Blog | Simple Living

3 Ways to Find Happiness Through Simplicity

March 16, 2016 No Comments

Why aren’t we happier? When I looked at some stats the other day, I wasn’t all that surprised to find out that 33% of Americans report being less happy today than in 2008 and 2009, when 35% reported being very happy. And what about optimism? Why is it that 75% of Americans reported being optimistic about the future in 2011, but only 67% reported the same feelings in 2013? We have to blame this on something or somebody, don’t we? Even our Declaration of Independence says we’re supposed to be happy. It says, “Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” What’s up with this? Why aren’t we happier? Why do so many of us struggle to be happy, even while making big decisions based on our condition of happiness? As an example, a friend of mine broke up with her partner last week for just that reason – she […]

Finances, Home

Why Melody Lopez and Her Husband Opted for Peace of Mind Over a Big House

March 7, 2016 6 Comments

When Melody Lopez and her husband were newly married, they opted for peace of mind over a big house. 19 years later, they’re glad they did it. “At the time when everybody was building huge houses, we opted for a small one,” she says. “We had just read a Wall Street Journal article about living simply, and the article mentioned Janet’s book, The Simple Living Guide. That article was huge for us. I loved the article and then bought the book and took the advice. That’s what gave us permission to make better choices than to follow what everyone else was doing. If we hadn’t read that article, my husband and I would have bought as much house as the bank said we could afford, and we wouldn’t own our house outright today. We got a 15 year mortgage and paid it off. “We’ve been blessed ever since. “My husband […]

Finances

I Want to Save but My Partner is a Spender!

February 25, 2016 2 Comments

You want to save, your partner wants to spend. What to do? Or maybe you’re the spender and your partner is always on your case. Whatever your situation, know this – you’re definitely not alone. Did you know that finances are the leading cause of stress in a relationship? The leading cause! Not only that, but couples argue about money an average of three times a month! Who needs this stress? Seriously! Who needs it? You don’t, and your marriage definitely doesn’t need added stress. There’s enough going on in life already, and as you probably know, stress is the number one cause of all health problems. So it’ll behoove you to take some time to get on top of this. Even if you and your partner are at complete opposite ends of the finance spectrum – you can find ways to come together about your money differences. But first, […]

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How I Found Freedom from Clutter

February 21, 2016 No Comments

I am finished with the packrat thing! Actually, I had no choice because for one reason or another, ever since moving into my tiny 300 square foot apartment during college, I have always lived in smaller spaces and had to learn to live with less. My apartment was so small that I had to wash my standard-size pan at an angle so it would fit into the sink! My husband and I have moved up since then, but our space is still pretty small and that’s OK. We’ve learned a lot of tricks about living with less, and we waste no time getting rid of what we don’t need. I’m happy to say that we both love the feeling of freedom that we get by not being burdened with a lot of clutter and stuff. Here are our easiest tricks: Junk mail goes straight to the recycle bin. We don’t […]