A blog about finding balance in your life, connecting with who you are, and creating a lifestyle where you wake up each morning eagerly anticipating the day ahead.
Frugality is so ingrained into our lifestyle that it would be difficult for us NOT to be frugal… but I’m a great believer in practicing sensible frugality… and that doesn’t mean deprivation, being miserly or feeling cheap.
Don’t buy produce that has been marked down because it is past its sell-by date. Produce that has been bruised or has been sitting around is much more prone to bacteria contamination. The few cents you save are not worth the risk.
Q: When did you first start Choosing Voluntary Simplicity?
A: I sometimes think that Choosing Voluntary Simplicity started itself… beginning with the drastic lifestyle change my husband and I made nearly eleven years ago.
Reader question… “I was wondering if you make your own laundry detergent.”
Because I make bread every day, I have found I can save a lot of money by buying yeast in the one-pound packages.
Downshifting means working towards simple living by making conscious choices to leave materialism behind and move on to a more sustainable lifestyle. It does not mean simply cutting back and trying to live the same life only with less money.
I think the most wonderful thing about voluntary simplicity is that it means different things to different people. There is no one way to do simple living right.
Frugality comes naturally to native New Englanders, I think, and most of us already have a strong streak of individuality and an inclination to do things just a little bit differently than the rest of the world.
Have you ever noticed how many of the same people who are trying to promote a simple lifestyle make frugality into a negative concept…
We had been living a simple life for many years before I discovered there was a name… voluntary simplicity… for the way we have chosen to live. Obviously, our version of voluntary simplicity…
The photos are my own. Some illustrate the post... others show our surroundings and the things we love about our version of simple living and voluntary simplicity. I welcome links to my blog or to any of my articles, but please do not copy my photos or content. —Shirley
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