Originally Posted by svwagner
it's odd, but a movement toward simplicity can very easily become a complicated question. we've evolved several guidelines for our own movement toward simplicity.
1) own less, buy less, and spend less money.
2) get out of debt and stay out of debt
3) figure out what your time is worth and make decisions accordingly.
4) take your time.
the rest...just tactics and strategies. for us, that means no consumer debt, very nearly no mortgage on a small house, no lawn but lots of garden (both vegetable and otherwise), a number of bicycles but no car, a diminishing workweek, saturday chore/errand days, and sundays for relaxation (a sort of non-religious sabbath, if you will). we don't buy much, but when we do, it's well-considered (including 30-day waiting period for anything of substantial cost). we still eat out, but not that often. we still buy books, but also use the library heavily. we repair things instead of throwing them away.
there's probably more, but you get the idea.
I agree with the general points -- although this is specifically tailored to you:
re: working and taking your time: with e-mail people don't each other enough time to reflect and cotemplate a problem. Everyone who's in an office has had someone who sends an e-mail, then calls and says "did you get my e-mail"? I take my time at work, hence less mistakes, and more productivity.
re: debt. completely agree - consumer debt other than a mortgage is ridiculous, but to subsidize our economy and keep it looking good, we're told that we need to go spend money at the mall. What were we told to do after 9/11? Go Shopping! I certainly use credit cards for the perks, airline miles, points, online shopping, but I never finance things like a grill, furniture, or even carry a balance month to month. Everyone knows when you start using a few credit cards, and then start relying on them, then you're late and your rates go up the amounts start adding up faster than the ebola virus spreads. But people won't give them up, (and companies still keep giving credit to students and people that can't pay it back)
And I'm all for banning credit card sign up tables on college campuses. Nothing pisses me off more than a company that wants to give $15,000 in credit to someone making no money. (But they know their parents will bail them out, so they don't care)
And all the articles written about "how to get out of debt" focus on absurdly banal things like "stop buying coffee at starbucks", and "ask your card for a lower rate" (as it will save you $3 a day). Sure the little daily things are important, but that won't curb your DESIRES, and to be debt free requires a complete shift in ideals and lifestyle, like yours described above. Even after reading all the articles people won't get out of debt if they maintain the lifestyle of consumption they're living. Just can't work.
Even saying all that I'm still tempted this spring to go put a new bike on my credit card and pay it next month - and it's unfortunately completely understandable (and scary) watching people spend $800, then $300, then $200, then suddenly it's $4,000.