tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post5709146774567516989..comments2024-03-29T15:58:41.446+10:00Comments on down to earth: How to start your simple lifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-3774470353304468672014-04-22T03:42:43.372+10:002014-04-22T03:42:43.372+10:00I love the photos of the kitchen and fuel stove.
...I love the photos of the kitchen and fuel stove.<br /><br />:) HopeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-39308573604849123392013-06-27T12:34:24.371+10:002013-06-27T12:34:24.371+10:00Great topic and very pertinent to me and my family...Great topic and very pertinent to me and my family at the moment. While we were both working, we bought solar panels, paid more down on our mortgage and did some needed repairs. I have also been making laundry liquid and sewing many of my own clothes for a while. I also joined Freecycle - not only to get necessities before the birth of our second child, but also so we could declutter what we had and not feel bad about it going to landfill. Now we are on to the next stage - the school aged children stage. We'd love to both give up work or at least work less, but we are trying to figure out if that means buying another investment property to give us income in the future (as with small children there are bound to be lots of expenses) or to just pay off our mortgage (which we aren't too far off). Do you have any thoughts on that? <br />ElizaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-84455799316731185672013-06-27T09:30:28.136+10:002013-06-27T09:30:28.136+10:00It started with my food/diet. Five years ago when ...It started with my food/diet. Five years ago when we started trying to have a baby I stopped and looked at what foods we were eating. Some of the stuff in the pantry couldn't even really be considered food. From there it grew, along with my edible gardens. To this year I made a deal with myself, if I wanted another year off work that I was not going to buy anything new this year for myself. I have always hated shopping, so this was easy. If I want new clothes I have to sew from my fabric stash or refashion something I already have. From there is has moved to, what else do I not have to buy? Simple things like dishcloths. Inspired by you, I thought of knitting, but have no wool. So instead of buying, I looked to my fabric stash, I discovered polar fleece fabric makes the perfect dishcloth. They wash in the machine really well and are very hardy. Six months of use and still going strong. Next on my list is to start making my own cleaning products.Iliska Dreamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10719163569308739697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-36204743730129059702013-06-27T00:24:34.517+10:002013-06-27T00:24:34.517+10:00Our simple life started with a small - door sized ...Our simple life started with a small - door sized - vegetable patch in the back garden. As I started to use the produce we grew, I started cooking from scratch more and more. A move to the country a few years later had us expanding our home growing, our children participating too. I started foraging and picking local farm produce. I learned to make jams and chutneys and really got stuck into my recipe book collection. We were very isolated and the winters cold, so I used my cosy indoor time to learn how to crochet. My daughter learned alongside me. Then we got a few hens. My farm friend supplied us with milk and taught me butter and yoghurt making. I learned to make ice-cream too. My children learned some woodwork, each making their own beds. A move to a bigger house, and we bought a cow. I learned cheese-making and started sewing again. I expanded our vegetable patch into a tunnel that sees to most of our vegetable needs all year round. We now have a lamb that we are raising for meat, two milk cows, a heifer and another calf on the way, two horses and 11 chickens. My husband keeps bees. We sell our honey, preserves and cheeses at the local farmers' markets. It feels as if we are living in the land of milk and honey.<br /><br />Simple Living is hard work, but intensely rewarding. If I had to start with all the responsibilities that I have now, I doubt I would have coped. Growing into simple living is a slow, often tough process, but worth the journey.Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12551483728682810449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-64999898132404474502013-06-26T02:11:45.361+10:002013-06-26T02:11:45.361+10:00I just found your site and already feel a connecti...I just found your site and already feel a connection to everyone. My husband and I are now retired with a good retirement thanks to his thrifty ways starting many years ago when we had nothing. First, he make extra payments on our mortgage and paid off our home in about 15 years. Then as he was getting raises at work, we never saw the money. It was taken out of his paycheck and went directly to our saving account. Out of sight, out of mind. We bought newer secondhand cars, paying cash. Again saving thousands in interest payments. I think people would faint if they added up just their interest payments for homes and fancy cars. We didn't move up to a bigger or fancier home like all of our friends. Yes, there were times when I wished I had a brand new home or some new toy like my friends. But my husband and I would discuss just how much we wanted to spend the money...usually the answer was, "No." Therefore, I was able to work part-time and take part in our kids activities and helping with our elderly parents.<br />For vacations, we saved and paid cash for everything. When something was very important, we bought it when the stores offered interest free for a year. That is how I got stoves, washers, and such. Even now, we have one credit card and never pay interest because we pay it off entirely each month. This helps us see where our money is going, such as gas or groceries....or Amazon.com. Yes, I do have an addiction to that site.<br />Since retirement, I first started making my own washing powder and just stopped buying silly cleaning products. Almost everything can be cleaned with vinegar or baking soda. I started making jams and jellies and pickles. Today, I buy in bulk when possible and have learned how to store food for both short term and long term. I am working on having a year's supply of foods and health items. I have started a garden with mixed results but will keep trying. I no longer want new clothes or big trips. I have found a peace just being in my home and with family. I take great pride in learning the old ways of doing things. My husband and I have our home prepared for the next hurricane that will surely come from the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps I should get out more, I find myself at parties bragging about my dehydrated foods and produce from my garden. Most people look at me like I am crazy, but there is always two or three that pull me aside and we have long conversations and share ideas for a calmer more prepared life. I think our lifestyle might be the newest fad, more and more people are recycling, making do, not buying just because something is shiny and new. I know I was exhausted from living such a fast life and now it is wonderful on some days to stay in my pj's all day and cook or work on a new project. I hope to have chickens in my backyard someday.<br />Looking forward to reading all of the information on your site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-72091319891733455862013-06-25T22:08:57.268+10:002013-06-25T22:08:57.268+10:00I suppose I first learned how to make do and mend ...I suppose I first learned how to make do and mend from my Mother. She knitted ,sewed ,grew vegies had chickens and when plastic bags came in she washed them and hung them on the line and reused them again and again. She knitted all her shopping bags from cotton . She turned collars and cuffs on my dad's shirts ,oh the list is endless. so when I got married 52 years ago I knew how to make a pot of soup and how to live a simple life. I make everything from scratch, I also do the $21. challenge from simple Savings Secrets...I have been a member for many years. We have 1/2 an acre of land have fruit trees(Apple x 3 Pear x 2 ,1 Apricot,2 Lemon trees and 4 Hazelnut trees but so far no nuts . We have bushes including blackcurrant, redcurrant, gooseberry raspberry and strawberry. We grow all our leeks and garlic for the year. We have pumpkins (10) which will do for soups and scones . Our local Health Food Shop sells honey all I have to do is take a container. We have chicken's for eggs. We have a friend who killed a steer and we bought 2/10ths which gave us 7.5kg mince and 60 sausages as well as all the other cuts of meat, it worked out at $5. kg . All bills are paid fortnightly so I never get nasty surprises and we are always in credit . I make all my laundry liquid and Spray and Wipe. Jams ,relishes sauce too. Not bad for an old chook. Margaret Blairnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-954558202722865272013-06-25T09:09:23.016+10:002013-06-25T09:09:23.016+10:00I love this post, I think it's important to th...I love this post, I think it's important to think about why I'm living like this regularly, especially when life is hectic and I'm tired. My husband and I were both brought up living simply, but after buying into consumerism when I was younger, I have really only found my way back in the last couple of years, and it's made such a difference to our whole life. I work outside the home part time and we have 4 young children. For me it's cooking from scratch and meal planning that I try to focus on first to save us money. Your blog is such an inspiration to me, thankyou :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11471371355860326394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-20301258486463071342013-06-25T04:48:09.420+10:002013-06-25T04:48:09.420+10:00It started 8 years ago when I came home full-time ...It started 8 years ago when I came home full-time from my career as a nurse. It was an adjustment but little by little I made changes. Then 6 years ago we moved to the Pacific Northwest and the "green" around us and meeting people from Portland,Oregon (who many tend to live sustainably) influenced me. I started making my own cleaning solutions, then cooking more, on and on. Still trying to make more simple choices. The word aone inspires me. Thanks for blogs such as yours that make me feel not alone in this venture!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-50566837118065172312013-06-25T04:32:24.876+10:002013-06-25T04:32:24.876+10:00We started with keeping an herb garden (something ...We started with keeping an herb garden (something my mother always did, because we love to cook with fresh herbs). When we were expecting our first child I transitioned to freelance work instead of editing in-house so I could stay home with our kids. I started making and canning our strawberry jam in season because we live in strawberry country and it seemed a shame to buy it. I learned to knit. Each thing has been something we could build upon. We recently moved out of deed restrictions. We just had a big canning session a couple weeks ago after our neighbor let us glean his tomato field. And a few days ago we got our first chickens. Did I think, back when I was working full-time and tending a few herb plants, that this was where we'd wind up? Nope. But I'm loving it, and we will continue to go down this path, a step at a time.Helenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15173788247672691139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40512322306622109282013-06-25T03:16:28.426+10:002013-06-25T03:16:28.426+10:00Thank you so much for the wonderful post.
We usua...Thank you so much for the wonderful post. <br />We usually try the thrift shop first, if it is something we can't make ourselves and we do need. Today I made a post about repairing the dog bed, using simple materials at very low cost ; )<br /><br />http://simple---abundance.blogspot.nl/2013/06/being-creative.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-90587439816140474422013-06-25T02:42:28.227+10:002013-06-25T02:42:28.227+10:00Hello all, I've been reading here for a good w...Hello all, I've been reading here for a good while now, but this is my first time commenting. I am a single gal living in the city with my pets. Renting, of course, and paying an arm and a leg to do so. I have no place to plant a garden, but I do grow herbs in pots and go to the farmer's market to get produce and eggs (most of the time). I am so fascinated by this topic because I am just starting my simple life. I realized not long ago that I hate working all the time. It's so hard when you are single and kind of young (34 anyways) and have nobody to help share the load. But, I am trying to figure out how to work less, even if I make less, and still be able to provide for myself. Like I said, I have herbs in pots and I guess that is my start. Next up, I plan to make laundry liquid when the stuff I have runs out. And shop less!!!! I want to waste less packaging and food. Recently I've worked really hard to not waste food. I will be reading as you go through this series to pick up more tricks of the trade and I have to thank you so much for sharing. I read this blog because although I live far away from my family and home I feel like I a at home when I read what you have to say. Thank you for that little comfort! Emilynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-81366635062647485712013-06-25T02:39:01.610+10:002013-06-25T02:39:01.610+10:00I love your comment, Vicki. Such wise words on the...I love your comment, Vicki. Such wise words on the value of modelling behaviour to children.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-53759177832681996042013-06-25T00:41:42.207+10:002013-06-25T00:41:42.207+10:00I recently got married and we're working towar...I recently got married and we're working towards a deposit for a home loan. So I've started to cook more, just a few nights at a time. Then I started to really enjoy cooking and now I cook every night! I also buy things in bulk, freeze and stockpile. We're also hoping to purchase a house that's a little cheaper on a bigger bit of land so we can grow a few veggies etc. <br />I've cut down on the chemicals I use to clean the house and have switched to green cleaners (the really easy ones from Rhonda's book). Then I thought I'd step it up a notch and made my own laundry liquid. Now I'm going to attempt making soap! <br />We look for good quality furniture from secondhand stores or through gumtree, for example our current gas heater - which is only a year old - would have cost us $799 brand new, but we bought it for $350.<br /><br />For me its about doing small things that I can manage and committing to it. Once I get used to it / start enjoying it I'll attempt the next level and so on. <br /><br />So far its been a great journey!<br />JeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-43851930494304306992013-06-25T00:19:38.740+10:002013-06-25T00:19:38.740+10:00I started saying: 'I can do that' and '...I started saying: 'I can do that' and 'I can make that'. <br />I do it because I can.<br /><br />I grew up watching my parents (4 kids) and my grandparents (3 and 12 kids) living simply. I have only 2 kids. I figured if they could do it with far less than I ever earned, then I could too. Having to work and not being able to stay home with the kids made and makes me even more determined to give them homemade things =) <br />Kids know the difference. Mine are envied by their peers. My kids know that they are special. And that makes me happy. That they know that they are loved so much.<br /><br />My kids started by watching me. <br /><br />They are now 12 and 15. I under-estimated how much they were absorbing. I see them understanding the value of the dollar and the invaluable gift of pride at being able to create something with their own 2 hands. I see them learning and practicing self-sufficient ways. Making gifts, baking, cooking, planting, budgeting, being green-minded. And that makes me happy. That they are growing into fine responsible and wise adults. That I have unwittingly given them a gift to last them a lifetime. The power of 'I can'.<br /><br />Vicki<br />Trinidad & TobagoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-27382149120351696022013-06-25T00:09:29.282+10:002013-06-25T00:09:29.282+10:00Hi Rhonda,
I enjoy reading your writings.
I am fi...Hi Rhonda, <br />I enjoy reading your writings.<br />I am finally starting to "get it" and am beginning to live simply by doing a major declutter of our home. I nearly weep at the amount of stuff I am getting rid of (op shops etc) as we have paid for at least 90% of it - what a waste - and I am constantly exhausted working night shifts. I think of the work that I needn't have done if I had just been a bit more thoughtful about spending.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-24823107918264615832013-06-24T22:37:19.508+10:002013-06-24T22:37:19.508+10:00I think mine was buying second-hand/thrifted cloth...I think mine was buying second-hand/thrifted clothing (and sewing my own). Plus more cooking from scratch. No disposable menstrual pads. No shampoo.<br />I'm not sure what came first, but I do believe the thrifted clothing was it: I stick to it, because it's cheaper, it seems more ethical to me, it's easier for me to find styles I really like (with changing fashions, now more in the realm of "totally not my style"), and it's kind of a hunt, more fun. The money part is important, not just because I can dress myself cheaper on average, but because this way I actually can buy more quality things I would not be able to afford otherwise!Hana - Marmotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532515160608083460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89395208412432201362013-06-24T21:12:48.768+10:002013-06-24T21:12:48.768+10:00It was making more food from scratch at home. In t...It was making more food from scratch at home. In the beginning it seemed I was spending more on organic fruit and veg and meat, but when I focused on making food from scratch, using meat bones etc to make stock and seeing how filling and satisfying real food is I realised how expensive 'convenient' food is. Buying pantry staples in bulk also helps! I'm still looking for ways to live simply, redirect money into areas of my life that matter. Next step back to op-shopping and creative clothing options. So I'm very glad you've started the simple life posts again. Thanks Natalienataliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03813097196624713074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-34605050940251744842013-06-24T21:05:29.568+10:002013-06-24T21:05:29.568+10:00I've always romanticized the life my grandmoth...I've always romanticized the life my grandmother lived. She lived a simple life, but she also had a quiet soul. She went about hanging her laundry, growing a garden, canning her produce and cooking from scratch because that was just life for her. I wanted that. I started with a small garden and increased it's size over the years. I've moved to edible landscape and making my own pasta, yogurt and soap. I have rain barrels and an underground cistern. Our home was built using passive-solar design. Now that I live and work on a ranch my lifestyle blends into daily life the way I envisioned it would. This life is gentle on the earth and that's important to me, but it's also gentle on my heart. <br /><br />~Taylor-Made Ranch~<br />Wolfe City, TexasTexas Homesteaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04875287623361173707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-68980569117147390982013-06-24T18:51:45.029+10:002013-06-24T18:51:45.029+10:00Have you ever tried the $21 challenge?
http://www...Have you ever tried the $21 challenge? <br />http://www.simplesavings.com.au/21dollarchallenge/<br /><br />It's basically a challenge where you get only $21 to feed your family for a week and the rest has to come from your pantry & freezer. Since the challenge was designed for a family of 4 and I live alone, I did it for a month. I sure missed fresh produce, but was AMAZED by how much food I had on hand!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-69734275002869794012013-06-24T18:43:16.035+10:002013-06-24T18:43:16.035+10:00I suppose I have been taking steps towards a simpl...I suppose I have been taking steps towards a simpler life for some time.When my children were very young my husband and I chose to sell our larger home and downsize to a much smaller property in order reduce our mortgage and allow me to be a stay at home mum whilst they were preschoolers. As they have grown and time has allowed I have acquired more skills gradually, baking my own bread, knitting small items, growing a few vegetables.I now work part time and really need to focus on budgeting again so that the extra money I am earning goes into reducing our mortgage.It has been small steps along the way. Your blog has been a real inspiration and I am looking forward to reading the rest of these posts.<br />JuliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-380488477551061602013-06-24T16:54:41.418+10:002013-06-24T16:54:41.418+10:00Gosh... I think my first step was more like a gian...Gosh... I think my first step was more like a giant leap. I was the quintessential over-achieving child - class valedictorian, Phi Beta Kappa, Suma Kum Laude, the whole nine yards. But my junior year in college, something inside of me just broke and I decided that I simply couldn't live the life that I was being groomed for.<br /><br />I hit a point where it was either change or die, so I basically decided that from that point forward my life belonged to me and no one else. I switched my major to music (I already had all the credits I needed in that department) and decided that I wanted to live out of my car, write songs and play the guitar on street corners. I ended up at a small folk music school full of one-time hippies where I learned to embrace the life of a societal drop out.<br /><br />I learned to live happily beneath the poverty level, and to make do with what I had. That was 25 years ago. There have been many twists and turns since, but my life has remained unconventional and wonderful! <br /><br />I think there's a certain advantage to starting young, I sort of skipped the steps of making lots of money, getting into lots of debt, and the subsequent struggle to escape from the rat race that most people have to suffer through.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-72805814488886477432013-06-24T16:27:10.579+10:002013-06-24T16:27:10.579+10:00I don't think you do balance it. You either fi...I don't think you do balance it. You either fit in or you don't. My kids went to an expensive boarding school with all the perks you wrote about but even though a lot of their friends had credit cards and could buy whatever they liked, many of them didn't. My kids had an average amount of pocket money and when that ran out, they didn't get it topped up. They made friends, some of those friends they still see today. They complained about it but I wasn't going to give them extra money to pretend we were wealthy when we weren't.<br /><br />Giving your kids extra money won't make them something they're not. It will be tough, but life is tough and we all have to learnt that at some point.<br /><br />But having said that, there are plenty of things you can do at home that will help you save money and resources. You don't have to advertise what you're doing. Just go about things quietly, hopefully you'll get the chance to explain to your children what you're doing and why. They might surprise you.<br />rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-4803434736623163592013-06-24T15:58:28.200+10:002013-06-24T15:58:28.200+10:00Our journey to the simple life started with a plan...Our journey to the simple life started with a plan, we had talked about living simpler for years, then it was thrust upon us - my hubby got laid off and my hours were cut. We are so lucky - he was on unemployment for a year and we knew he wasn't getting hired back, he was eligible for his retirement- had worked for 30 years, so we chucked the life we had in California, and moved back to my part of the country (Idaho). The 401k paid for the house and the pension pays the bills, we started a small business for the extras, planted the garden, and have the time to live the way we talked about for all those years! This is how I was raised - couldn't be happier - no debt - we have been truly blessed!Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209722078916803400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-48382238385314505792013-06-24T15:26:14.218+10:002013-06-24T15:26:14.218+10:00Rhonda,
I have been following your blog for a whil...Rhonda,<br />I have been following your blog for a while now. It's such a happy place to visit! <br />My problem with simplicity is that we live in an upscale part of town and my kids to kind of upscale school. The reason is that we live in the "murder capital of US" and this is the safest neighborhood. Moving is not an option at this point.<br />While I would not care about what my neighbors think about me, it's different for the kids. The children in their classes travel abroad, wear brand clothing, and have the latest gadgets. My kids don't have most of those things. I could just tell them to not be shallow and not keep up with the Joneses but "the Joneses" are their friends. All kids want to be like their friends, to be equal.<br />So how do you balance simplicity with fitting in?Hanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10537053933530564584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-58064234810632229222013-06-24T14:25:25.938+10:002013-06-24T14:25:25.938+10:00Hi Rhonda,
I think your advise of starting out wit...Hi Rhonda,<br />I think your advise of starting out with something small like laundry liquid is a great place to start and then one small step leads to another when we find the time to fit it in and it snowballs from there. Another small step for anybody wanting to simplify is to really think hard about any new purchases. I have stopped myself countless times over the last year from buying a newer, shinier version of what we have or making do with the options available in my home. And if you really need something maybe purchasing second hand. It all adds up.<br /><br />Regards<br />JanieAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07536511211187295562noreply@blogger.com