New to Loving Simple Living?  

Sign up to get simple tips sent right to your inbox and get Loving Simple Living the book for free!

Subscribe 

You are browsing the Blog for Money - Loving Simple Living.

10 Steps For Intentional Living

November 2, 2011 in Creating Simple Living

Everyone’s intentional living is a bit different, but I wanted to compile a list of 10 steps that should carry across the board.  Even if you aren’t sure what you want your intentional life to look like you can still take these steps.

Write Out Your Priorities

What is most important to you?  God, kids, pets, car, education, retirement.  I believe God should be in there and, if you have family, it should be in there too, but beyond that it is pretty personal.  We are all wired differently to have different things that are important.  It is good to put this list (honestly) in order, then when an opportunity or change comes up you can rate it against your list.

Write Out What You Are Passionate About

To me, as an emotional woman, this is what brings me to tears.  Like the priorities, this is personal.  To me it is kids and families that struggle financially, especially in poor countries.  I think people should be able to have clean water and the chance to work to provide food for their families.  I can’t imagine the hopelessness of not being able to provide for my kids.   This is close to priorities, but not the same.  These need to be discovered so that they also can be compared against  any change or opportunity that arrises.

Get Out Of Debt

Ok, this probably should be first, but I wanted to start with something ‘funner’ than money.  Really getting out of debt is fun/freeing.  Nobody is ‘called’ to debt and nobodies dream is debt so this is a pretty good given across the board.   Debt sucks and it should be ran from.  We really like (and try to follow) Dave Ramsey’s plan/steps.  Simple… but not easy.  The idea is you have to hate debt, be scared of debt, run from debt.  It isn’t an annoyance, it steals your life and happiness… it is the enemy!

Become Your Definition Of A Minimalist In Time And Stuff

Everyone has a different idea of what is necessary material wise in their life.  Don’t worries.  This step is just making sure that you only have what you need and no extra baggage.  Think, stuff=time, stuff=maintenence, stuff=triping in the middle of the night, stuff=money, stuff=loss of space, stuff=can’t find the things you want… you get the idea.  Minimalize away any extra stuff and keep your ‘stuff life’ organized and clutter free.

Find A ‘Board Of Directors’

This I have seen in several places so it isn’t mine originally.  There is two steps in this.  First, you need to find people close to you who want you to succeed (or want to succeed with you).  These are people who will listen to your ideas and offer encouragement and ask questions to really help define what you are thinking.  They are also those who will keep you accountable.  This works in diet and exercise and will work just as good or better with intentional living.  Second, there might be people you thought would fit in the first group but don’t.  (there might even be people you are close to that you know are draining and discouraging you from looking outside your box)  These people should NOT be in your ‘Board of Directors’.   Not that you can’t still be friends with them, but what you share with them and what you talk about with them should not be your intentional living goals.  Making changes, especially ‘crazy/out of the box’ ones are hard enough without being discouraged or told it will never work.

I would love to be strong enough to do what I want and feel is right no matter what, but I am not.  I need lots of like minded, positive, encouraging people around me.  … and you probably do too :)

Fine Tune Your Resume And Keep It Current

This isn’t thought of as often, but I have come to really believe in it.  Whether you are working, love your job, don’t plan on getting a new job, etc,  it still pays to have a solid resume handy.  You never know when a time might come for a dream job (more than the dream job you might already have) or another side opportunity that you will need it for.  If all else, you will feel better knowing you are awesome and worth promoting after creating a killer resume :)   Opportunities are much easier to go for when you already have the resume to send.

Get A Passport (or equivalent if travel is not your thing)

Ok, this is kinda my thing because it is travel.  We have current passports for the whole family.  There has been options where we have tried to use them (more than just Canada) that haven’t worked out, but just having them makes it easier to go for stuff, especially last minute stuff.  If travel isn’t your dream what is?  What do you need in hand so that you could make the most of an opportunity?  Have it handy… it would be a shame to miss out on an opportinity because you weren’t ready.

Keep Learning

This is huge for intentional living.  Turn off the TV and learn something.  Take a class, read a book, sit and think… it doesn’t really matter how.  Even taking up a new hobby helps grow and expand your mind.  There is so much available right now with books, computer, cheap(er) education, that other generations wouldn’t have been able to dream of.  Still, so many people just sit with their head in the sand giving away precious time to TV or useless computer.  (my blog is very useful, lots of thinking and positive ideas so it counts as learning ;)

Keep Your Eyes And Ears Open

This goes along with the last three (resume, passports and learning).  No matter where you are or what you are doing, even if you think you are already in your ideal dream, keep your eyes and ears open.  Open for other opportunities, other challenges, new ways of thinking, new things to learn… you get the idea.  Always watch, listen and talk for growth.  Intentional living isn’t a point A to point B kind of thing.  It is continuously growing and changing as you grow and change.

Always Look For Ways To Expand This List

You got me, I only came up with 9, but 10 is such a nice number.  In all honesty, because everyone’s intentional life is a bit different it needs to be filled in and added to personally.  Take Action!  Have Fun!

Come back next Wednesday for a message from Steve Jobs ;)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
4 Comments »

Simple Tip – Thankful Thinking

October 31, 2011 in My Simple Living

I wanted to write a few posts on thinking and outlook.  I have probably touched on it before, but it is so huge.  So much of life is formed in how we choose in our head to see it. 

So minimalism or simple living is having less stuff right?  Society tries very hard to make us feel like we don’t have enough stuff and tries to makes us want to buy more and more.   This isn’t evil, it makes tones of economic sense, I just don’t want to follow it.

The way to combat the feeling of needing more and more stuff is to really focus on being thankful for what I have.   What I have is a gift.  I didn’t deserve it but I want to manage and make the most of it.

I wanted to focus a bit on what I am thankful for.  Your list is probably a bit different, but I bet we have lots of the same things.  (sorry, kinda on a list kick from last Wed still)

I am thankful for:

    1. Life, all 31 years
    2. Health, not always the best, but sure could be far worse
    3. An amazing husband who is teaching me how to love and that I am valued
    4. Energetic, healthy, and smart kids
    5. Enough money in the bank to not worry about buying groceries
    6. Almost being out of debt (we have been working hard at paying off the Prius)
    7. The ability to read and the incredible amount of books available
    8. The chance and finances to stay home with my kids and home school them
    9. Modern medicine and the preventative health information to use it as little as possible
    10. Great friends
    11. Caffeine free coffee (I can’t handle the caffeine, wigs me out, but I love the taste)
    12. Dark chocolate
    13. Olives… ok, I should probably just put great food or this list could really get long
    14. Sunny days, and hot summer days, and a south facing apartment
    15. Mostly consistent work since we became self-employed over 4 years ago
    16. A God who loves and has saved me
    17. Our minimalism journey which makes it much easier to clean, find things and/or move
    18. Awesome garage sales and Craigslist to both sell what we don’t need anymore and get things we do
    19. Blogging, the fun people I have gotten to know through it, and the challenging process of learning how to do it
    20. Sleep…. my favorite hobby
    21. Facebook and the fact that I have caught up with almost everyone I ever knew in the last few years… and the ability to take my time back and not spend near as much time on it as I have been.
    22. Brown paper packages and whiskers on kittens
    23. British Comedy
    24. Early bedtimes and quiet evenings
    25. …..my need to finish off a list with a nice round number like 25.

What does your list look like?  I dare you to make on–just making one makes the day feel better.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
7 Comments »

Simple Compassion-Kiva Loans

October 25, 2011 in Simple Compassion

Kive is a super cool organization.  I have ment to loan to them for well over a year, but finally got to it today.  I have given to this lady to help her with her dairy business.

As I am typing this I am realizing that it is probably kind of strange for me to be giving her money for a dairy business when I am trying to be vegan ;) .  I liked her and I liked the fact that she had been already working for a while and her motivation was established.  I like that this is helping her become self-sufficient and my money has the potential to change her life as well as years down the line to her kids and grandkids.  Dairy doesn’t have the same animal cruelty issues in other countries and its high calorie content is much more needed.   There is lots more projects and stories.

Here is information from their about page. 

We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. Learn more about how it works.

Since Kiva was founded in 2005:

  • 633,471 Kiva lenders
  • $252 million in loans
  • 98.90% Repayment rate

We work with:

  • 143 Field Partners
  • 450 volunteers around the world
  • 60 different countries

Why we do what we do

We envision a world where all people – even in the most remote areas of the globe – hold the power to create opportunity for themselves and others.

We believe providing safe, affordable access to capital to those in need helps people create better lives for themselves and their families.

How we do it

Making a loan on Kiva is so simple that you may not realize how much work goes on behind the scenes.

Kiva works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. One hundred percent of your loan is sent to these microfinance institutions, which we call Field Partners, who administer the loans in the field.

Kiva relies on a world wide network of over 450 volunteers who work with our Field Partners, edit and translate borrower stories, and ensure the smooth operation of countless other Kiva programs.

Learn more about how it works.

How we’re funded

100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes directly towards funding loans; Kiva does not take a cut. Furthermore, Kiva does not charge interest to our Field Partners, who administer the loans.

Kiva is primarily funded through the support of lenders making optional donations. We also raise funds through grants, corporate sponsors, and foundations.

We are incredibly thankful for the support that has enabled us to do the work that has touched the lives of so many people.

Learn more about our partnerships or make a donation.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
6 Comments »

How We Simplified – By Lily

September 27, 2011 in My Simple Living

 (This post was written by Lily, my 7 year old daughter as a home school writing assignment)

This year we did a lot of different  things to simplify our life. This  is what we did: first we sold a lot of stuff. This is what I remember. We sold lots of books, a bag of Barbies, a set of fake kitchen stuff, a pool, and some tools. The pool was $100. I  don’t know why, but someone bought it. Ian and me made $120.

Second, we packed up what was left, and moved to into  a  two  bedroom apartment. Grandma and grandpa helped us move. We rented a moving truck. On the day we moved we bought pizza for lunch. We were still packing when it finally came to lunch time. It was hard work. It was 11:30am when we where finally done. It  took 20 minutes to get to  the new apartments. It took a while to unpack.   Then grandma and grandpa left and we went back and  cleaned and cleaned for days. Then we got settled in the apartment.

Another simple thing is daddy got less work and I think it’s great! We get to have more fun with him. We eat supper with him almost every night.  I think it’s great here! We can go swimming in the winter too! Yeah! It will  be super fun (if it’s not to cold). Yippy! It will be the best winter ever! Maybe the best winter in my life time! We might go on winter vacation to though, either way it’s fun here.  When you have time  you can come swim here with me.

What I  like about  our simple life is, it’s easier to clean  up our room now. Hip,hip,hurry ! Yeah! Our porch is shady. It’s a short walk to the store and library. There is lot’s more time with my dad.

The best part of our simple live was going on vacation this summer. We went to the Grand Canyon, and saw grandpa AK, and went to the beach. I even became a junior ranger in Canada and the USA. I became a junior ranger three times. Ian became one two times! The End.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
9 Comments »

The Bad Side of Bulk

September 21, 2011 in Minimalist Tips

This is a crazy post for me to write.  A year ago, this post would have sounded very different so, I guess, this area really shows how my thinking has changed.  I have learned that simple living and simple homemaking often doesn’t including buying in bulk.

I used to love bulk.  I have never been a hoarder of stuff after I have used it (like kids cloths or craft projects) but I was a big hoarder on bulk items.  Before we moved to our apartment this spring I had our house packed with all kinds of things I found in bulk or on sale.  We had a year or more supply of stuff from toiletries, to food, to kids cloths (these purchased several years in advance at garage sales).  My thriftiness had me buying everything in advance when I could find it.  I always shopped through all the clearance sections and found great deals. 

While downsizing this spring I ran into the problem of trying to figure out what to do with our years supply of so many things.  I found myself selling lots of never touched toiletries and boxes of laundry soap, and donating lots of cloths that they kids wouldn’t have grown into for years.  Even now, lots of stuff that we have in our apartment now is left over bulk that I kept that we will hopefully use up in the next year.   

What I am coming to realize is that bulk really isn’t cheaper for two main reasons:

First, I am not sure I will really need it.  Often I have ended up with more cloths purchased ahead of time than my kids even need for a size and season.  I have gotten lots of shampoo that I then decide I don’t like as well as I thought I did.  We get sick of a food and there is still lots left in the cupboard. 

Second, I am paying for temperature controlled storage for my bulk.  It might be cheaper to buy TP for a year at a time on sale, but then I need to have a house big enough to have a place to store it.  Most of my basement and bathroom cupboards were full of different bulk products.   Now I don’t have the space to keep all these products, but I am also paying much less living expenses and utilities.  Having a chest freezer was nice in the house and it was always full, but I am not sure that it saved what we paid for in electricity to run it.  Honestly, the stuff purchased in bulk was cheaper, but was it really cheap enough to make up for the costs.     

Beyond these there is the hassle of having to sort through stuff and keep it organized. 

Probably most people aren’t near as crazy as me.   My excuse was that hoarding for the future was much smarter than hoarding other useless items.  It has just been a revelation, or a change in the way I am thinking, to realize that this really wasn’t saving me money and that living simply, buying only a few things in bulk or ahead is really, surprisingly cheaper…. and way easier.

If we need to have it all, than couponing or shopping all over town might make it cheaper… but maybe we don’t need it all.

Less hassle, more time.  Less stuff, more money.   Simple life, more freedom.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2 Comments »

Making a Big Difference…. Simply.

September 20, 2011 in Simple Compassion

Welcome to my simple living blog!  Thanks for reading.  Take a look around and feel free to comment or e-mail me. 

I want to share a simple way that my family has been involved in making a powerful difference.  For the last 3ish years we have sponserd 2 children through World Vision.

First off I have a huge burden for those in 3rd world countries.  There are evils and poverty in our country, but here there are programs everywhere for food and medical.  Clean water and education are amazingly easy to come by no matter who you are or where you are.  In other countries it isn’t this way.   Lack of clean water, food and basic medical attention kill millions of people.  The education that could help pull them out of the cycle is often something they can’t get, don’t have time to get, or are too weak to get.  We did nothing to deserve where we were born and they did nothing to deserve where they were born.  In the world, we are all family and we should do all we can to help each other. 

What is neat about world vision is the connection.  We picked 2 children, matching ages and genders with our own as close as we could and have been able to write back and forth and learn about how they are benefiting from our support.  We know that these children will grow up to get the education that can give lasting help to their community. 

Let me introduce you to our kids:

Juster(below)-Juster is a 7-year-old girl in Malawi.  She seems shy, but likes to draw us pictures and is doing well in school.  Her aunt writes us letters because she isn’t old enough to write yet.  As she does more school I am looking forward to seeing letters from her.  Last Christmas we sent extra money and she was able to get several things including a metal storage container to keep the bugs from destroying her blankets, cloths and a goat.  We send $35 for Juster every month and a world vision worker checks on her everyday because she is high risk.  She is a Hope Child.

Phochland(seen at the top of the post)-Phochland is a little 4-year-old boy with lots of older siblings living in northeast India.  Still to old to do school or write he has done a few simple drawings or colorings for us and we send him lots of stickers.  He loves playing ball and is very healthy.  Last Christmas, with some extra money we sent, world vision purchased a bike for his dad.  We send $30 a month for Phochland and the world vision worker checks on him every week. 

Sponsor a Child

These are my additional kids.  It has been a great experience for our whole family.  Lily and Ian both write letters and pick out stickers and treats to send.  We would love to visit them someday. 

In this world we can’t fix all the problems, and it seems overwhelming when we hear all the terrible struggles people face.  I love that I can do something for someone.  These kids, their families and their communities benefit from a small amount that is automatically withdrawn out of my account each month. 

Will you help too?  Will you find a kid to help?  It is super easy, pick and kid and set up automatic withdrawal and they take it from there.  If you have time, when you remember, you can send a note, but your money is working even when you don’t think about it.

My reason for writing this article is two-fold.   First, I think all kids deserve a chance no matter where they are born, and I believe World Vision does a great job of offering sustainable help to communities.

Second, if I can convince 5 of you to sign up by the end of Sep to sponsor a child I get entered in a drawing for a trip to Peru.  So, if you sign up, send me an e-mail with your name and your sponsored childs ID number :)  I would also love to hear how it is going as you sponsor your child. 

This is such a great opportunity.  As much as I would love to fly over to some of these countries and try to help, I can’t figure out a good way now.  What my small contribution does every month provides the practical, educated, lasting help that I can’t physically give.  It is a blessing to be involved, simple to , and a bargain! 

Will you sponsor?  Sponsor Now! 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1 Comment »

Simplify-Refuse To Buy Junk

September 15, 2011 in Minimalist Tips

This has been a habit that I have learned to break while living in our small apartment space.  Stop buying junk! 

It isn’t easy.  The reality is that society with all the brains and money it can muster are trying to get us to buy junk. Add to that,  the perceived cure to our current economic crisis would be people consuming and buying more.  

However, it is necessary.  To live a simplified life and a sustainable minimalistic life one has to mastering this concept.  Stop buying junk! 

The conspiracy is all interconnected.  Bigger houses with bigger closets and more cabinets, bigger shopping carts and more trunk space in cars.   All the space begs to be filled.  They are easy to get filled with junk because:

  1. We can’t wait to buy a quality product so we have created a market for the cheapest, thinnest, flimsiest things we can find to give the look of quality.  Look at most clothing…..
  2. Planned obsolesence which means that companies make a science out of how long something has to hold together or work for us to still buy it, then makes sure it breaks down beyond repair so we have to replace it again.  This concept makes me angry!  There is a science for making sure things break down and are hard to repair.  Sound like most appliances?

Society creates the need for the illusion of success while marketing, store layout, scents, music etc make sure we buy all we can.  Then once we have all the stuff the need is always there to replace  items because they wear out, break, look used and flimsy all after just a short time.  Increase stuff, replace stuff, increase our stuff, replace what breaks  …. then we have a life full of worn out junk filling our houses and lives.  

Stop the junk!  It isn’t about just getting rid of stuff as it gets used and worn out or we get tired of it, if it was only that we would have a part-time job sorting and getting rid of stuff.  The ideal with minimalism and simple living is that we go through, sort, get rid of stuff once.  (it may take several times but each time it should be a much smaller pile.  From 100% quantity to 60% to 30% to 20% etc… the piles should be drastically smaller not growing)  Less junk, don’t buy stuff that needs replaced, less junk, keep  quality that doesn’t need maintained….. and we have our time and money back.  

The junk caused by our ’consumer society on crack’ cheats us of:

  1. Time-Purchasing, picking up, cleaning, maintaining, storing, sorting, storing, sorting, storing, trying to fix, giving away….. you get the idea.       
  2. Money-Yeah junk is usually the cheap stuff.  It is the stuff that turns our grocery shopping trip for a few things into a cart load.  Have you heard the example of compounding interest of a Starbucks coffee (or not having a Starbucks coffee in the example) turning into a fortune at the end of life?  That is real money.  This is the real money that junk is stealing from us every day.
  3. Our Home and very existance-Um… the idea of making and shipping piles of junk that end up in landfills, sometimes within months, is bad for the earth…. really bad….. just saying.

I found this website last winter and I love this woman.  I think she should be president.  Vote for  Annie Leonard!  She has some great movies on stuff that are great for all ages.  Great educational material for kids.  Check it out at www.storyofstuff.com

But what if our economy is hanging on this junk thread.  What would happen if we just stopped buying junk?  If we stood up and decided we wouldn’t take the poor quality, the manipulation, and the environmental burden any more? Would it ruin the economy completely? 

I think it would definitely be a bit crazy for business for a while, but it isn’t that we want less.  We aren’t asking for less, we are asking for more in smaller packages.  People still have time and money to earn and spend.  What if we demanded a quality that required much more time and work.   People would still have jobs making these things even though it would take lots more time and design.  These quality items would be worth the extra money and would hold up to wear.  Also, if we weren’t so quick to buy junk from all over the world, maybe we could really develop and treasure ‘Made In America’ goods and keep lots more of the money in our country.   They would take less space, but be much more efficient allowing us to free up our time and space.  I believe our economy could recover, or even get better.  What would change is the environmental burden and the time wasted.  With fewer things being made and lasting longer, waste and transportation pollutions could drastically drop.   We wouldn’t need to spend all our free time buying, fixing, sorting, hunting for, storing… etc.

So pick your reason:

  1. Time
  2. Money
  3. Environment
  4. Principle
  5. Appreciation of finer things

…. and STOP buying junk!

Note: I am not a Wal-Mart hater.  I don’t really like the place, but I end up there now and then.  Tonight I had to stop for a large envelope.  … it is just that most of the place is filled with junk and it makes a great example.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2 Comments »