Living Simple - the best and the worst

**Simple Living Mom** · 06-21-2007, 08:53 AM

What's the best thing about living simply?

What's the most difficult thing?

**Simple Living Mom** · 06-21-2007, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Simple Living Mom

What's the best thing about living simply?

For me it's having lots of time for the kids just to be kids and never feeling rushed. I loved the relaxed pace of life.

Originally Posted by Simple Living Mom

What's the most difficult thing?

For me, it's other people's judgement of our lifestyle. We get a lot of "must be nice" comments but we make huge sacrifices to live this way. We only have one car, we live in a small house, we don't eat out much, we have simple wardrobes, etc.

**nuisance26** · 06-21-2007, 09:19 AM

~THE BEST:
Small house=less to clean
One wage-earner=less stress for me,slow and peaceful pace at home
Home-rooted=my kids become more creative and learn to entertain themselves, I spend less and want less.
In general I feel like part of the solution because we consume less.
THE WORST:
'Mom is the heart of the home' is so true that I often wonder if the house and I are one and the same thing. I sometimes feel a loss of identity.
It's really hard for me to spend so much time at home with the kids. Every couple of months I explore options to get me out of the house and then I remember what I'll lose by doing that.

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 06-21-2007, 09:24 AM

The loss of stress over stuff and status is the biggest reward.
The whining of children who can't see the end result just the item in front of them.

Laurie in Bradenton

**wanderlusting** · 06-21-2007, 11:18 AM

Best: less stressful-I've been able to cut back on work and take of things around the house

Least: it's hard finding ppl my age to hang out w/. They all seem to want to go shopping or go to expensive nightclubs.

**BeyondFrugal** · 06-21-2007, 04:38 PM

The best part- Being my own boss, making my own schedule, dreaming up ways to do things cheaper, living in my happy little world.

The worst part- it used to be people's attitudes towards the way I live. Now I just think that they have a problem with real life.

-Elaine

**freyadog** · 06-21-2007, 04:54 PM

The best part is the no stress factor. No rushing any more. And an attitude that is "if you don't like the way my home and life are run, find one somewhere else that you do." I got to the point that I don't care what people think about the way dh and I live. Our home and car is paid for. No cc's. 3 years of food stuffs stored. Yep it does sit in places that you can see because not enough shelf space yet.

If we should decide to go out(as rural as we live its not an option actually) it would not hurt us.

The worst is - not everyone understands and accepts our type of living but those are the ones deep in debt.

**Its_Donna** · 06-21-2007, 05:12 PM

The Best - Less Stress, Less bickering over money with DH, seeing a smile more often than before on DH face now that our finances are under control. Also being an inspiration to "some" of the people I work with..inspiring them to do the same...one co-worker has comitted to "no spend" days and now brings his lunch to work.

The Hardest - Having my co-workers make snide remarks about what I'm trying to do.

One in particular just cuts me down all the time and has to do it in front of lots of people. I just rack it up to "jealousy". She always has a need to cut me down but will turn around and copy my way of doing things. I really don;t care what others say though...I know what my goals are and I will be the one having the last laugh when in about 5-7 years when I am completely debt free I can announc to all of them that I am going part time.

**Jaded** · 06-21-2007, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Simple Living Mom

What's the best thing about living simply?

I'll let you know when I get there...right now it's chaos!

**bumplett** · 06-21-2007, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Simple Living Mom

What's the best thing about living simply?

Being truly happy with what I have -

Originally Posted by Simple Living Mom

What's the most difficult thing?

Ignoring the ignorance of others

**Edna_E** · 06-21-2007, 07:15 PM

Best - reduced anxiety
Worst - sometimes feeling out of touch with the rest of society (usually followed by a feeling of "Thank God!")

**FrugalMomof3** · 06-21-2007, 07:51 PM

The best : being debt free except for the mortgage

The worst : Well I really dont see anything negative about living simply, maybe other people my age NOT understanding and wanting to have all that latest gizmos and gadgets.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 07-20-2007, 05:35 PM

Best: not "needing" things all the time like others; actually making headway paying off debts

Worst: listening to others whine about going farther in debt while making fun of the way you live; not having many others to hang out with because all they want to do is shop, go to the movies, spend $$...

**cab54** · 07-24-2007, 11:24 AM

Honestly the best thing is (embarrassing) giving up my cosmetic obsession for a simple easy grooming routine. I feel FREE.

And the hardest is that I didn't start being frugal and simple 20 years ago.

**Dancing Lotus** · 07-27-2007, 08:59 AM

THe best - less stress.

The worst - not letting others oppinions bother me. I dont have a cell phone or a credit card and the looks people give me sometimes can make me feel like a freak.