Living on less the road to minimalism

Up until recently I have never thought about what I spent my money on. If I wanted it I bought it, if it needed doing I got someone to do it. while on the road to minimalism I have started to think long and hard about my choices in life. Whether they were the right or wrong, they have steered me towards this new lifestyle. So, they can't have been all bad!

There is nothing better than a reality check when you’re going down the wrong path.

I thought that I was only happy when spending money, on things that made people stop and look. Money and spending don't make you happy, it has taken me a long time to figure that out. It offers a distraction from the stresses of life, that are caused from spending money on stuff to distract us from the stresses of life!

We would all love to be rich and famous and never have to worry about money, a lot of us dedicate our lives in the pursuit of either or both. There is always a cost to that success, family, health, spirituality or any mixture of them all. We sell our souls to make money to keep up with our peers, show everyone how well we are doing. We over indulge in food and alcohol and waste enough to feed a host of starving people around the world. We don't give our children the attention they require the real stuff that money does not buy, instead we try to buy their affection with stuff that we teach them to covert. Lastly, we don't connect with our earth and the people that live on it with us. Where has the sense of community gone? We used to help each other instead of trying to get ahead all the time. Our culture is no longer a social caring culture, as it was when we use to work together as small villages. Instead we work long hours, both parents need to work so our children are left on their own more than they should be.

We were manipulated into believing that consumption and luxury are the only things that will make us happy but all it does is distracts us like busy bees collecting pollen for the glorification of one. We work hard to get that little honey when we made 10x the amount we received. Unfortunately, we need that honey, so we work for it and thus we are trapped in the circle. When all we need to do is work less make our own honey enough for what we need and forget the rest.

Beware of the debt trap!

Now I know we can't all just move to the country and live off the land, that's not the answer but we can hybrid our lives live simpler work at things we enjoy raising enough money to live.

Live your life for you and your family. Work enough to provide, don't waste on unnecessary luxury, spend time with your children get them off the internet and game consoles, by engaging with them teach them what you know or better yet learn something together.

You don't need a big house and not every child needs their own room, you don't need a double garage full of meaningless possessions.

My son and I are starting to backpack, and plan do small hikes as we progress I hope to learn with him and teach him valuable survival technics to reduce further his tendencies and need for mainstream life. While engaging with the earth as he will be the next generation to inherit this earth and the damage we all have done.

Living on less 

We can have our proverbial cake and eat it! Be smart with your money replace what's broken never before it breaks. How much money do we waste in a life replacing tv's, mobile phones, furniture and other gadgets that aren't broken. You will never keep up with technology, last year's smart phone is just as useful as this years. Do you really need a tv in every room and 1080p was fine yesterday you don't need 4k. Make tv time family time, remember when there was just one tv in the house I do, and I still remember watching Saturday night tv with my father! Now that he has gone these are the memories I find myself thinking about, never what he bought me.

Simple changes I have made or plan to make in order to reduce my out-goings.

1. Sim only contracts we will save around £40 a month as opposed to a contract with phone. That's £480 a year and with at least two mobile users in our households that’s doubled.
2. The average home owner replaces their household appliances before they break adopt a use till destruction approach, I can’t tell you how many appliances I have in my garage that I don't use but I needed.
3. Don't have Now tv, Amazon, Netflix and cable tv! Pick one you don't need to watch everything, and you will save at least a subscription or two. 
4. Shop around I saved £30 a month by switching broadband telephone and tv £360 a year
5. Don't be ashamed to sell unwanted stuff gumtree is free or try your local car boots not only is it great to get rid of your unwanted items, but you can find stuff you need at great prices plus it gets you talking to people rather than cold transaction online.
6. Don't be too proud to buy second hand it is insanely cheaper than new.
7. Upcycle your unwanted stuff if it looks tatty use YouTube and learn how to make it look good, it does require effort yes but the saving can be huge. The satisfaction of a job well done can have longer lasting psychological benefits that money can’t buy. 
8. Look for deals change banks yearly get cashback and cash offers. This year we raise £370 and 2% cash back on direct debits. 
9. Replace your window washer by doing it yourself saved £96 a year
10. Wash your own car, we have two cars and used to get them valeted alternatively @ £20 a month. We now save £240 a year, plus get a bit of exercise every fortnight
11. Reduce food budget by half through planning a 4-week cycle buying only what is needed. This has cut our shopping bill from £400 to £200 a month that’s £2400 a year with further saving projected

Save your money everyone talks about interest, yes interest on savings is notoriously rubbish. The economy needs this as if we are not spending the economy shrinks and that affects credit! However, if you don't get a loan and save for something that you need, you get a return of 24% that's your saving on interest from a standard loan. Plus, you remain safe you not affected by the swing of the economy because you own what you have not the bank.

A new tactic we have started is to have a money box and every time anyone in the family chooses to save rather than spend, they put the money in the box.  With the money in the box we all agree to spend it on memories like holidays, trips out and any other experience we want to do as a family, this I believe is one of the most important things we do with your kids. Teach them through example how to save for what they want. When we are old all we will have is our memories, when we are gone all they will have is memories of us. Spend your time and money well, focus on making memories as they are priceless! Reduce your need and you will be able to enjoy life!

I would love to hear how you save money, so I can use your technics myself but also share them with my readers feel free to email me or just comment below and remember this is a revolution in the making let’s take our world back reduce our dependencies on big companies use local where possible and consume less.

Thanks for reading