live simply

I have really been working the past few months on paring down my wardrobe. I am down to 20 pairs of shoes. That still sounds like a ridiculous amount, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to get by with less than that.

I have an old house with a small closet, and I have all my clothes in that closet. I know that I don’t need more than 5 or 6 pairs of khaki style pants, and 5 or 6 sweaters, and 5 or 6 shirts (a set with short sleeves and a set with long sleeves). I have 2 pairs of jeans and 1 pair of capri jeans, etc. I am limiting my clothes and once I get just the pieces I wear regularly, I am going to wear them til I wear them out. My biggest challenge at this point will be maintaining my weight so I can continue to fit into my pants…

I have been thinking about why I own Waterford crystal glasses that I never drink out of, and Towle sterling silver that I have maybe used 5 times in the 8 years I’ve owned it. I checked out a website where I can sell that stuff. Not only will I end up with a little over a thousand bucks, I will have rid myself of more crap that I do not need.

I have allowed myself to lose my focus over the past few months and once again tried to take on a persona that is not really me. Who I really am, I’m still not so sure. I am re-reading all my simple living books to refresh my mind.

I am re-reading Voluntary Simplicity right now. I am hoping it will help get me back on track. Ever since I moved and have been dealing with the first year of divorce, I have not been working my plan very well. I need to get back on the road because I have been off in the ditch long enough. I know what needs to be done and I have got to do the right thing for my future and the future of my children.

I have veered off the simple living path somewhat lately. I need to re-read some of my books on the subject to renew my interest and knowledge of the lifestyle.

I took the DVR box back to the cable company today. That will save me almost $20 a month. Besides saving the money, I really don’t want to place such a value on TV programming that I pay good money for the means to record it. I want to have the attitude if I’m home and not doing something more important when something’s on, then I’ll watch it. No more recording crap. It’s a huge time and money waster. Once my kids are no longer living with me, I don’t think I’ll have cable at all.

Not Buying It is an excellent book for anyone considering the simple life. Judith Levine and her partner, Paul, decide to go an entire year without buying anything they don’t have to have to stay alive (i.e. groceries). She talks a lot about the Voluntary Simplicity movement in this book, although that is not the point of her experiment. She is more focused on anti-consumerism. It is a super book- she’s a great writer- it has helped keep me on track!

I paid off and cancelled one of my three credit cards today. Boy, when you get on the phone with those people, they sure do try their best to talk you out of cancelling an account. I just kept telling the lady, “but I don’t need the account”. And I really don’t. I am going to keep one card for “just in case”, and the other two will be gone. It’s sad to say, but I just can’t handle having that kind of credit at my disposal. I know it will hurt my credit score to close the accounts (you need to have so many open lines of credit for an optimal score), but I don’t really care. I have to do what’s going to be best for me in the long run.

I think living simply is about being who you really are. It is about living a life that is completely free from “keeping up with the Joneses”. It is buying only what you love and cannot live without, It is only having things around you that are beautiful and special to you.