Thread: Simple Living : Less is More

Wikipedia defines Simple Living as encompassing a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include, for example, reducing one's possessions, generally referred to as minimalism, or increasing self-sufficiency. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they have rather than want. Although asceticism generally promotes living simply and refraining from luxury and indulgence, not all proponents of simple living are ascetics.Simple living is distinct from those living in forced poverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle choice.

Adherents may choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in quality time for family and friends, work–life balance, personal taste, financial sustainability, frugality, or reducing stress. Simple living can also be a reaction to materialism and conspicuous consumption. Some cite socio-political goals aligned with the environmentalist, anti-consumerist or anti-war movements, including conservation, degrowth, social justice, and tax resistance.

One of the main reasons that motivated me to get into traditional shaving was that I was simply fed up with the ridiculous prices of cartridge razors. I switched to DE razors first but feared the blades would eventually be difficult to source. Here's the post that started my quest for shaving self-sufficiency back when I was a poor university student in 2003.

Was wondering what other practices, in addition to straight razor shaving of course, you have adopted to simplify your lifestyle?

Originally Posted by Badgister

One of the main reasons that motivated me to get into traditional shaving was that I was simply fed up with the ridiculous prices of cartridge razors. I switched to DE razors first but feared the blades would eventually be difficult to source. Here's the post that started my quest for shaving self-sufficiency back when I was a poor university student in 2003.

Was wondering what other practices, in addition to straight razor shaving of course, you have adopted to simplify your lifestyle?

Retirement!!!!!!

I have done nothing to simplify my lifestyle other than live within my means and carry no long term debt. That in itself simplifies things for me.

Bob

I hope to get there sooner than later. Hopefully to be mortgage free by 50.

I’ll second be the whole no debt thing. We just have a mortgage. Changed everything for us. Our marriage is better, having kids was way less stressful, made life way easier in general.

We moved to RURAL North Idaho
My closest neighbor is about a 1/2 mile away
I have learned so many things that I now do myself that I used to just call "A Guy" to have done
I never in a million years saw myself driving a tractor, plowing a field, planting a garden, fixing a well, falling trees and bucking and cutting them myself, Putting in wood stoves and chimneys, and worst of all learning about a Septic System.

After almost 17 years I would never go back to the city...

In addition to what BobH and others mentioned:

No car! (bicycle-only for the past 6-1/2 years) On a small, fixed, retirement income, living "car-free" makes all the difference.

Originally Posted by JBHoren

In addition to what BobH and others mentioned:

No car! (bicycle-only for the past 6-1/2 years) On a small, fixed, retirement income, living "car-free" makes all the difference.

I used to live in the suburbs where I was much more car dependent. Now that I live in the city, I cycle to work 6 months of the year and practically all my errands and groceries are done walking.

Straight shaving has definitely not contributed to a more simple life. What used to take three auto-pilot minutes now takes thirty. And instead of one disposable razor on a shelf, I now have boxes of razors, hones, soaps, and aftershaves. No regrets, but everything I get into adds to my belongings and complicates my daily life.

Now that I am semi-retired and job share with my wife, we have gone down to one car from two. We also manage to find 4 or 5 day weekends to escape to the cottage WHENEVER WE WANT!

We take our current situation as practicing for full retirement in a couple of years. Our plan is to ditch the house, keep the cottage (turning maintenance over to the kids) and use our travel trailer to enjoy the freedom to do what we want, where and when we want.