What motivates you to maintain a simpler lifestyle?

[Katybird]

What motivates you to maintain a simpler lifestyle?  I strive for the simple lifestyle.  I think it helps with stress reduction and just a happier life.  I work in a busy critical care unit of a large hospital so every hour at work is stressful and fast paced and when I get home I love that I have made a nice and simple life for my family.  I want to be able to stop and smell the roses.

[canadian gardener]

OH Kathy! GREAT topic! LOL I love your reasons.

I don't EVER want to go back to the fast lane where I juggled so much that I crashed and burnt so to speak.

This feels so much better.

I think that a simpler less expensive life, buys us a better life than money ever could.

I want to enjoy my garden, my kitchen, my sewing room, my grown kids, my dog, my friends, the bible study I teach and the church I go to. I like to read, listen to music, talk online.

All of that would be seriously impeded if I complicated things by trying too much of anything.

Simpler, quieter is more satisfying, meaningful and it buys me the best things in life by saying no to the not quite best but still good things.

By saying no to a fancy house, I said yes to a stress free house, by saying no to a new car every few years, I said yes to a paid off car and the savings there. By saying no to fast foods and dining out, I said yes to having the time to cook what is better for us health and dollar wise. By saying no to a job, I said no to a second car, a lot of work wear, conveniance food and other stressors.

By saying no to a job I said yes to a garden, to a compost heap, to a black and white girl dog who loves me. By saying no to a job outside the home, I'm free to be the laundry fairy when I want to bless my kids and free to say no when I think they need to do the laundry themselves.

[guest2]

Great question and answers Ladies!

OK, I know it may sound hoaky and contrived, but I really feel that God has led me to try and live a simpler lifestyle. It was God who put it on my heart to be a stay at home mom and to homeschool my kids. It was God who showed me through HIS word what my main ministry as a wife and mother should be (my family) and it was God that has led me down this pathof trying to live a simpler lifestyle without so much rush rush and noise so that my family and I could hear His voice more clearly. Through this I have learned to be content with what I have, to really appreciate my family and life, to be thankful for all the many wonderful things God has blessed me with and to reach out to others.

[Darlene]

Oh ladies, your heart is mine too. It is just so wonderful to feel at peace with almost every aspect of your life.
I didn't get here overnight. Like Margery, I said no to what people expected of me & did what was best for me & my family. It's taken years & years of not doing this when others were doing that for us to save & simplify. Dinner together, limiting extra cirricular activities and just talking to one another was & is important for us.
I'm so glad I've been able to show my kids how to live & thrive on one income, and just how many decisions are really in our hands.~ not the school system , not the government, not the neighbors...not society, ours.

[MJsLady]

For me it started by watcing my mil. Her houe is so full she has added a storage shed, and now built on to her "Studio", and is filling up both! My fil is in his 70 with a mortgage and no end in site. They are both in bad health, she with back trouble and he with diabetes.
I have never been a "thing" person but when I looked around and saw all the clutter from stuff, I had to make a change!
Now I would say 80% of my clutter is gone. Actually all of MY clutter is gone, it is just MJ's that still needs more sifting!
The other thing I have noticed is I can now hear that "quiet still voice". I am more calm and slowly I am retraining myself to manage my home and life.
Money is still tight, but now I am not frazzled by that, I can deal wiht it and move on!