frugal living

"Everyone has the right to decide how they want to live and spend their money according to their own values, but those who want to practice the art of gentle living will consider others in addition to one's own happiness. Some may find that they prefer to have more time for pursuing transpersonal values or social reform rather than working long hours for more pay or indulging in personal pleasures. By living frugally one may have everything one needs without high costs so that one has time, energy, and other resources for higher ideals. The limited resources of the world have to be shared, and some believe that by living simply they can help others to simply live. Giving to charity to help the less fortunate is one way to do this, but one can also give of one's time, talents, and energy to work for the betterment of all humanity. Jesus presented this challenge when he advised a rich man to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. If the very poor are assisted in intelligent ways, the improvements made in their lives from the sharing of the resources can be quite efficient. Even the smallest contribution helps when it is given to those most in need.

"We each make decisions every day about what resources we use and how. Those who voluntarily simplify their lifestyles by reducing their use of polluting methods of transportation or the purchasing of extra material things they do not need are consciously producing less waste, which eventually needs to be cleaned up. Many people are finding that they can work at home, or one may live closer to one's place of employment and avoid spending time, money, and energy in long commutes. As the fossil fuel supplies diminish, the costs of transportation will increase. Urban areas are becoming more crowded and polluted. Those who walk and bicycle are saving these energies and the environment. Using public transportation or car-pooling helps. By spending time with one's family and friends at home and by associating with neighbors and local groups, people help ease the traffic and pollution problems while having more time for their activities. In today's global society we can communicate instantaneously with people anywhere in the world by the Internet and satellite at low cost in money and energy.

"By choosing to live with others in community, housing can be shared more so that it is not so expensive. The opposite extreme is the very rich who own several homes and travel around. I wonder if any of those places really feels like a home, and how inconvenient it must be not having everything you need and want in the same place! Such luxuries are obviously inefficient and wasteful of many resources. Recycling of resources is very important in order to conserve energy and materials. If those with extra clothes donate more of them to the second-hand stores, those with less income will have even better choices in the thrift stores. If people purchase appliances and other products for their durability and efficiency and have them repaired instead of buying new ones, then even what needs to be recycled will be reduced. Some are "returning to the land" to grow their own food and form communities that are more self-sufficient. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the healthiest food and do not require wasteful packaging. We can buy fresh produce that comes from local growers and so reduce transportation costs. Even the scraps can be composted to fertilize a garden. Try to avoid discarding disposable containers by using canvas or cloth bags for shopping and by washing dishes. First, re-use what you can; second, re-cycle materials; and third, reduce needless consumption so that you throw away as little as possible. Remember we are all on this Earth, and there is ultimately no "away" for throwing things.

"We can also keep our minds clear of much useless information by avoiding commercials and advertising that are intended to manipulate people into buying things. One can tune in on non-commercial media such as Pacifica radio, C-SPAN television, public radio or television, local access stations, or other non-commercial cable stations. Remote controls make it easier to mute the sound of any advertisement, or one can change channels. The world wide web can be used to find much information without having to buy newspapers and magazines that are loaded with ads and waste paper. Avoid websites that throw ads at you and find those that are user-friendly. Most books can be purchased used, and especially classics and other popular books are easily available in inexpensive editions. Public libraries provide outstanding books and other resources for free. Today people have easier access to the finest literature and educational materials than at any time in history. Especially because of the Internet, knowledge is spreading quickly and becoming more accessible every day. Soon one will be able to find just about any book or film or music or art on-line. Our opportunities for learning, communicating, creating, and participating in social reforms are greater than ever if we can learn how to manage our time by living more simply with the physical things.

Sanderson Beck