Voluntary Simplicity!! !

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Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without!


After developing an interest in Stoic philosophy and the Mediterranean diet, I’ve decided to apply what I’ve learned about the two and conduct an experiment in simple living.

For anyone who’s interested, Irvine’s Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy is a great introduction to a modern application of this very misunderstood ethical system. Personally, I’ve found the practice of negative visualization, self denial, rational fatalism, and internalization of goals very helpful for cultivating peace and contentment.

Also, the Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on simple, whole foods is healthy, cheap, and easy to follow.

Currently, my diet consists mostly of couscous, brown rice, legumes (brown/black beans, lentils, chickpeas, split-peas), fresh/frozen vegetables (mainly broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, squash, carrots, tomatoes), dried chilies, and blueberries. I eat almost no red meat, with the majority of my animal protein coming from parmesan cheese, homemade yogurt, eggs, and canned salmon.

My goal diet-wise, is to eat as little processed food as possible and totally avoid fast/restaurant food.

My goals economically are:

• Buy everything I possibly can used—books, clothes etc.
• Use no more than a single tank of gas each month (unfortunately I cannot depend on public transportation to get me to work, but I can use it for school and much else).
• Save at least 25% of my net pay each month (mortgage, utilities, insurance use up 50%).

Long-term goals:

• Reduce personal possessions to the bare essentials.
• Sell my house and acquire a small plot of semi-rural land (1 to 5 acres) and live off the grid as much as is practically possible.
• Build a Tinyhouse/refurbish an Airstream trailer to live in (Mortgage free!).


I'd be interested to hear from anyone esle living the simple life...

I like the Mediterranean diet, because I have a lot of issues with food (especially processed food), and eating that way prevents me from being sick all the time. I have to avoid dairy as well, but otherwise it's very similar to yours.

I think minimalism is interesting, but mostly because I already am pretty close to it. I work from home, but even when I didn't, I drove so few miles that I was always exempt from the yearly exhaust inspection. I don't have an overabundance of useless possessions like most people seem to. I'm sure I own more than 100 things, but I have no use for gadgets, unnecessary appliances, TVs, etc. I admire people like the Amish (who I buy food from, by the way) who live off the grid, but I'm not sure I could really do it myself. I don't see it as self denial though. I don't deny myself those things; I just don't care to have them. XD But I may be misunderstanding that. I'll have to read up on stoicism.

Yes, I do things like this.

GoonSquad, that's a great goal. I do some similar things, like I only use a tank of gas every 4 to 6 weeks and I have a whole foods diet including foods like the ones you listed.

I have relatively few things throughout my house, but my motivation is different. Either way though, it's nice not to have lots and lots of unnecessary things lying about.

The fact that you have little desire for gadgets suggests that you have some good, sensible values...

As far as self denial goes, it’s a tool stoics use to avoid the “hedonic treadmill” (the condition in which the more and better you have, the more and better you want) which can lead to a state of chronic dissatisfaction in some people.

For example, I deny myself the use of my truck for going back and fourth to school most of the time. This costs me an extra couple of hours a day because I must follow the bus schedule rather than my own. Also the bus is noisy, crowded, and generally unpleasant.

The other day was snowy, cold, and miserable, but I’d done really well on saving gas for the month. So, I “treated myself” and drove to school rather than take public transport.

It might seem silly, but as I drove in, I was overcome with a profound sense of gratitude that I had my beat-up old truck and I did not HAVE to ride the bus.

Self denial can really help you put things in perspective sometimes and allow you to see all the things you should be thankful for.

Yes! I practice voluntary simplicity as well, and though I live in an apartment at present I hope to retire to a Tinyhouse someday.

I sometimes tell people I'm practicing voluntarily simplicity; it sounds a lot kewler than saying I'm on disability & in debt because of medical expenses a few years ago. Seriously thou I never dreamed about being rich or having lots of fancy expensive stuff. I'm a practice person. I do not see the point in spending money I ain't got on things & I do not really need. I do not desire frivolous things anyways. I'd rather have a minimum-wage job that I can do well without much stress than make a lot being stressed out all the time. The more you have; the more you are afraid to be without

YES!

The sage pursues tranquility, not wealth.

A little over 20 years ago, my wife and I were almost completely debt-free and living in relative simplicity on a houseboat in a nice harbor in the Florida Keys ...

... and there is (or at least there was) just no better way to be.

I intend to do the same, I don't plan on selling myself into Wage Slavery. However, I don't have any objections to a materialistic lifestyle. I live my good food, book collection and cosy bed. I value knowledge more than possessions, I guess that's what I live for.



Agreed, but I think the solution to this is to acquire stuff debt-free, not to shun possessions altogether.

I think moderation is the key. Master your desires rather than be a slave to them.

I still love a bloody steak and a bitter IPA, but a porterhouse and a 6-pack of good beer are so much better after a month of rice, lintels, and black tea!

Mhh, thats not something I'd consciously pursue, but I suppose I both disagree with your viewpoint, and follow it. I usually eat a small bit of meat for dinner, and some bread. I spend very little money, usually half of what my roommate spends a week, and one tenth of what a friend spends. My clothes are years old.

Fair enough, I'm just not sure if it's necessary to self-deny to achieve this. I guess I just naturally moderate.

As a sidenote, I like to flaunt great Art anytime I can. Patrick Kavanagh wrote a pretty deep poem around these themes, if you're into that sort of thing:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/advent/

Heh... self-denial is a pretty hard sell for most people.

But it really does help you stay off the "hedonic treadmill" appreciate/enjoy what you have.

If I ate good steak and beer everyday, pretty soon I would become numb to it--a porterhouse would not do it anymore. I'd need filet mignon to get the same amount of enjoyment....

After a while, filet mignon wouldn't be enough and I'd have to have filet of unborn gazelle braised in platypus placenta, or some such nonsense to be satisfied...

Consumption can be a vicious cycle of dissatisfaction for some people.

no matter how much money some people make, they're always broke and they're always unhappy.

Self denial helps you be happier and more satisfied with less.

Works for me anyway.

PS
I won't even mention how I sometimes fast for a day or two to enhance my enjoyment of couscous and lentils....

PPS

That's not a joke.

I don't shun possessions but I do not see the practicality in having things that don't really serve much purpose except for decoration or appearances. Cheap forks work just as well as fine china. People do not need big houses unless you have a very big family. A sports car looks kewl but something less flashy will still get to around. Expensive name brand clothing may make a statement but I think stuff from WalMart is just as comfortable. I do not spend my life trying to look richer than my neighbors. If people think I'm a loser because I'm poor; then they aren't really going to be my friends. Why should I waist my time trying to impress others in order to brag & gloat I just don't get all this better than others cr@p

"Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."
-Marcus Aurelius

The Honey House!! !!

Here's an awesome, simple, cheap house--I thinks this is what I'm going to build...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMNzoWkXTtc[/youtube]