More With Less

  I just finished reading Francine Jay's The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Living Guide, and have to say that it's one of the best books I've read on the topic of de-cluttering and the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle.
  In her chapter on "Seeing your stuff for what it is", Jay suggests walking around your home, asking each item:

“What are you and what do you do?”

“How did you come into my life?”

“Did I buy you, or were you given to me?”

“How often do I use you?”

“Would I replace you if you were lost or broken, or would I be relieved to be rid of you?”

“Did I ever want you in the first place?”

Though I don't have much in the way of "stuff", the above six questions have helped me cull even more from my collection--particularly with regard to the things I've held onto out of a sense of guilt or obligation.  

In being a good gatekeeper, limiting the number of new (or used) items that come into your home, ask the following questions of each potential purchase or acquisition:

"Do you deserve a place in my home?"

"What value will you add to my household?"

"Will you make my life easier?"

"Or are you going to be more trouble than you're worth?"

"Do I have a place to put you?"

"Do I already have something that could accomplish the same task?"

"Will I want to keep you forever (or at least a very long time)?"

"If not how hard will it be to gt rid of you?'

This asking "Why?" before we buy also applies to other things that could make their way into our lives, including gifts, freebies, promotional items, hand-me-downs etc.  Just say no (or "thank you", to the gift-giver), then find the item a new home where it will be truly appreciated.

And finally, when going through the items you've deemed useful and/or beautiful, ask of each:

"What is it used for and how often do you use it?"

“Have you used it in the past year?”

“Do you expect to use it in the near future?”

“Does it make your life easier, more beautiful, or more pleasurable?  How?”

“Do you have something similar?”

“Is it hard to maintain or clean, and if so, is it worth the effort?”

“Would it be difficult or expensive to replace?”

“Would you take it with you if you were moving?”

“How would your life change if you didn't own it?”

“What is more valuable to you—the item, or the space it occupies?”

I've been inspired by The Joy of Less to continue to pare down my belongings to what I absolutely use and love, and my activities and commitments to what I find truly uplifting and enriching.  If you're feeling bogged down by any of the above and could use a little more space in your life, this book is well worth reading.

Happy de-cluttering!

(and check out Francine Jay's blog http://www.missminimalist.com/ for more ideas and inspiration)

What Do You Value?

    Living in a city like L.A., it can be very easy for me to forget this question.  Everywhere I look, billboards and advertisements tell me what to watch, what to wear, what car to drive, what products to put on my face and body, and what plastic surgeon to see about changing said face and body.

    Though my family and I have lived simply and happily for many years, there is still the occasional marketing "tug" that suggests that I’m missing something: that I don’t have enough, that I don’t do enough, that my child isn't enrolled in enough activities, etc.  And, on occasion, if only briefly, I buy into it.

    What has helped to drag me out of the morass of “not enough,” is to remember that I am not a victim of my circumstances.  I have chosen, and continue to choose, to live simply because it affords me the "luxury" of spending time with my family, of doing what I love, and of engaging with the world in a way that is meaningful to me.

     Though my husband and I could work full-time at more lucrative jobs, we have each made a conscious decision to work part-time, from home, so that we can enjoy each other's company and have time with our daughter that is neither rushed nor over-scheduled.

      We choose not to buy things we don’t need (and even some of the things we want), because we’d rather put that money toward paying off graduate student loans, buying a mortgage-free home, and retiring from paid work in the next ten years—each of which is well within reach, given our spending and saving habits.

      What we receive in exchange for “stuff”, is freedom.  Though my life choices may seem weird to some (or just “cute” and endearing to others), I wouldn't trade what my family and I have for the world.  Our lifestyle has allowed us to travel, to volunteer for and support charitable organizations that are near and dear to our hearts, and to make our own work/play schedules—heading out on a Tuesday morning, for example, on a whole-family museum adventure.

      So….what do you value? What brings you a deep and abiding sense of joy, peace, and contentment?  What are you passionate about?  What excites and nourishes you on a soul level?  (These might include, but are certainly not limited to: spending time with your family and friends, taking part in a spiritual community, being in nature, doing the work you love, playing a sport you enjoy, being of service to others, pursuing volunteer and/or social justice work, giving money to charity, being environmentally responsible, eating healthy foods, being physically active, etc.)

     Keep a list of your values, your personal “touchstones,” near to your heart (or in your pocket), and when that voice of “not enough” comes up, take a deep breath, take out the list, and relax in the knowledge that you are living—or moving toward—the life you want to live.   

Thank You, Amy Dacyczyn

   

    The Complete Tightwad Gazette was the one and only item I'd placed on my Christmas wish list, five years ago, and was purchased (quite fittingly, I thought) by my nine-year old niece, my Secret Santa, for under $7, used, on e-bay.

    After all the gifts had been opened, and everyone was milling about, eating, and playing, I found the comfiest chair in the house and, surrounded by nieces, nephews, hubby, and in-laws, proceeded to pore over each page of your book, highlighters in hand.

    In the years since, I have read and re-read all 927 pages, and have recommended it to anyone who's even hinted at wanting to save money or wishing things weren't so expensive (which is to say, just about everyone).  My husband jokes (and is well aware) that it's the only book I'd take with me on a deserted island, if forced to make the decision, and I have waxed poetic, on more than one occasion, about the wisdom contained in its pages. 

     The Tightwad Gazette came into my life at a time when I desperately needed it, and when I knew there had to be more options to saving money than simply buying things on sale.  With my limited income and a husband in graduate school, we needed other ways to live within a tight budget without feeling pinched.  I had been frugal, but without the creativity to back it up, felt increasingly deprived.  Though my husband had grown up in relative poverty, he had mentioned, only weeks before, "This is the first time in my life that I've really felt poor." 

     Reading your book gave me hope that there was another way to live, and that it was not only possible (but infinitely more likely) that if I adopted certain habits, my life and finances would change for the better.  

     I am very happy to say that that has been the case, and that in the last five years, we have gone from feeling deprived to feeling an unbelievable freedom.  Craig and I (and now Emma, age 3) have the wherewithal to do what we love, to spend time together, and to live into our values--all while spending considerably less than the national average.  

     I will be forever grateful to you, to your family, and to the Tightwad staff for sharing your experience and suggestions, and for making this information available to the masses.

     Thank you, again, and bless you.