What is simple living?

According to Wikipedia simple living “encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simple one’s lifestyle” and may include “reducing one’s possessions, increasing one’s self-sufficiency, and being satisfied with what one has rather than wants.” I didn’t even realize there was a “Simple Living” Wikipedia page until I started to write this blog post. Talk about scary and intimidating! When I read this I thought that to have a simple life I needed to become a self-sufficient nomad, wandering the open road by myself. It brought me back to my original fears of living simply! EEK! But then I stopped worrying and recomposed myself…at least to the best of my abilities haha!

In our first house, the house that we built, I was commuting 45 minutes each way to work and I had picked up a per diem job to pay off some of our expenses. We had a house larger than we needed (the 3rd bedroom was empty from the day we moved in until the day we moved out) and we were missing out on some of the things we enjoyed doing together because we were always working. And with an empty house, I felt the need to fill it with stuff, which would require me to work more than I already was!

It’s safe to say that I was beyond stressed. I actually started listening to lifestyle podcasts on my commute to help me unwind and relax during my time on the road to and from work. While not every zen practice that I heard I agree with, it was just refreshing to learn about something different! These have become some of my favorite podcasts. See the resources tab for some awesome podcasts I found.

What does simple living mean to me?

Well let’s start out with what I thought it was…I always thought living a simple life was hardcore minimalism where you would commit to living with a designated amount of possessions and were always in a race with others for who could live with the least. My alternative belief was that I thought it was some version of homesteading (I’m not sure where I got this from…haha!) where you basically gave up your current life, moved off-grid and vowed not to buy things. EVER!  Don’t get me wrong, I find these lifestyles and tiny living very inspiring…but I’m just not that hardcore.

While my husband and I have fewer possessions than most due to the amount of moving we’ve done, I didn’t want to put a limit on the number of possessions we could have. I also didn’t want to move to a remote location to become a self-sustaining farm (I was already having a hard time with moving to a more rural location…and those student loans can’t pay themselves!). The fear of not being able to buy anything either also freaked me out. I just wanted small victories!

Then I realized that a simple life is only defined by the one trying to obtain it. While minimalism and homesteading are certainly simplistic, simple living is not defined by these two extremes. To me, simple living is a bridge between minimalism and consumerism. To me, it’s not about NOT spending money, but being more responsible and aware of my purchases – focusing on quality over quantity and not buying items on a whim just to fill space. I want to invest in pieces that will last for years to come and give me joy when I see them.

Simple living to me is about not overworking myself, taking time for me, my family and friends, working towards paying off student loans, enjoying and rediscovering hobbies that I love, and being able to travel when my husband and I want to. When I listened to others’ journey towards a more simple life, I felt more inspired to live a life less like a rat race and one more fulfilling, enjoyable, and meaningful.

What is important to you and defines your “simple life”? Are you committed to making your dream lifestyle a reality? Do you have any reservations with building a simple life?