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Living simply is not just a nice idea on a piece of paper; it is a realistic and achievable goal.

People make the choice to live simply for all kinds of environmental, financial and ethical reasons and I think in mine and my husband’s quest to adopt a less “stuff” obsessed way of life we’ve come to realise that all reasons of living simply seem to tie themselves up together.

When I was first married over two years ago me and my now husband, B, decided that we’d live without a TV set in our new place – and ultimately set the goal that wherever we went we’d live without a TV set.

We hadn’t lived together before we were married so there was no dry run; we went into things without any prior knowledge of how things would be since we both were used to having a TV and had grown up in a culture so steeped in entertainment in the form of television programmes and the understanding of the World around us from news programmes – and the bias that comes with these programmes.

Plus there was an added expense (and luxury) of owning a TV set. In the UK you are required by law to purchase and own an up to date TV Licence. On top of owning a TV Licence there was the cost of a cable subscription and the running costs of a TV; we just didn’t see the point. We carefully budgeted for what we needed; food, clothes, our bills and rent paid and worked out what we could live without in order that we could save up our money for when we ran into a brick wall and needed funds to fall back on.

Whether you want to cut back on funds, want to save up for something special or you want to live simply, here are a few of my own personal tips:

Always, always write out a shopping list.

This means no impulse buying, (if you have the will power to not succumb to impulse spending, of course) no frivolous spending and if you commit to your list and don’t deviate from it then it allows for budgeting. If you make calculated spends then you know the outcome of the spend; no shocks at the cash register and no shocks when you check your bank balance.

Make a weekly meal plan.

(Image: Good enough to eat but might have you burping bubbles, Dirty Ass Soaps.)

By writing out a weekly plan of what you’re going to eat that week you’re planning ahead and are less likely to be indecisive and pick up the phone to order pizza or any other take away food. It will also save you on the one thing we’re all saying we don’t have enough of: time.

Making a weekly plan also goes hand in hand with writing out a detailed shopping list; a well stocked kitchen with everything you need for the week is a lot less stress and hard work than dashing out to buy food every day and humming and hawing come dinner time. Decide on what you want to eat and plan accordingly. Look through cook books and on-line cooking forums for inspiration!

(Image: evilibby.)

Host a book/clothes swap

The clothes swap seems to be sweeping the World over; we have convinced ourselves that shopping is therapy (‘retail therapy’, I rest my case) and in turn have accumulated clothes we don’t wear, need or will never work up the courage to wear – or perhaps you’re just bored with the same look.

Don’t go on another clothes spending spree in order to spruce up your wardrobe, organise a clothes swap. The rules of this are pretty simple: you, your home, your old clothes, your friends and their old clothes. Everyone must bring round suitable (not tatty/worn out/out of style) clothes they don’t have a problem giving away. You go through each other’s clothes and take out what you want; win/win all round as you get to have a clear-out and gain a new wardrobe (or at least a few added pieces to the wardrobe) in the process.

A book swap is similar but instead of clothes, you swap books. I have yet to trial either of these ideas but I’m really liking the idea of a book swap – not only because my bookshelves are heaving at the weight of my book collection but because I would get new books in the process of it all!

Join a local library.

I love to read and I know I’m not alone in this feeling. However, by joining a local library, you’re not being disloyal to your favourite author. Authors still receive money when you check out a library book. Libraries also sell off their stock at below average prices – be on the look out for a corner dedicated to selling books or notices for stock that is going up for sale.

Libraries are also a great source of information; notice boards displaying free services, groups and even garage sales in the local area. Most libraries also offer free computer, Internet and WiFi – in fact me and B used the library computers for a whole year until we cracked and signed up for our Broadband.

Children also love libraries; most children’s sections have easily accessible book shelves, reading areas and are generally kitted out for children. They also have a plethora of DVDs and CDs to keep children (and adults) amused.

Have a vegetarian (or vegan) day once a week.

In Once A Week Vegan six friends are on a journey to attempt going Vegan one day a week for a year and have lots of inspiring food ideas. Or pick up some tips on going Vegetarian for a day a week from Ask Men (UK.)

We’re a Vegan family so going vegan for a day isn’t a hardship however the savings we make on our shopping are noticeable from our meat-eating counterparts. Lentils are cheaper than steak, after all.

Gone are the days of pre-soaking foods over night for veggies and vegans and hello are the days of mock meats, tasty treats and all kinds of choice. Having a day once a week where you don’t eat meat is not only good for the bank balance, but good for the body. I know of a few families who have trialled this and have success with it.

Still not convinced? You could try having one vegetarian/vegan meal once a week and see how that works out for you.

By making small changes (and it’s always best to start small and realistically) you’ll notice that you’ll save time, money and sanity when it comes to living simply. So keep it simple, make a few realistic and achievable sacrifices (not everyone wants to live without their TV) and make room for adjustments when you’ve made changes – not everything has to stick and you’ll work out what you can and can’t live with or without over time.

It’s no secret that I like my handbags. I have lots of them. My husband might argue I have too many, but let’s think about this honestly – can you ever have too many?

My answer would be yes. I literally do have too many bags. And shoes. And generally I have too many clothes. My answer: I need a de-cluttering session. In the far future, of course. It might even benefit me to sign myself up for the famous 100 Thing Challenge.

Not heard of the 100 Thing Challenge? The founder of the movement, Dave Bruno, says that the goal of the 100 Thing Challenge, or 100TC for short, is a ‘way to stop participating in irresponsible consumerism and start living a more meaningful lifestyle that is economically secure and that blesses people.’

So how do we, the Average Over Spenders of the World stop filling our lives with meaningless ‘stuff’? The 100TC follows three nice and easy steps:

Reduce:
First things first this means getting rid of some of your stuff. Not wearing a bunch of old clothes and waiting for the day they’ll fit you? Think again. If they’ve been sitting there waiting and you wishing, they’re better off in another person’s life. Either give them away to another person or donate them to a charity. Books that you’ve read making your bookshelf look pretty but not doing much else? Get rid. With things like children’s toys you should seriously think about doing an inventory of toys. Make a list of all toys, tick off a few loved favourites and ditch the rest. Donation, donation, dontation. Oh yes and a little note: do not take out items of clothing and reminisce over memories if you’re serious about giving these things away. You’ll only get emotionally involved and this isn’t a time for hanging onto ghosts of the past.

(Image: One parent from the 100 Thing Facebook has had a major clear-out of their children’s toys.)

Refuse
This one is perhaps the most difficult. Refusal is taken offensively in Western culture. This won’t be easy, but the best route is to be relaxed with people who try to give you ‘stuff.’ Don’t preach. Just calmly explain you’re having a bit of a clear-out of stuff and you really don’t need whatever this person is offering. If they are really insistent then think of someone who would benefit from whatever you’ve been given and donate to them. There is always someone who will benefit from the things you’ll never get around to using or don’t really need.

Rejigger
I suppose this sounds easy and as a last step you should be well on your way to your de-cluttered nirvana, but readjusting your thinking and habits you’ve acquired over your life time are not going to be easy. Take this last step in small increments. Don’t make it an all or nothing scenario. But question little day time habits;

Do I really want to spend money on snacks that I could have easily prepared at home?
Should I walk more rather than rely on my car?
How can I cut down on my weekly food bill?

Make it fun and if it helps, remind yourself with visuals as to why you’re trying to achieve this balance in your life; a photo of your family or loved one or even a photo of yourself when you were at your happiest.

The best thing that the 100 Thing Challenge has created is the self motivation in others. They want this change, too, for their own very personal reasons. And living in a World where borrowing and buying on credit is increasing I can’t help but think we’d all benefit from adopting some of the 100 Thing Challenge principles in our life.

As one person on the 100 TC Facebook said;

Quote of the day: Too many people spend money they don’t have, to buy things they don’t need, to impress people they don’t like.

For myself there are happily not a lot of changes I need to make; de-cluttering is my only issue. Debt isn’t a feature in our lives and we are more than aware of our incomings and outgoings. We don’t make huge spends on worthless items we’ll rarely use and barely need.

How different would our World be if credit cards didn’t exist? If debt was never a consideration? I see so many people around me getting into debt when they really can’t afford too; the truth is that you can never afford debt so you shouldn’t make it in the first place. Let’s all start living within our means. Let’s plan and prepare for the future rather than party in the present. Let’s take care of our basic needs and think about our wants more carefully.

Ponder this article. Question if you’re giving your life purpose right now and ask yourself if things could be different for the better if you did something a little bit different, every little day.