Comments on: Minimalist Philosophy: Doing Less

By: Beau Gamble

Beau Gamble — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 05:10:49 +0000

I’m only 21 and am still at uni. I can’t comment much about working life, but the ‘not much’ aspiration definitely resonates with me. The thought of spending the next thirty or forty years of my life working full-time five days a week absolutely horrifies me. And not necessarily because I’m lazy — when I’m working I’m working hard — but because I can’t possibly picture myself happy unless I have more time for relaxing and doing what I enjoy.

I have no idea if this lifestyle is going to be possible for me: how will I be able to afford a house, and what happens if/when I have kids? At least I’m very conservative with my purchases, so that’ll slightly lessens the need to exhaust myself at work…

Anyway, apologies for rambling, and thanks for the thought-provoking post

By: What if you didn’t have to work full time? « slow simple conscious

What if you didn’t have to work full time? « slow simple conscious — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:40:53 +0000

[...] Miss Minimalism – Doing ‘Not Much’ [...]

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:10:58 +0000

It is so nice to see people loving their lives and not wasting time on “stuff”. We all need a few material things, but most of us do not need alot. I spent so many years trying to make my home look like the home decorating magazines. I thought I was so clever, even buying “things” at garage sales. And even though I saved alot of money, I also wasted alot of money too and my house did not magically look those home decorating magazines. In fact I ended up with a house full of clutter. For the last three months I have been selling stuff and giving stuff away to charity. It feels so freeing and I no longer stop when I see a garage sale. (at least most of the time). I am editing what comes into my life.

By: flip flop guy

flip flop guy — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:18:56 +0000

i sure try to do “not much” or not much of what doesn’t interest me. i’ve learned to say “no” which has helped. want to go to a wedding, no sorry can’t make it. of course, i need to work to pay bills so can’t control my time in that reguard but i’m still working on that. i had to work time to fit in good sleep. meaning people think i sleep a lot 12 or more hours at time including naps. hey i get carded sometimes so beauty sleep may be true.

stay cool, ultracool flipflop guy

By: Caragh

Caragh — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:16:24 +0000

Great topic! I am currently a stay-at-home mom, and over the past 10 years have worked on and off. In response to @oilandgarlic, I thought your point about the unemployed person getting to enjoy simple living “at the expense of the other (working spouse)” to be thought-provoking for me personally. Today as took my dogs on a long, quiet walk and then returned home to do some baking, I had moments of guilt. Would my husband like for me to be responsible for paying the bills for a while so he could pursue his interests? I bet he would. We have had many conversations about it, and what it frequently comes back to is that for now, this situation is best for our family. My husband enjoys working, and has much greater income potential than me. He would much rather go to work than do housekeeping, cook, and take kids to appointments and lessons. So in order to express my appreciation for his income, I try and make our home as peaceful and happy as possible. When he comes home, I think he is grateful for home-cooked meals and happy, relaxed family. Someday when our kids are older, I can work and he can choose to do what he wants. I think it just needs to be a mutual decision.

By: jill

jill — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:23:51 +0000

@Patty ~ my desire to minimalize has nothing to do with $. My desire to minimalize has to do with realizing what’s really important to me and having a neat, open, alive environment. Everyone has their own reasons I’m sure

By: jill

jill — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:22:01 +0000

I used to work a “9-5″ job and would find myself looking out the window thinking “I wish I could be out there!”. I realized that although I was making great money, I wasn’t growing in any kind of a way and I felt myself missing out on what was “out there” in the really world (as opposed to a cubicle). I thought: I wish I could work half the amount of hours for half the amount of pay (there weren’t any part time jobs out there paying that much though). Then I thought instead: No! I wish I could work half the amount of hours for the SAME amount of pay. Then, again, I thought instead: No! I want to work half the amount of hours for MORE pay! And then… it happened! I realized that still even with half the amount of hours and more pay, you don’t necessarily LOVE what you are doing during those “paid” hours. So, I have reduced my hours even more (thus my pay) and am now focusing on: I want to make great money doing what I LOVE! I work as much or as little as I want and make great pay. I benefit the world!

By: Magnificent Minimalist

Magnificent Minimalist — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:02:05 +0000

There’s a great book called The Underachiever’s Manifesto by Ray Bennett; it talks about exactly this, and I’ve found it very useful.

By: ElizMc

ElizMc — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:02:02 +0000

As a former single-mother, I set my priorities a long time ago. My family was first, then my career. I turned down very high-powered positions because I knew they would interfere with my time spent with family. Before becoming self-employed, I turned down a promotion at my last company, after asking what type of overtime would be involved with the position. I have never regretted it. My business partner and I are both of the same mind: we work to live, not live to work.

By: patty

patty — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:49:31 +0000

Simple living is the current buzz word of the moment. Yes folks are scaling back and downsizing, but it has more to do with lack of incomes, opportunities, no raises, and increases in the basics, food and gas.

The real trick will be how we handle the lack of oil. We are currently addicted to oil much like a heroin addict. It will be interesting to see what simple living is then.