I have been simplifying life since I first read about fabric softener being a by product of petroleum. That was in 2006. That simple article led me down a path I knew I would be comfortable in. I dragged my husband - sometimes kicking and screaming - down the path with me.
It's not that I didn't enjoy the simple life in the past. We lived in the country when our eldest was born. That's when I learned how to can and budget and cook from what appeared to be nothing. But, when my husband got a great job, we packed up and moved thinking we were advancing in our economic life. What a mistake that was. We lived on that premise for years until illness took over our lives and I was thankful that blackberries grew on our land. I stopped spending money on paper towels and anything fancy dancey. I was on the path at that time, I just wasn't aware of it. I was so busy being a care giver, I only fell into bed at night thanking God for another day with my family.
One thing I should clear up is I have always been frugal and kept a balanced budget. So I think I had a good head start, without realizing it.
Realization set in when I read the fabric softener article. Then the long road of a simple life style began. Simple, meaning I had to look at every aspect of life. Every detail of every move we made each day. But, one thing I'm confident about is when I make up my mind, I just do it. Simple was different from frugal. Simple included thinking about what I thought I needed. Did I need two closets of clothes? Even though all of them were bought on sale. Did I need kitchen appliances I used once or twice a year cluttering up my cupboards? I didn't think so.
In 2007 I relieved my cupboards of all things unneeded. Since I was in a forced retirement, I took a lot of nice work clothes to a thrift shop. That's when another light bulb went off. If I take my nice clothes to the thrift shop, others must too. And, this began my thrift shop adventures for my clothes. I needed casual clothes, not too many though. My first find was a pair of Loft jeans. I was hooked! To this day I refuse to cram my closet with clothes that may never see the light of day. Yet, I'm more content now than when I was making quite a bit of money on a government contract and had multiple choices in my closets. I'm content because I have traveled down the simple life road.
The two words, content and simple, when put together have great meaning. Together they make the words 'peace of heart'
Stay safe.
Angie.
Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet (may he rest in peace), once said that being frugal doesn't mean being cheap. It means getting the very best you can for the money.
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