There’s more to life than buying stuff.
There are many wonderful people pursuing and promoting simplicity. Fortunately, some of them are gifted in communication and choose to encourage and inspire us with their words. I enjoy reading their unique perspective. I’m sure you will too.
So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea on this beautiful weekend. Find a quiet moment. And enjoy some encouraging words about finding more simplicity in your life today.
You Weren’t Born to Pay Off Debt and Die | Blonde on a Budget by Cait Flanders. You might get 85 years on this planet. Don’t spend 65 paying off a lifestyle you can’t afford.
Why More and More Means Less | The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford. Status quo bias means that most of your stuff stays because you can’t think of a good reason to get rid of it.
The Power of Buying Less by Buying Better | The Atlantic by Elizabeth Cline. According to a recent survey commissioned by the British charity Barnardo’s, a majority of women’s garments are worn a mere seven times before being pushed to the back of the closet or tossed into the garbage.
The Challenge of Getting Rid of Stuff | The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm. Every single step that I take in terms of understanding why I spend money and how I can spend that money more effectively in terms of making the best life possible is a victory.
Millennials: It’s Time to Toss Your Childhood Junk | The Star by Katrina Clarke. As baby boomers age and dream of downsizing, their grown kids return home to clean out the basement.
Great post! The post is helpful and informative for me.
Great round up! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!!! I just stumbled across your blog today. Thank you for spreading your goodness into the world. Your message gives me hope to be the person I hope to become, today!
Newbie here!
Many thanks for the Weekend articles…helps me re-focus on the 2 days that I most want to go buy stuff! :)
We’ve applied the “quality over quantity” rule in our food choices as well…the result? We actually eat less junk…are more creative when cooking…simplified our meal choices…got healthy…and I lost 100 lbs/hubby lost 50!!!
And even though we had to buy new clothes, we had a better perspective on what we actually needed…so liberating :)
Phew, I needed this today. The shopping-jones is hitting bad, and I needed this re-focus.
I did make a fairly sizeable purchase a few weeks ago. Our cheap vacuum was 5 years old, was never spectacular, and just can not keep up with 2 dogs. The new Shark (I comparison-shopped) does a much, much better job and the old vacuum is going on Craigslist.
No offense…but who would want to buy an old vacuum that doesn’t work well and is filled with dog hair? ;)
I agree, just get rid of it. I have just discovered minimalism and as a organized hoarder, I save everything I am feeling blessed for the concept and have embraced very openly.
Fair question! But I have been just amazed at what people will buy; you never know. If it doesn’t sell in a week, it’s gone.
I would take being stress free and financially secure with fewer things over being buried in debt with a bunch of “cool stuff” any day of the week. I really will never understand the appeal of consumerism.