After reading Sharon's article on the giant ponzi http://sharonastyk.com/2008/12/19/the-ponzi-scheme-as-way-of-life/
scheme which is our economy-robbing the future to pay for the present and then looking at the black hole which is my December budget (free financial software http://www.mint.com is wonderful but has left me squirming uncomfortably about our spending habits) I have realized that some big changes need to be made. I will be the change I wish to see in the world. I have been THINKING about voluntary simplicity but not DOING. So typical for me.
If the future I picture for our family is to have a chance, we need to significantly reduce our spending, period, exclamation point! We need to have one parent who can be working on the homestead for the family and not for profit. Right now I am the parent with the desire to garden and milk goats, that may change in the years to come, but I need to figure out how to do without 1/2 my income. If I can put that income into savings this winter and into spring-we would be in a much better position to sell our home and move.
The compact: to not buy anything new with certain exceptions for toiletries, kids shoes, and underwear! There is much more discussion about what is acceptable and some other details, but ultimately each family has to do what is right for them. This is my doing not thinking challenge, its a biggie but so worth while! If DH or I purchase something new I will post it here, otherwise things which are truly needed will be borrowed, bought used (craigslist or resale shopped), or freecycled. http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-years-resolution.html
Once I have the rest of the (not) budget for December, DH and I (are you reading today honey?) will look at the numbers TOGETHER and TOGETHER decide what we can do without and give ourselves assignments-can we get cheaper car insurance, phone, etc with a little effort? I will report back on our finding there as well.
On another front my fitness efforts are paying off well! I have to say this loosing weight stuff is much harder when you are looking at 40 instead of 30. But over the past 5 weeks I have lost 7 lbs and 6 1/2 inches ( 2 from the chest!). It is not a stunning amount but my clothes are loose and I feel great! I keep telling myself I need to do this so I can put up fences all day or scythe hay. K
5 comments:
Good for you on your decision. We've been looking for an acreage but that got put on hold when we learned last month that my hubby is being 'restructured' out of his job. So we are re-prioritizing based on necessity- and it's not easy. Kids need new coats, holiday stuff, it all adds up so quickly.
Congrats also on the weight loss. I need to get back into exercising more but I find myself justifying not doing it by telling myself 'but you walk to work'. I need the doing not thinking!
Good job on the weight loss!! I'd love to lose two inches from my chest (among other places!!;) Weight loss is another goal of mine and I know exactly what you mean by the almost 40 comment!
We'll have to be each other's cheerleaders on the compact. I usually do go for about a month and a half then I start getting fiscaly lazy and buying again. After the holidays I plan to sit down and write my goals out and post them on the frige, my car, my desk at work, etc. etc.
Ignore my typos (my laptop keyboard is sticking lately!)
Thanks for the support guys! Its great to know there are like minded nut jobs like myself out there! xoxo Kris
Well Kris count me in as another like-minded nutjob. We did what you're proposing to do four years ago: move from city to country, live off one income, get rid of all debt and live in a house in a place that costs less. We "recycled" an old farmhouse and we produce probably 80-90% of our own food. I don't think either of us would ever reconsider our old life. And oh yeah: we've both lost weight by living this way!
You know, our preferred vet works part-time so she can care for her farm and her own animals. Would you consider doing large-animal work? Lots of job security doing that out in the country.
And once you're forced to live off one income, compacting is not exactly a huge leap. Buying things is!!
good luck with it all...
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