Choosing Voluntary Simplicity » Frugality

Can People Who Live Simply Have Nice Things?

Shirley — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:48:24 +0000

It's important to save for retirement. It's sensible to have an emergency fund. It's essential to live within your income and not go into debt. But where did the idea come from that people who are frugal and live simply can't have nice things? Or that they should feel guilty if they buy something new?

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My Winter Herb Garden

Shirley — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:38:21 +0000

All I can see from my kitchen windows is snow, snow, and more snow. The winters are very long here, and spring is still several months away... this is a time when I absolutely yearn to see something growing and GREEN, so I really enjoy the herbs that make up my little kitchen garden.

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The Biggest Obstacle to a Simpler, Truly Fulfilling Life

Shirley — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:23:57 +0000

"From your experience, what would you say is the biggest obstacle that people have to living a simpler, truly fulfilling life?"

A reader asked me this question a few days ago, and I think my answer would have to be one word... "inertia." The prospect of a lifestyle change is so overwhelming for most people, they are understandably afraid to take that first step. I hear from so many people who really want to live more simply, BUT... and I mean this seriously... they're making "simple living" too complicated.

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An Amazing Natural Wood Stove Cleaner and Polisher

Shirley — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:49:45 +0000

A few weeks ago, before it started to get really cold here, we spent the better part of one day taking the stove pipes apart and cleaning them. We also did a really thorough cleaning of the outside chimney as well as all the heat channels inside the stove, and we intended to finish off by polishing all the nickel trim on the outside of the stove. We have always used the recommended product for this polishing... a strong-smelling paste that needs to be rubbed on, left until it turns white, and then polished off. It's not a job I like, but a necessary one because the nickel trim on this stove is only beautiful when it is kept polished and shining.

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Playing at Frugality… or Really Living It?

Shirley — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:33:01 +0000

Readers often tell me that they would like to be more frugal but that they don't want a lifestyle of "living poor" and "doing without." What they don't realize is that there IS another way. Actually, I have serious objections to much of the frugal advice out there because it offers only quick-fix extreme measures that... like a crash diet... can't be lived with for very long. Extreme frugality sets up feelings of deprivation that almost always lead to bouts of spending... the money that you gave up so much to save gets spent impulsively and you're back to square one. To me, that yo-yo cycle of deprivation/splurging, deprivation/splurging is playing at frugality, not living it. Oddly, finding a level of frugality you CAN live with for the rest of your life is much, much easier.

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7 Grocery Shopping Strategies That Work For Me

Shirley — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:05:02 +0000

I keep a well-stocked pantry and an accurate ongoing pantry inventory. A small notebook hanging out of sight on the inside door of a pantry cabinet allows me to quickly update the list as inventory is added or used. This inventory list allows me to see at a glance exactly what is in the pantry and how much there is of each item.

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