Sunrise Tantalize

Voluntary simple living is way of living in which one doesn’t pursue worldly things and lives with less. It can apply to all or some of one’s life. For example, simple eating involves eating local, or fresh, or unprocessed food. Simple living in terms of consumerism may mean buying less things or only things that one needs. Or maybe simple living means only buying used or second-hand items. People have many reasons for living simply. Some wish to reduce consumption of natural resources. Some want to get away from the consumerism and worship of wealth that is so common in our society. Some people find that by living simply they consume less and therefore buy less and spend less and thus they can work less. These people who work less can spend more time with their family or helping others or pursuing creative or preferred activities. Some people find that by reducing the clutter in their lives, they can focus on more important things like family, friends, education, or faith.

Every time I read about living simply I think, gee that’s a great idea. I should do that. But do I? No. Instead I find some nifty gadget or gorgeous jewelry and buy it. I know I have too much stuff and stuff doesn’t make me happy. I just can’t donate or trash anything because I’m afraid I’ll need it some day. Maybe I’ll need that shirt that I’ve worn once in the last year. I don’t want to have to buy a new one. Actually I’ve gotten pretty good at giving away clothes. Anything that I haven’t worn within the last year gets donated. 

Living simply can bring us closer to God. Life is so much less distracting with less stuff in it. It makes you more grateful for the things you do have - especially nonmaterial things.

If I were to live more simply I would buy less things. I would only buy what I need. Luckily this is becoming easier for me because I have no money. I would eat fresh, less processed foods. Fresh, hearty, basic food tastes so much better. Unfortunately I can’t do this as much because I have no money and live in a dorm. (I am so sick of easy mac, ramen, hot pockets and cinnamon toast crunch.) Living simply would mean watching less tv and spending less time on the computer. It would mean spending more time studying scripture and talking to God. It would mean having more time to talk to family and friends. I could read more. And I would use less and reduce my ecological footprint.

I think that it’s hard to make a lot of changes at once. It’s much easier to do one thing at a time. I guess that one thing I could start doing is exchanging one hour of tv for one hour of meditation on spiritual matters (praying, reading, studying). What do you think about living simply? Is it something that sounds good but you find yourself making excuses not to do? If you were to make one change to live more simply this month, what would it be?

I know you’re all holding your breaths to read “How I Got Here, Part II” but I’ve been relapsing into sickness for the last few days and I’ve also been working on my 20-page final paper. (gah, passive voice!) So I’m going for an easier topic today. And I’m getting ready for Earth Day (April 22).

Earlier this year (before I got sick), I made a resolution of sorts. I decided make one positive change in my life each moth. January’s goal was to be greener. I bought reusable shopping bags (from reusablebags.com). Plastic grocery bags are one of the biggest wastes. I hate the pile of bags under our sink. Yes, we use them for trashcan liners but we will always bring in more bags than we use up. I have one Workhouse bag that I keep in my purse at all times. It’s very tiny. I also got two Reisenthel Mini Maxi bags. I like them because they have long handles so I can carry the bags over my shoulder. Another plus of reusable shopping bags is that they hold more than a regular grocery bag. They’ll hold up to 50 lbs and not break. When I was at Whole Foods the other day (the Boy wanted beer) I saw several Whole Foods canvas bags. Those things looked sturdy. Bulky, but sturdy.

My other greener action was to buy myself a DivaCup. What’s a DivaCup? It’s a silicone menstrual cup that you can use instead of a tampon or pad. The Keeper is another brand. If you’re a woman, think about how much money you spend on ‘feminine supplies’ each month. How many products will you use in your lifetime? The cup is cheaper, easier, and greener. It’s more comfortable and you forget that it’s there. You only have to wash it twice a day. That means no more fumbling with a pad or tampon in a dirty public restroom. You can change in the privacy of your own home. It is a little awkward to put in at first but you’ll get the hang of it. (I’m sorry if that was TMI for some of you, but menstruation is a natural process so try not to get too upset about it.)

Other ways to be green(er):

• Use a reusable water bottle (I like Sigg) and travel mugs.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. I plan to do this in my new apartment.
• Plug all of your peripheral chargers (phone, iPod, PDA) into a power strip and turn it off when you’re not charging. These chargers use power regardless of whether or not a device is actually charging.
• Go easy on the meat. Raising livestock uses up a lot of resources and pollutes the environment.
• Use cold water when you do your wash.
• Sign up to receive and pay bills online. Enroll in your bank’s paperless statement program. (Watch out for identity and credit card theft though.)
• Use greener cleaning supplies. Lemon, baking soda, and vinegar work wonders.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle. Buy secondhand items if you can.
• Use a kindle. (I can put that in here to justify my purchase, right? Maybe? lol)

I know there are many more ways to be green (or green-lite in my case). What green things do you do in your everyday life? Any good green sites or blogs out there?

Some good green links that I found:
reusablebags.com
New American Dream
The Green Guide