Less Stuff, More Life

Living well with less noise, less stuff, less stress

When Working Less Means Living More

When we moved into a smaller home off the grid, we relinquished most of our major bills— water, sewer, and electric. Each year we grow a little bit more of our own food, but food is still a necessary expense. Other than that, all our bills come down to lifestyle choices. This means that we can work less and live more.

If you are collapse aware, then you are probably considering ways to become more independent from unreliable centralized systems. You may also be evaluating what is more important to you right now, making a ton of money or living a peaceful, unharried, calm life.

The reality of living on one salary and having enough left over to save, or even have fun, is entirely unrealistic for most people. With the state of our economy, reducing the amount you work is only possible if you reduce the amount you spend.

The Myth of “More”

It seems obvious but, in our culture, we are constantly marketed to, and we are programmed to believe that more is better. Everywhere we look, we see excess. Fashion, cars, houses, food, beauty products, décor—everything is newer, bigger, fancier, more.

Some of our programming is so innate that we don’t even think twice about it. For example, it’s taboo to wear the same outfit two days in a row in most circles. Why not? We assume bigger homes with new furnishings equate to more success. Why? We believe that the more expensive something is, the better it is. Why?

It’s time to look around and see that there have been movements as far back as Thoreau’s Transcendentalism that are saying quite the opposite. Movements such as slow living, minimalism, zero-waste and tiny homes have been growing more in popularity in the last five years, signaling that our population is growing tired of constant consumption.

Multiple studies have shown that more happiness is gained from spending money on experiences or having experiences than on accumulating material goods and yet people continue to shop.

Shopping as a Substitute for Soul Work

I was raised shopping at thrift stores. I even had a vintage clothing store for 10 years that allowed me to make money thrifting. But when I made a conscious effort to minimize my belongings, I discovered that thrifting was more than just the thrill of the hunt, it was retail therapy. Anytime I felt dysregulated in my nervous system, I would feel the urge to visit the local Habitat ReStore. If boredom set in and I had time to kill, I could feel the intense draw towards Goodwill. I believed that finding a good score, even if it was something I totally didn’t need, would make me feel better. And it did. It gave me a nice dopamine hit but, in the end, I would end up with something I didn’t really need, use or wear and that would gather dust in my house.

Spending money to make us feel more fulfilled is toxic behavior. Instead, we can do something for free that would make us feel better for the long-term and create healthy habits. Now, when I feel the urge to shop, I like to go for a walk instead. Or if I really feel like I want to browse and acquire something new, I go to the library. Shopping is meant to be for when we need something not as a means to fill a void.

What We Choose to Spend On—And Why

Some financial advisors suggest that we only spend discretionary money on things that are important to us. These may be areas in our lives where we can splurge a little, so we don’t feel deprived. But I think we need to be honest with ourselves and not look for an excuse to continue unhealthy consumerist behaviors.

For me. I love travel and organic food. Though I have decided that it is okay to splurge on organic food, I do look for organic food that is generic and on sale and I grow my own organic garden in the summer.

Fortunately for me, I love to travel for cheap. I have been backpacking around the world since I was a teenager and it’s my favorite mode of travel. It’s a little fancier these days than it used to be. I’ll get a private room at the hostel instead of staying in a dorm, but I’ll still stay at a hostel. Even at the age of 50, I’m more than happy to sleep in a tent if given a chance. For me, this is about seeing the world from the people’s perspective instead of being in an exclusive resort, detached from the reality of the place I am visiting. But still, travel is expensive.

Ultimately those are things that I have decided are worth spending money on that aren’t essential but are important to me.

So, decide what is important to you? And then look around and notice what you’re spending money on that is not important. For example, maybe you love stylish or creative clothes as a form of self-expression. That’s great, but do you need to buy more clothes? Or can you have a capsule wardrobe with fun and creative accessories?

Maybe you love to eat out at restaurants. I do for sure. But are you eating out because you don’t enjoy cooking or you don’t have time? Or are you eating out because it’s quicker and easier? If that’s the case, you could swap out your take-out for buying pre-made food at the grocery store or coming up with easier meals to make at home that only take 20 minutes. Brew coffee at home, pack lunches, and dine out only for special occasions. Then when you do go out and have a true dining experience with friends, that experience is going to be even more special because you are doing it less often. At the same time, you’re saving money.

A Month Without Buying Anything

If the idea of cutting back on your lifestyle habits intimidates you, try a no-spend challenge for a set period. For one month, avoid spending on unnecessary items. See how it feels and maybe you can reset some of your less desirable spending habits.

Lifestyle Choices for Saving Money

Here are some more ways that I have discovered to save money. This is not about clipping coupons either, this is about making big lifestyle changes. Some of it is common sense, some of it you may not have thought of before, but hopefully all of it is inspiring to you.