SIMPLER LIVING
Try TV-free living.
Disconnect and reconnect. Read, garden, play chess and talk.
Find your news and entertainment on the internet when you need
to.
Consider one vehicle.
If you own two vehicles, try scaling back to one to save money
and decrease carbon emissions. Consider selling or donating your
spare and shifting to public transportation, carpooling, biking
or walking. An obvious solution is scheduling shared use of the
family vehicle. It’s not as hard as you may think.
Live below your means.
A sure way to weather turbulent times while working to secure
your financial future is to live below your means. If you save
and stash 10 percent (or more) of all money that comes your way,
as the years pass, your savings will start to become
substantial.
Buy used.
Vehicles, clothing, tools and toys — whenever possible, take
advantage of tremendous savings by purchasing gently used goods.
Even items such as appliances may drop in price enormously once
they’re taken from the storeroom floor. But be sure to inspect
the merchandise thoroughly before you swipe your card or count
your bills, as most used items are sold “as is.” Also, consider
swapping items or re-purposing what you have.
Choose local food.
Whenever possible, buy locally grown food rather than
trucked-in, long-distance food. Shop at farmers markets (Kafue
Rd in Lusaka), consider planting a garden of your own. Even if
you live in an apartment, you can make a container garden by
setting out a few pots of peppers or cherry tomatoes on your
patio or deck. (Learn more in
Container Cultivation. )
Create community.
The decline of community life and personal bonds is one of the
worst changes of the last 20 years. A
Build local economies.
One of the most crucial things you can do to build community
bonds while strengthening your local infrastructure is to vote
with your money by buying local, even though sometimes you may
pay more. “The most important set of things we can do right now
is to re-localize our economies in profound ways,” says author
and climate change activist Bill McKibben. Shopping locally also
fosters relationships with merchants, which will benefit you in
the long-run.
Keep a journal.
Active reflection is what the soul needs to stay in shape.
Journal writing is a way of keeping in touch with yourself. It
provides an active forum for contemplation and a written record
for future recollection of where your soul has been. Reading
past entries helps you trace your journey, recall your former
self, and reflect on the future.
Reconnect to nature.
In our busy, wired lives, it can be all too easy to lose touch
with nature — the grandeur of the outdoors that can uplift and
soothe us, and helps promote physical and emotional health.
Nature provides refuge and offers us a feeling of freedom,
fantasy and sanctuary.
De-clutter.
Today we live with an unprecedented number of possessions — so
many things that they’re overwhelming our drawers and closets
and migrating into storage spaces. But experts warn that there’s
a strong connection between physical clutter and mental clutter.
“For most people, the more clutter you have, the more depressed
you’re likely to feel, try to de-clutter a small space every
day, even just a countertop. Once you get a handle on your
clutter, adopt a new habit: scrutinize every item you bring into
your home. And when you bring in something new, try to donate or
re-purpose something old.
Choose not-so-big homes.
Next time you move, consider a smaller house. Heating,
cooling and furnishing these large houses increases your costs
and environmental impact.You all save time on being bogged down
by cleaning, dusting and caring for things.
