green living – made simple
Many people spend time judging those that live a simple life.
It’s okay. We all do it. We judge things we don’t understand. But…a simple life is not a burden, it’s a blessing.
Brett Wilson, mega millionaire from the show Dragon’s Den couldn’t have put it more eloquently in advice to his son:
If you want to have a happy and easy life, have simple needs
Those are not his exact words, but you get the sentiment. Creating a simple life is about creating a life you can enjoy without too many things getting in the way. When you complicate your life you have to spend time dealing with the complication.
Here’s an example:
Person A maintains 2 cars, a 3000 square foot house with a hefty mortgage and eats out every lunch and several times a week because they don’t have the energy to cook. To maintain that house and the job for it, they have to have a full wardrobe and various communication gadgets.
Okay, that’s $5000 and it doesn’t even cover a full budget. It’s not an unreasonable estimate.
Person B doesn’t maintain a car, instead they go use Autoshare and work from home several days a week. They bring lunch and entertain guests at their 950 square foot house, which they rent. They maintain a minimum casual wardrobe with used items at about and control their gadgets to internet, skype and a cellphone.
Okay, that’s about $2100 a month. A big difference. Person B has simplified their life and their needs. They are probably much less stressed and have a better chance of saving money and earning equity than person A. Person A is likely going into debt further each month!
Who would you say has a life that is a burden? Probably person A. Oh, and the carbon footprint of person B is substantially lower than Person B. They are making a difference in the world by the lifestyle they choose.
So, before you think simplifying your needs and cutting costs is a burden – think twice. Simplifying is very liberating. It buys you time and energy, something missing in society today!
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Today’s post can be found over at cope with life: the hundred push up challenge