The Thrift Thread

[suzdoyle]

Some great ideas on this thread!I would add that money is really just energy, and that it amplifies our basic nature and view of life (e.g. scarcity versus abundance). From which viewpoint are we saving money? I think that makes a difference.In the Millionaire's course, Marc Allen suggests that true success is related to your intention about what you want to create in life (not just "things-wise," but the flow of your day, how you spend your time and energy, etc.). If you are a pauper or a tycoon, but miserable, then you have not created success. If you are either of these, but love your life, then you are successful.I have friends who intentionally live under the poverty level (for political reasons), some friends who are millionaires, and ones along the spectrum inbetween. To me, the ones who are successful are those who are creating exactly what they want in life -- and living in a state of gratitude and flow. Doesn't matter what the income level is.To me, when you set an overlying intention about your life (including your relationship to money), then the details about how to manifest that tend to take care of themselves.Just my two cents (pun intended) . . . !!SuzP.S. And personally, I like the idea of voluntary simplicity - over-consumption of things to me feels like a burden and a distraction (too many "things" start to own you!). Living lightly and simply (which of course includes a music studio full of amazing musical instruments/ equipment!!) makes life feel balanced and nourishing, at least for me. My measure of wealth is having ample time each day to do what I love and be creative. When I used to be addicted to busyness and overdoing, I realized that I could take better care of myself by creating more space and time in my life. So I started saying NO to more things, and began focused on and leaning into the empty space and time in my days. LOVED IT! And over the years expanded upon and created more and more of that unstructured open time, which to me is now an essential part of my self care practice.I've been completely self-employed for almost 10 years, and am able to structure my days exactly how I'd like -- and still pay the mortgage, be a mom, and be all about music and creativity. Pretty nifty!

[mojobone]

Great post Suze! That articulates very succinctly some things I could go on at great length about. Living simply is something I do with intent, but not for political reasons; it's more about what I'm willing to do and not do for the not so almighty dollar. When someone asks the question, "If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?" I'm at a loss for a reply. It wouldn't be smart to tell them I'm rich.

[suzdoyle]

Hey Mojo;I believe it was Marc Allen (from the Millionaire's Course), who explained wealth in a way that made sense to me.He says there are 5 types of wealth (which BTW means "well-ness"):1. Financial2. Relational3. Intellectual4. Physical5. SpiritualIt's interesting that American culture places so much emphasis on financial wealth as a measure of success. I don't think that is an accurate assessment of one's health.To me, having a feeling of well-being in all five areas mentioned above is a true measure of success. For some, that may mean living a very simple life; for others one that is more opulent. The important thing is doing what you love, and sculpting a life that reflects who you are.SuzA true measure ofyour worth includesall the benefitsothers have gainedfrom your success. - Cullen Hightower

[feaker]

chitMarried 39 years, my wife and I are always looking for humor each day.We also do not like to waste. When either one of us is on the pot, the other (if in need) will yell out "hold that flush" Thrifty Paul and Roz

[davekershaw]

Quote:When either one of us is on the pot, the other (if in need) will yell out "hold that flush" That's a strange thing to yell out Paul!My wife usually yells: "save some'a that joint for me!"

[aimusic]

Sept 11, 2008, 3:51am, davekershaw wrote:Quote:When either one of us is on the pot, the other (if in need) will yell out "hold that flush" That's a strange thing to yell out Paul!My wife usually yells: "save some'a that joint for me!" Dave,You cracked me up on that one!!! Gotta love the English Sense Of Humour!!! Growing up with my dad kinda forced me to think that way - ya know the "everything's gotta have a double meaning"

[devin]

Dave and Brad, nice to see you recycling words like that.Great thread Chits! My wife and I try to live as green as possible, which also translates into saving money. Some of the practices are free, some have an upfront investment, and all help out. Recently our utility company contacted us to find out how we're only using one half as much electricity and gas as any other neighbour on the street...I told them to come back in the spring when I start giving tours of our setup (I wasn't kidding). Our home office runs off solar power, as an example....it's a hefty start-up cost that may break even some day, so it isn't as much about saving money as it is saving the planet (a debatable position giving the lead-acid battery requirement...but I am allowing myself to experiment in this one aspect...and with a 12 year life cycle, I think it's still a positive step).One big waste in my neighbourhood is the landscaping. Folks spend alot of $$ on fetilizer, pesticides, and gas for the lawn mowers. They power airate in the spring, and they use leaf blowers in the fall.I've planted white clover, and deeper-rooting grasses...and I cut it all with a hand (reel) mower. The clover roots go 5x as deep as the grass...never need watering, and capture nitrogen from the air and fix it into the soil. The result is the grass is greener (and thicker) than every house on our street, all year, with zero stuff dumped on it (or water). Folks are starting to notice the difference this year, but I've been the bane of my 'civilized' subdivision up until this year (the tide slowly turned when everyone else went brown, despite their watering 2x a week). I routinely cut my grass while my 2 & 4 year old boys play 10 feet away...or at 9 pm at night when it's cooler (no noise either!).For $6.00 anyone can sprinkle clover seed into their lawn, and get all these benefits (except those 3 and occasional 4 leaf "weeds" growing throughout).Thanks for starting a great thread Chits...glad to see how other folks are thinking about this stuff too!

[aimusic]

A great method of shopping my girl and I found is, try shopping only for the next +-4days, don't bulk shop (as many do) because then you have a tendancy to buy stuff you don't need. Try plan meal ideas for the next 4 days and buy ONLY what you need, we've managed to reduce our weekly shopping by like £20/$40 a week...Still think my "choose a rich family" method works....

[davekershaw]

Quote:A great method of shopping my girl and I found is, try shopping only for the next +-4days, don't bulk shop (as many do) because then you have a tendancy to buy stuff you don't needHey, speak for yourself Brad!I've been waiting years for a buy one, get one free offer on Stella Artois.Finally, Tesco's done it!!I bought enough to last me a month yesterday!Bulk buy gooood!!!

[aimusic]

HAHAHAHA Beer = different story... surprised you only got it now.... When we were at Reading last month they had the special running already....Just buy bread, same thing just with a slight difference...