The flexibility of simple life

Small changes are happening all around the Western world with more people realising that simple  life is not only better for us but better for the planet as well. (Did you know we've lost 50 percent of our wildlife in the past 40 years?)  Many people are being guided towards a simpler life by blogs and books, and it's wonderful to see community groups taking on the challenge and applying for funding to provide workshops on how to become more self-reliant while guiding their communities towards a more sustainable future.

I wish more people would give up on recreational shopping and comparing themselves to their neighbours. I know that change is difficult and starting any thing new is often so challenging that some folk stop in their tracks and decide to stay where they are. When change does come about and there are difficulties adjusting to new ways, or the work involved in daily life, often the temptation is to go back to your old life. It looks easier and it's so familiar. I don't often talk about the difficulties, not because there haven't been any for me but because I worked through most of my issues before I started blogging. I'm also at an age when I don't worry when things go wrong. When they do, I think about the problem and then start working on solutions. I can't be bothered with the drama now. I just get on with it.

But the truth is this way of living can be difficult, especially when you start. Bearing in mind that we all structure our lives differently, usually there is more work to be done living this way because you stop buying ready-made. When you make your own it takes more time and so many people are time-poor now. I think simple life is easier for people who have a more relaxed frame of mind and that perfectionists can struggle with it. But if you do struggle with the time aspect, just take one day at a time, take on one new task at a time and don't be hard on yourself if you have to make adjustments. I'd like it to be easier, but it's not. It is what it is. We all have to find our own ways of making it work.

Take cuttings, grow things from seed. I took eight blueberry cuttings last year and three of them took. In a few years, we'll have three more blueberry bushes that cost nothing but some effort, water and potting mix.

If you're just starting, start slowly, learn the skills you need, practise them, then move on to the next. Do your work and live every hour mindfully. Discover your own feelings about what you're doing. Look at your home and see what you can change there to help you become more productive. And I'm not talking about buying containers to help you organise yourself. I mean literally, change your home. Move saucepans to a better location, organise your pantry so it's an asset not a liability, make your work areas work for you. Mend things, take cuttings, collect seeds, look after what you already own, stop buying expensive cleaning chemicals and start making what you need to clean your home. It will be safer and cheaper. Try to do all the things that don't cost money. For me that's noticing I have calendula self-seedling in the garden and using those seedlings instead of buying another packet of seeds. It's taking cuttings of daisies from a neighbour instead of buying plants at the garden centre and growing avocado from seed instead of buying a plant. Yes, I know it might not work, but it might, and I've already wasted money on avocado trees and have them die on me - with self-grown seeds I feel free enough to experiment with planting and locations.

Look after what you own. These jumpers have been washed and dried flat in the shade. Now they'll be folded carefully and put away until next winter.

Our small solar system helps keep our bills down but we are also mindful of how we use electricity in our home.

Your main focus in your younger years is to not accumulate unnecessary debt, and as you grow older, to pay off the debt you have. To do that you'll need an armoury of frugal ideas to save money so you can pay off your debt. Solar power will help with the elecricity bills but if you can't afford to install it, work out ways to cut back your electricty usage. Do the same for water. It sounds difficult but when you get into it, it's quite easy. Hanno and I live on the same average water and electricity usage as one person. If you can save money on these utilities it's generally a great saving because they're bills that will keep coming as regular as clockwork.

Our solar hot water system.

We give up a lot of what is taken for granted in our modern world. For instance, I haven't flown anywhere for over ten years. It's something I felt strongly about - still do, but again, that decision is not for everyone and I don't expect anyone in my family to follow my lead. We spend most of our time here. We enjoy being here but we have to be here to look after our garden and chickens, to cook from scratch and to keep house the way I want to.  I would not be able to do what I do if we had frequent trips out. There are other things we've given up but I prefer to look at what we've gained. Personally, I love growing some of our food and being able to cook an entire meal from scratch, using the thrifty ideas more aligned with the 1950s than the 21st century.  Knowing I can do that gives me the confidence to continue to peel back the layers of modern life until I am left with what is plain and simple - never done to any particular plan or ideal, it's just ordinary life lived every day according to our values.

And I think that's the key to all this - a change of mindset and to think of this way of living as flexible and changeable. I certainly would not be working as I do today if I were a younger woman with children to care for. I have time now for entire days of cooking, gardening and knitting. You can still do it when you're young, but you'll be doing it differently. Even ten years ago I worked differently. So give yourself a break. Don't look at anyone, especially me, and think this is what you have to do. You should do what is needed in your home - whatever that is. And if you can't do all you want to do yet, accept that, get over it and get on with it. Because I will tell you one thing I know is true for all of us. If you live your life according to your values and beliefs, if you plan your time and do what you can, if you take one small step and then another, you will be enriched by it and have the strength and confidence to do it again tomorrow.