Trent Hamm, author of 365 Ways to Live Cheap, has found happiness in living more simply:
We just don’t buy as much stuff as we used to. Our entertainment budget is about 20% of what it used to be. We don’t buy gadgets very often any more. I wear my socks until they’re actually worn out. We buy many items in bulk and try to get every possible use out of them. The end result of that is that our normal routine of life is a lot less expensive than it used to be.
Many people, in that situation, would channel that extra money into more stuff. We choose to channel it into more time.
Saving money, they’ve been able to scale back their employment to spend more time with their children. He says his family has never been happier.
I need to buy his book. Good thing it’s cheap — 8 bucks.
When my father-in-law wears holes in the bottom of his socks, he does not throw them away. He just wears them upside down. I think he discards them after they have holes on both sides, but I am not sure.
I remember being fascinated with the voluntary simplicity movement ever since it first started gaining some popularity a number of years ago. It must not have interested me enough to do much about it. Thanks for the reminder