Money Funk is working on simplifying her life (yes, talking in 3rd person).
This means:
stop spending and learning to love being at home wanting to quit the corporate job
Because she wants to:
stop commuting 2 hours a day release her work stress raise her family (actually spend quality time with them) tend to her home to become an entrepreneur of something passionate
So, although she would love to do this today, she is keeping her impulses intact and working on her plan for making this goal achievable.
She found a very good article, at Thrify Fun, about someone who succeeded in her goal to downsize her life with her husband, Click here. This article was right up Money Funk’s alley, because she wants to know what she can do to start transitioning.
Ronsan asked herself:
“What are you willing to change in your life to achieve your goal?” kept filtering through my mind, and I realized the answer was not using the words “give up” interchangeably with the word “change” in that phrase until I was able to understand the difference.
This is exactly what Money Funk has been questioning & pondering lately. Well, I won’t go into the whole article, but I wanted to point out some things she could start doing to simplify my family’s lifestyle with ease.
Some of these money funk’s family already does, like:
living in a 1200 sq. foot house with a mortgage w/in their means not indulging in weekly salon and manicures (although she would love this luxury) not buying coffee at the cafe save daily change and paying theirselves first (direct deposit makes this an easy task)
But the things she and her family could work on:
keep PAYing OFF the DEBT don’t amass anymore on the CCs keep building the savings account keep working on NOT buying the convenience foods and supplementing them with whole foods (read Saver Queen’s one, two, three part series on cutting your grocery bill in half) keep the eating out to a very minimum curb clothes spending stop renewing the magazine subscriptions (and pick them up at the library) eliminate a vehicle be frugal savvy with gifts/holiday, and seperate know the difference between “wants” and “needs”
Ronsan ends it perfectly:
Today, our lifestyle is very simple, very frugal but not stingy towards us or the things we want to do. Our expectations of what we “need” in this life are separated out from our “wants”, and we know the difference. We are now devoid of undue stress and compromises in our life, and we are happier than we have ever been. We have a financial plan we can live within comfortably while meeting our expectations and know our future is as secure as we can make it. We look forward to each new day as a gift from God to be enjoyed and counted as a blessing.
And I personally would do it all over again in a heartbeat for the benefits we have received from this adventure!
…happier than we ever been. Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?
it sounds like you are well on your way to living a more simple and harmonious and beautiful life. kudos to you. :0
@ dinah34: and kudos to you for you savings acheivement of turning penny’s into a solid savings. 🙂
Don’t know how I got here but I like your site. My husband and I have been downsizing for a few years now. Kids are grown, last will be out of college next week!! WHOA, I kinda just realized that. Anyway, now the saving can really begin! Good luck to your simpler life! http://www.whatupduck.com
I love your new mindset! This reminds me of my conversation with a co-worker. I told him that once I paid off my student loans, I intend to buy a small place. He said, “Good! Then when the market rebounds, you can upgrade to a bigger place.” This is a guy who bought way beyond his means and is stressed out about his mortgage. I wanted to tell him, “Uh. No. I want to pay off my mortgage well before I’m 60 and quit the rat race.” He seemed shock that that’s actually my life plan. LOL.
Thanks for the mention!!!
Good for you for pursuing your dream of a more simple life. I think that clarifying what you want is already a great step forward. Little by little, you can take steps to achieve that goal and make it a reality.
Shtinkykat – that’s so funny that your colleague immediately assumes that your goal is to get into a bigger place. yeesh!
@ Kelly: well, thanks for stopping by. 🙂 I realize this is all a learning process with some due discomfort. But, I am willing to try my hand and getting use to a downsized lifestyle.
And congrats on the kids! Isn’t that why parents now get a boat named “college fund”? 😉
@ shtinkykat: Thanks for the cheer.
The U.S. is innate with going bigger. Even in this horrible economic blunder. I don’t think it will ever change.
A nice quaint house would be perfect. Your doing great at snowballing that debt! keep it up.
@ Saver Queen: you’re welcome. It’s a worthy series to mention. I hope to be able to utilize some of your tips.
I think its time to clarify. I’ve piddled long enough in the fog. 🙂
I would love to simplify too, however, I’m not there yet to give up the following:
1. cleaning service
2. cable
3. cell phones
If I gave up these things, I would have an extra $600 to put toward savings, and other goals. Unfortunately, these expenses are tied to the rest of my family. (Except maybe the cleaning service :))
@ sharon: lol. my DH is not willing to downsize the cable either. The cell phone we will be downsizing when possible (at least just in minutes), but definitely keeping. Thinking of getting rid of the land line.
It will be a journey and will not happen quickly because I have 1 teenager and another one to follow right after.
But i would like to downsize so that I may have the option of becoming an entrepreneur, the right way. 🙂
This is a goal of mine as well. I have too much stuff and not enough place for it, I have too much stress and it’s wearing me down, and this list really could go on. But, I also read a profound (for me anyway) article the other day that’s making me consider some changes. In it the author stated that he earned enough from his savings’ interest and investment dividends to pay his monthly expenses. He was no longer dependent on a paycheck. That slammed into me like a jackhammer because that’s exactly what I want. I want the luxury of sitting around and watching movies all day, or going for a small road trip without having to worry about PTO, or even just lazing around and writing all day. I want the freedom.
So, as someone who shares your dream, I wish you the best of luck!
two hours a day kiddo? are you kidding me?
i’m so with you on the simple life. i need to compile a list of things that i can/should do to help me move closer to simplicity. my days are jammed pack, from the time i wake up to the time i go to sleep. i want to slow down and smell the roses, know what i mean?
@ Kristy: Don’t get me wrong… We have every intention to keep feeding our investment accounts. But, if we downsize as a family and find entreprenuerial ways to generate more income than we will produce more money to fund our simple lifestyle. Thank you for your outlook!
@ Ms. Money Chat: 2 hours…unfortunately, yes. I really need to learn a foreign language while driving. lol!
I want to smell the roses too. I am tired of watching life pass on by!