/r/simpleliving

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Breaking free of the work/spend/borrow cycle in order to live more fully, sustainably, and cooperatively.

Ideas and inspiration for living more simply. A place to share tips on living with less stuff, work, speed, or stress in return for gaining more freedom, time, self-reliance, and joy.

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/r/simpleliving

1,312,632 Subscribers

6

The Little Book of Hygge

I just finished listening to The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking and I highly recommend it! Such a cozy short book about the Danish art of living simply.

0 Comments
2024/03/23
16:53 UTC

23

gEt rIcH qUiCk

Anyone have really close family, friends, neighbors that are really bad at “get rich quick” schemes.

Had a neighbor that tried to buy the reddit IPO to make a few bucks and ended up selling at a $100 loss.

No clue what goes in their head, but I seem to have to hold my tongue a lot around friends and family pursuing everything from bitcoin to Air BnBs.

I try to be polite, but it makes me want to run away while shaking my head.

Sorry, just needed a safe place to vent.

32 Comments
2024/03/23
14:58 UTC

1

Consistency after success(in small things)

"How have your good days ever ruined your next day because of repeating the same mistake I made? Yesterday was one of my good days, yet the over-contentment from it has ruined today for me. While I enjoyed the success of yesterday, I neglected to properly complete today's tasks, which has soured the taste of the day. I began with my daily routine, then attempted to study, but I hadn't fully planned for the day, leaving tasks incomplete and overwhelming me now. The lesson I'm taking from this is to never slack off on my daily responsibilities, even after achieving something. It's our duty to see tasks through, so why slack off after a success? Therefore, I've decided not to slack off in the future, especially when it comes to my studies, being a good son, and maintaining my integrity as a gentleman. It's a promise I'm making to myself."

0 Comments
2024/03/23
12:33 UTC

0

Enjoy simple pleasures

Having time to enjoy simple pleasures, doing things with loved ones, reducing debt and living with less “stuff” are all ways to lessen stress and increase happiness.

0 Comments
2024/03/23
11:44 UTC

49

What's everyone's favorite warm drink lately?

I've been switching between drip coffee with oat milk (and sometimes a small scoop of hot chocolate powder) and a cup of earl grey with a splash of oat milk :)

98 Comments
2024/03/23
14:17 UTC

35

Decluttering Challenge Check-in Thread

Thanks for all of the interest in decluttering together this weekend!

Starting a new thread for us all to hold each other accountable and check-in.

It’s a rainy day here, so after going to the climbing gym, I’m going to tackle my pantry and my pile of organizing supplies in the attic. I am almost done with organizing my cords this week, so would like to finish that too!

How is your decluttering going? Or if you did it during the week, how did that go?

35 Comments
2024/03/23
11:36 UTC

58

50 Things You Can Control

0 Comments
2024/03/23
09:05 UTC

128

Car free

I no longer have a car, and I feel lighter. No car insurance payment, no registration, no parking tickets, no oil changes, no more panic attacks (I get them while driving). I live in a walkable city, and the walking is also good for my health and well-being. I do miss driving on backroads listening to music, but I’ll just enjoy the memory ❤️

29 Comments
2024/03/23
08:48 UTC

43

How can you make sure in choosing a partner for life who is also into living simple?

Some people like living to the fullest and some do like living simple though how can you make sure that a person is into living simple? What kind of questions can you ask a person to get some hints? What are things that you should keep an eye on when you meet someone?

28 Comments
2024/03/22
20:16 UTC

1

Simple living, FIRE, living alone

FIRE (financial independence retire early) was the first ever community I ever felt a part of about 5 years ago. Simple living and living alone are 2 others I stumbled upon fairly recent just due to circumstances.

Does anyone else subscribe to a mixture of these? Feel like they can all go hand in hand and offer the lifestyle I feel I've come to. No right or wrong answers but depending on your situation I feel they can be cohesive. I work a stressful job I don't like for the sole reason to RE, but also live simply and alone to take advantage of that, although I did not do either of those things in the recent past.

0 Comments
2024/03/22
05:27 UTC

37

Resisting the urge for excessive Easter consumption

I love the Easter holidays, though I’d be lying if I said that in the past I haven’t fallen into the trap of turning it into an excessively consumeristic time.

Silly disposable bunting, unnecessary plastic table decor, more chocolate than anyone will ever realistically enjoy, you know how it goes…

This weekend, ahead of the holiday, my family will be trying out dying our own eggs with odds and ends we already have in the pantry.

A little turmeric can make the most beautiful golden eggs, onion skins create orange hues, and so on.

I love these ideas: https://slimmingviolet.com/web-stories/eco-friendly-egg-dyes/

I’d love to read about some more activities that we can try like this, in the effort to live more simply?

22 Comments
2024/03/22
09:44 UTC

334

Should you romanticise poverty in order to cope?

Do you think romanticising your own poverty to cope with it is a good or bad idea? I know my situation won’t improve for at least 6 months realistically but it could be longer. Every day is bleak and difficult. To the point where it’s affecting me being able to do the things which will make my life better in the long run (which is months to years away). There aren’t really any small things in life that make me happy apart from maybe being warm, but it’s too expensive to put the heating on and sometimes when it is on I struggle with going very hot all of a sudden and sweating (not sure why, probably stress and loneliness). I do watch some people on YouTube who romanticise poverty and it honestly does make me feel better however their poorness is a performance and I wonder if they are actually poor… probably not if 10s of thousands of people watch them. Do you romanticise your own poverty in order to survive? What else is there? I fee defeated emotionally by the reality of my situation.

156 Comments
2024/03/22
13:57 UTC

241

Emotional regulation

Hi everyone! I sometimes have anxiety or become overwhelmed. I notice that my thoughts will start running rampant. What do yall do when you feel anxious or overwhelmed? Are there any simple habits/ routines that you guys do rather daily, morning, or at night to release those feelings?

Update: Thank you everyone for commenting. I found so many things that I can do to help ease my emotions. I even added them to a list on my notes app so I can keep it there when I feel those heavy emotions but don’t want to scroll through the comments again. I’m beyond thankful and grateful for all of the ideas that were given. Please if you’re reading this and can relate to what I feel, utilize some of the ideas listed below! We got this 💜.

229 Comments
2024/03/22
12:34 UTC

50

moved to Europe and enjoying simple life?

I was intrigued by a comment on a recent post about someone who moved to Crete to pursue a simple life and was interested in anyone else’s stories about moving to Europe for that reason? I’ve always put Europe on a pedestal for the ideal place to live and possibly to retire in.

70 Comments
2024/03/22
07:50 UTC

107

What is something that you do daily to be productive while maintaining simple living?

I want to learn things like how to manage my to-do list, calendar, structure my day, organize digital files, categorize my life into different buckets to better manage them, and many other things that can help me live a productive life while maintaining simple living.

107 Comments
2024/03/22
02:11 UTC

54

Is it possible to live in a small home with hobbies?

We may soon have a roommate out of necessity.

Our second room is basically a storage room for my hobbies (fishing, camping, diving), tool box, and my desk.

I have no clue where I’d put the stuff. It’s not really stuff I can get rid of.

24 Comments
2024/03/22
01:47 UTC

449

My parents have lived the most basic and simple life...

Dad is 76 years old now (mom passed 9 years ago). I realize recently that they've lived the most basic and simple life they could ever lie. They migrated in the early 80's from Punjab and weren't educated in our home country. My dad dropped out of school to join the family business at a young age and my mom only had a high school degree. They worked for a donut shop chain and eventually started their own donut shop. No computers. Ever. Not for personal use and have never needed one for the business. Smart Phones only because the flip phones dad preferred were designed too cheap and kept breaking down. They only do phone calls! Homemade Indian Vegetarian Food Only - made fresh from scratch daily. Thanksgiving Holiday? No. Christmas Holiday? No. Desire to own a $90k car? No. Are they overwhelmed with work? No, it's there own business and they run it at their own pace...

45 Comments
2024/03/21
17:31 UTC

116

I had a real "What would you grab in a fire?" moment.

I live in two places about 1.5 hours apart. One is small rowhouse in a city, the other is a log cabin in the mountains. I work remotely, so I split my time each week. My husband has to work in the city some days, so occasionally it's just me and the dogs at the cabin. Yesterday, my allergies were horrible and I needed to take an afternoon nap. When I woke up, the mountain looked strange. We get rolling mountain mist many mornings, but this was mist in the late afternoon. When I stepped outside, it hit me...FIRE!

I quickly checked local alerts and sure enough there were several fires surrounding my area and I was in the evacuation zone. I sat still for a second and realized I wasn't in shock, I was just calm. I didn't run around grabbing things, because there wasn't a single "thing" I couldn't live without.

I just grabbed the dog's leashes, got them in the car, and drove off.

I am very thankful to have another place to evacuate to and checking this morning, it looks like the fire closest to the cabin has been contained. It did burn over 100 acres and several structures, though.

I've had a less is more lifestyle, when it comes to objects, for most of my life, but this event really hit home. You never know what really matters until you have to make that split second decision. Now I know and I'm really happy with where I am.

27 Comments
2024/03/21
12:05 UTC

355

Tidying Up

At the recommendation of others in this group, I began reading Marie Kondo’s book about getting rid of things. I wanted to share the absurd list of things I got rid of today.

  1. A comforter I used in undergraduate school (2006).
  2. An exercise bike that one of the pedals had fallen off (kept for 3 years because I thought I’d fix it).
  3. An all in one record player that broke within months of owning it, that I always intended to fix (2002).
  4. The box for every iPhone and Apple Watch I had bought since 2006.

Donations

  1. The robe I got from an ex in 2006 that I wore once.
  2. Dress clothes from when I used to weigh 265 pounds, that I intended to have altered (2017).
  3. CDs and Tapes dating back to 1996 when I was a child.
  4. Winter hats with tags still on them from the early 2000s.
  5. Pants that are size 38 waist. (I was a 38 waist for about 2 months before I decided to lose weight).
  6. Wired earbuds from when the iPhone still came with earbuds.
  7. Stuffed animals from various relationships.
  8. Frames for photos I ended up having professionally done.

The list goes on and on. As someone who’s moved to a different neighborhood in Chicago every other year throughout my 20s, and just settled into suburban living in my 30s. I cannot understand how all of these things moved with me sometimes 8-9 times. Putting intention into getting rid of things has made me feel lighter! I wanted to thank the simple living community for pushing me to get rid of things I do not find joy in.

33 Comments
2024/03/21
16:34 UTC

23

“Simplify, simplify.”

I never understood why Thoreau said it twice.
Unless oversimplifying complicates things. Or?

11 Comments
2024/03/21
14:08 UTC

847

I'm not responsible for other people's feelings

It's been really helpful for me to accept this as it has reduced my stress and allowed me to live in the moment. I've been trying to simplify my life for a long time but worrying about other people who refuse to help themselves was dominating all my headspace.

Yes, I care about others. Yes, I am willing to make a reasonable effort to help when needed. But no, their problems and emotions will not control my mental state and emotions.

Having the mental space to focus on my own needs has really simplified my life by allowing me to make changes that actually make a difference and improve my life.

EDIT: This does not mean I am not responsible for how my actions directly affect someone. If I hurt someone, intentionally or unintentionally, I am willing to understand and try to make it right. When I say I'm not responsible, I am talking about people's feelings about things I have no control over or if they have unreasonable or unfair expectations of me.

167 Comments
2024/03/21
13:43 UTC

1

How can economics contribute to simple living? Relevant sub-fields include doughnut economics, circular economics, regenerative economics, degrowth, post-growth, etc. What are others, and which seem most promising?

Living simply is often seen as not just socially weird, but also made practically more difficult by the predominant economic system, which is oriented the other way — always pushing to maximize production and growth. The fields mentioned above are each making some effort to shift this. Which ones seem to be making the most progress?

And what can we do to increase reporting on their efforts? They've become popular enough among economists that even those working in government have conferences about this stuff, but they're having a hard time getting it reported in major media.

3 Comments
2024/03/20
18:12 UTC

180

Structuring your life around values rather than things

When I think about simple living, of course my mind immediately jumps to a little cottage by a stream where life plays out in a myriad of simple pleasures that I, unencumbered by the sprawl of the city and the constant buzzing of my phone, can enjoy.

But that’s not ever going to be my life.

I also see a lot of posts here and in other forums where living simply is focused more on being happy with less stuff, but not, from what I see, replacing stuff with something else.

I am married with two kids and a dog. I live in an older neighborhood smack inside a huge city. I have a sales job that I drive for, spending most of my time behind the wheel in traffic all day. I’ve got reaponsibilities and commitments and and a whole lot of stuff and I also drink quite a bit…

But I still believe I live pretty simply.

I never wanted to be in debt, so with the exception for a mortgage, I’ve always paid cash for everything. And we’ve been slashing away at the mortgage pretty aggressively hust to clear it asap. I’ve always lived deliberately far below my means.

I’ve been in similar roles in my field most of my career. I could make more if I wanted to take on lots more hours and stress, but my pay is decent and most importantly, my schedule is extremely flexible. My choice of career has allowed me to be at every one of my kids’ events- birthdays, sports, plays, award ceremonies, etc.

I have lots of hobbies that I do just for the joy of doing them. My only real goal is to be better at whatever it is I’m doing. Not to side hustle or sell, but just because when I’m better at playing the guitar, for example, I enjoy playing the guitar more.

I have hobbies where I collect stuff— comics and toys, and music, primarily. I love going to my favorite record or comic stores and chatting about music or art and digging for some rare treasure in the bins.

I’m busy. Like all the time. But it’s a fulfilling busy. A meaningful busy. And when things slow down and I have time to think, I get curious. I start to read. Then I’m bound to go down a rabbit hole on some new subject.

I’m just saying that for those of you who are looking to simplify, maybe it’s not a matter of how much stuff you can get rid of or limiting your screen time, but whether your minutes and hours and days are being spent in ways that bring meaning and fulfillment to your life, no matter how far away that cabin and stream seem to be.

14 Comments
2024/03/20
20:46 UTC

109

In line with the principle of simple living, i plan to keep clothing to limited pairs and hence would like to ask you which fabric amongst cotton or linen or wool is the most long lasting and comfortable? Also amongst m&s, h&m, uniqlo or any other- which brands clothing is most durable & comfortable

In line with the principle of simple living, i plan to keep clothing to limited pairs and hence would like to ask you which fabric amongst cotton or linen or wool is the most long lasting and comfortable? Also amongst m&s, h&m, uniqlo or any other- which brands clothing is most durable & comfortable? You may please suggest other brands too.

162 Comments
2024/03/20
17:57 UTC

12

Today I cancelled my mobile phone plan in my pursuit of paying less bills

Hello,

Just wanted to share how much relief I feel today after having decided to stop paying my mobile phone plan. I'll keep the phone but just charge credit when I need it.

I've been paying this plan for years, realizing that it's a waste of time and distracts me from what I really want to do with my time.

Also, money is not the problem for me but the thing about paying less things (in a moment where I feel overwhelmed by the time spent paying bills monthly) really makes me feel a bit of freedom.

0 Comments
2024/03/20
00:40 UTC

112

Podcast where you can learn new things

I am introducing a new habit into my life called: low-key learning. It basically means, that whenever I'm doing low-maintenance stuff, I want to be intentional with my time and learn new things. Do you have podcasts or TV shows you would recommend for learning new things?

Examples of low-maintenance stuff: doing groceries, cleaning the bathroom, morning walks, meal prepping time, etc.

57 Comments
2024/03/19
20:02 UTC

260

Where do you live simply?

We're planning a move in the next three years, so I'm in the investigatory phase. I'm looking for a new community where we can live simply, frugally, and happily. As much as I would like it, it can't be an isolated cabin or sex cult commune. It would have to be, for lack of a better phrase, a "15-Minute Community," so to speak, where we can access things like shopping, doctor's offices, etc., with little in the way of driving a car. Bike trails/routes would be a plus.

Other than that, what do you think? Where would you live?

EDIT: I had to go do stuff and came back to find so many amazing suggestions. If I had a podcast, I'd interview every one of you on how you create a simple life in each of the places you've mentioned. This is great. Thank you.

244 Comments
2024/03/19
19:20 UTC

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