Simple Living

For me, it'll be computers and electronics. And travel. But I'm also frugal so I like to search for deals.

I am also interested in BIFL electronics like fridges, microwave ovens, washing machines etc, but I realise that I might not find such appliances in the coming future any more.

What about you?

In a capitalist world, it can be hard to remember this. But despite what you are pressured to think, your value as a person does not come through what material value you create for others.

Note: I am not the original author of this text. It was originally posted to Reddit by /u/catnaphead, who is no longer active on the site. I am reposting it here for archival purposes.

Sure, you can move to a cheaper place, an off-grid cabin or you can move another country. You can live in a rental or a van on the road, or a small house in a backyard.

But at the end of the day, every move you make isn't going to give you a simple life unless you can create one right now for yourself. You still need to find food, most of us still need jobs (though maybe not as stressful), and all of us need a safe place to live. You need to learn how to navigate what you have now, in a simple way.

I think many of us overlook the fact that you can create a simple life for yourself wherever you live, right now. Moving can solve a few problems (the cost of property sometimes), but thinking that moving will solve everything and create that simple life is wrong. You can get it. It's right in front of you. No moving required. Start where you are. With social media it's all too easy to think that moving to Bali, or living in a tiny house or ran will fix everything. It won't. There's just different work involved, different complications. Nothing is a given.

Part of simplicity is using what you have right in front of you. Live in a condo with too much stuff, downsize your stuff. Stressed from your job, get a less stressful job. Finding you lack human connection, find new friends. It's doable.

i am fully prepared to sound like a nag here, but i think i cannot get on board with lemmy at this point. i'm not techy enough, or something. most threads and communities will not load on click, and instead i've got to refresh every page. (is this just me?! it's been happening since i signed up.) commenting is a headache and i actually intended this to be a comment on one of the threads up in simpleliving now, but just couldn't get it to submit. i also find the sleek modern look unappealing. i am not looking for suggestions here, my mind is made up.

preferring the older, more thoughtful web, i found a platform called dreamwidth, where you can make long-form posts (more my style). the layout is simple and tasteful. there are absolutely no ads or algorithm, you have only a reading list for other accounts or communities you choose to follow. it feels tight-knit, personal, and quiet. it's a breath of fresh air, to me.

in the event you have similar internet preferences as me.. and if your idea of simple living aligns with mine.. or you're into traditional/fiber crafts, land based lifeways, plants, etc.. here's my dreamwidth journal, give me a follow and i'll gladly follow you back: https://peatweaver.dreamwidth.org/

i hope this sort of post is allowed! i posted on r/simpleliving for a long time, under many different usernames because i was always a serial account deleter (always disliked reddit for many of the same reasons!). maybe some would recognize me as peatweaver, bogorchid, crowberryjam. anyway, some folks from this community seemed so kind, so i wanted to leave this little signpost. i actually intend to delete this post after a bit too, since i never wanted to dedicate a whole thread to something as self-centered as this, but it seems to be the only way that will work haha. thank you, and have a wonderful life.

Just a love letter to my local library. ❤️

My library has been holding all sorts of events for kids through the summer. It's one of my favorite things. My kid and I have gotten so much enjoyment out of the library. I've never felt the need to buy new books or movies when I could borrow them first. My kid gets free lunch after weekly storytime. It's the best.

I love seeing other kids have fun there too. Having a third place and being part of a local community has helped so much in curbing my past shopping problem. I didn't need material things to fill the void. What I really needed was human connection and more time for friends.

Please make sure to mention both the title and author, and how the book relates to simple living for you!

Thanks so much for being here everyone!

If you're looking to do something about this, please read [https://lemmy.ml/post/1441038](this great post) about dopamine detoxing! It can be very hard at first, but once you're through the first few weeks it becomes much easier. I've been writing down my feelings as I take a few weeks off from my smartphone which has helped immensely.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/654828

Last winter we had a gnarly ice storm. It froze my water pipes and closed down the highways; the only real way off the property I live on.
So I embraced a "camping out at home" mentality

I love my garden. I'm not a master gardener, there are weeds everywhere, and a lot of times my plants don't produce well, but it's mine. (I'll post a photo when I can figure out how to)

I love how much slower time passes in the garden. The sounds of bees buzzing, seeing the plants grow, feeling the wind and the sun. I love the connection to nature and the flow I feel when caring for it. family and friends like to poke at how I could do things "better" if I used power equipment or pesticides/herbicides, but that's not the point. I'm not trying to "do better" or be more productive. It's my simple place where I can disconnect from everything and do things my way.

What are your outlets or routines that give you peace and tranquility?

Note: this is an audio piece. There is text that accompanies it on the page, but the radio segment is the reason I'm sharing this link!

Not strictly related to simple living, but I just wanted to put this out there as reminder, because it is so easy to forget or to be persuaded otherwise. You are enough just as your are.

Don't be pulled into the illusion that life is complex and that there is a high bar to measure up to. We all have faults, vices, and setbacks. But every day is a new day and you're still here. The sunrises, the birds sing, and the earth turns. You're still you, and that's enough.

Love yourself and love others. Be kind to yourself and others. Be compassionate to yourself and others. You are enough.

Ever noticed how the feeling doesn't last when you buy a new item? What you're experiencing is known as "hedonic adaptation" — or the "hedonic treadmill." This phenomenon is what pushes us subconsciously to consume more, to not feel satisfied with what we have, and to dream of fresh starts. But we are not powerless in this: knowledge is power, and once we know about the hedonic treadmill effect, we can work to counter it.

It's one of my favorite activities. I know they might not grow everywhere but every time I find a nice patch of white-dwarf clover I love just spending 5 minutes leaning over and looking through it. You can almost always find a 4-leaf one with some patience and a little luck, and it's such a calming task that gets you looking at nature in the middle of your day.

I'm just trying to curate my subscriptions so I can avoid the drama. I figured the people here might be similar minded. Just curious what other communities folks here enjoy.

I really like the LongReads and Books communities.

Loitering. It's a word that has a negative connotation, but that describes a blissful state. This piece made me think about how few outlets there are left in the world for people to simply exist, without either producing or consuming something. The erosion of the "commons" is perhaps a discussion for another time, but presents a real problem. When I need to wait around downtown for something, the only places I may do so without paying are either small public parks — where police come and run me off after an hour — or the library.

I submitted another piece recently about "scheduled boredom." I think that for a lot of people that is a radical idea — we have become so accustomed to doing something either productive or consumptive even in our free time that the idea of just existing seems absurd. But this was the default state for me as a child. So much happiness came out of those times just sitting around and playing make-believe, chatting, or braiding wildflowers.

Like the author, I have been trying to carve out more moments that others might deem "loitering" in my life lately. And while my happy moments might be looked at jealously by passersby, or met with the refrain of "don't you have somewhere to be?", I can say that those moments are definitely bringing peace to my life.

The hobby? Contributing to OpenStreetMap. I found an app called Street Complete that makes it exceptionally easy, basically it just asks you questions about features along your walking route. Thanks to doing this, I've discovered several hidden features of the neighborhood like small public gardens full of herbs, public library boxes, and more.

Doing it also feels constructive, because I know I'm helping build up a resource to challenge Google's near-monopoly. It's very satisfying to clear all the dots from the map, and I find myself looking forward to my walks and planning out which streets I'll walk next.

Happy helping!

With practice, we can (and should, Aristotle urges) structure our leisure to nurture the talents, tastes, and relationships that elevate us beyond the destructive work / recovery from work cycle, and that fulfill our potential as beings.

Many elements of what people consider to be “living slowly” are connected back to pre-technology life, reflecting a collective yearning for offline simplicity. However — like other escapist trends (like cottagecore and coastal grandmother-core) that it has risen in conjunction with — it’s gone from being a helpful lifestyle change to an extremely online aesthetic.

This article really drives home to me how social media is so inauthentic that it can turn even a very personal, intentional, and counter-cultural movement like simple/slow living into an aesthetic, a performative hollow shell of its true meaning. I personally shudder at the idea of setting up a scene in my home for a photo to prove to others how "in the moment" I'm being — that feels inherently like not living in the moment.

I am very glad I do not use TikTok, Instagram, or any other media-focused website.