Just Simplify

Stuff costs more than money 

Many are beginning to recognize the emotional, spiritual and financial weight of consumerism. That is why there is a surge in blogs, Facebook pages and websites that encourage and extol minimalism and non-consumerism. 
 
Fifty years ago, Americans consumed half of what they do today. Advertising convinces us that we will be happier, healthier, safer, more popular and better looking if we will just buy this one thing. “Having it all” is now a virtue, replacing other values such as thrift, generosity, humility, patience and prudence.  

In the 1950’s the average home was 958 square feet and there was no such thing as a self-storage rental unit. Today the average home is 2300 square feet and there are 58,000 self-storage facilities around the nation, providing 2.35 billion square feet of storage. 

We are bombarded by advertisements, over 3000 a year. That's more than people 50 years ago saw in a whole lifetime. Children raised in this environment are unable to distinguish between wants and needs. These ads are telling us a hundred times a day that we should be unhappy with what we have, that we need something bigger, better, faster. Is it any wonder depression is one of the fastest growing health concerns in the nation?  

This is not healthy or sustainable. It's time to simplify.  

A New Year's trend  

This is a good time to go through your house and decide if you really need all the stuff you have. You and your children just got a lot of things for Christmas. Do you think there's room for getting rid of some of what you have, perhaps donating it to charity or some worthy cause?  

You might have already noticed that one of the biggest sale items in January is plastic storage bins. That's because after the glut of Christmas, people have a lot of things to put into storage. Maybe they want to start the new year getting better organized. Organizing your life and living space at the start of the year is a great idea. But don't just box everything up and find a way to cram more into the storage room. Pare down, clear out and simplify.  

De-clutter your time 

Do you have a cluttered schedule? Do you feel like you are racing around to meet all the demands on your time that you don’t have a moment to sit in peace? This is a good indication that you need to de-clutter your schedule. Prioritize and learn to say “no” to demands that aren’t that important. 

Buy Nothing 

Maybe you’ve done all the de-cluttering you can. Then make January a Buy Nothing Month. You already got everything you need for Christmas, right? So make this a month that you don’t buy anything. (Of course, food and gas are exempt from this goal).  

If going a whole month of not buying anything is too much, make January a Buy Nothing New Month. If there is something you feel you absolutely must have, look for it at a thrift store, local FreeCycle or Craigslist or consider bartering or trading services for the item you need. The idea is to put your family budget on a strict diet and see if you can’t trim some of the excess from your life. 

You'll be glad you did 

There are many benefits of becoming less consumerist, and most of them have nothing to do with money. Concentrating on having less can actually give you more.  

• You are helping the environment. When you buy nothing, you are sending less to the landfill. Buying from thrift stores also helps cut down public waste. 
• You'll be more creative when filling family needs. You know the adage: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” Learning to “make do” helps get the creative juices flowing. 
• It forces you to evaluate your priorities. Focusing on your priorities means that when you spend money, it’s on something very specific and well thought-out.  
• Spending only in service of your goals inoculates you against buyer’s remorse. 
• You can savor peace and tranquility. Society expects us to spend, to display the outward trappings and appearance of success. Letting go of those external validations of your worth will give you new freedom and peace of mind. If you aren’t judging yourself by society’s expectations, you will find yourself judging others less, as well. 
• You will find satisfaction in things that matter. Instead of getting an emotional boost from a new dress or a nicer car, your satisfaction will come from time well-spent with family, playing games instead of going to the movies, cooking a meal together instead of eating out. 
• And yes, you will also have more money. This money can go towards savings, paying off debt or acquiring food storage and preparedness supplies. 

Make January the month that you begin to simplify your life, ridding yourself of things, busyness and debt that clutter your life and keep you from doing the things that really matter.  

Email questions, comments and suggestions to: charlene@providenthomecompanion.com