2014

Minimalist

Trying to become minimalists. Our first experience with living a life minimally was about four years ago when we took a trip to Europe. We were planning to see many places in
two in a half weeks so we decided to travel with just a back pack each. Rick Steve's travel books provided all the information we needed to achieve this and it worked wonderfully!

This opened our eyes to how much we do not need to live happy, fulfilled lives, Several of our kids also choose to live with less rather than more and we have learned a lot from them.

These are a few changes we have made over the years and have not regretted any of them.
_ We have never traveled anywhere with anything other than a backpack, including several trips out of the country.
- I constantly go through closets, attics, draws, etc and either sell or give away/ donate anything we no longer need or use. This one can be hard especially if one of you likes to hang on to things "just in case", A rule I try to follow is if i haven't used it in a year or more it usually goes.
- There are online garage sales on Face book and I sell everything on these sites, they are great!
- When our boys were in high school they had to start narrowing down their choices in sports because they simply did not have the time to play them all. We had to take our own advice and narrow down our activities and the time and responsibility that came with them. We gave up a boat we loved as it was just too big for the two of us as well as our camper. However we have kept the "toys" we can maintain and fit better into our lives at this time.
- Protecting our time. It is so easy to get caught up with all the media that surrounds us. Especially when you spend a great deal of time not feeling well. We turned off cable, don't
watch TV and I personally have to take Face Book breaks from time to time. This of course allows us to choose the movies we want to watch, read or simply do something else.
- If we can't pay for it...we don't buy it. Living within your means allows for a great sense of freedom from debt.
These are just a few examples and we have a long way to go. By de- cluttering, downsizing, and focusing on what you really need in all aspects of your life opens the door for more time and money to enjoy the areas of your life that are truly a priority.

A very helpful website to check out is  http://www.becomingminimalist.com/

1 comment:

M.C.V. EGAN said...

I lived in Europe for 7 years and travelled by train as much as I could, after many years back in America I find that it is very hard for me to be a minimalist today! #AtoZchallenge ☮Peace ☮ ღ ONE ℒℴνℯ ღ ☼ Light ☼ visiting from http://4covert2overt.blogspot.com/

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails