Explaining SLing and minimalism to others...

[Ultralight]

I think many, many people are headed for the old & poor category.

[pinkytoe]

I can only guess that many people find comfort/happiness in stuff. It fills the hole in their soul. I know I feel good for a day or two on the rare occasion that I buy something new and shiny.

[JaneV2.0]

I don't think anyone--outside of maybe psychopaths--has a "hole in their soul." This kind of snooty judgmentalism isn't helpful.

The trick is not in denying yourself any and all "stuff." It's in deciding how much and what kind is meaningful to you.

[Kestra]

I don't think anyone--outside of maybe psychopaths--has a "hole in their soul." This kind of snooty judgmentalism isn't helpful.

I didn't take it that way. I've certainly felt the "hole in the soul" thing at various points in my life, when I was living a less than ideal life. I take it to mean searching for something you feel is missing from your life, which I think many do.

[bae]

I don't say much about it. I just answer questions if people ask. Sort of like sex religion and politics. Ha

+1

[pinkytoe]

Hmmm - Hole in the soul - just words - to me it means emptiness - nothing judgmental intended.

[awakenedsoul]

One thing that living simply has done for me is that it's enabled me to pay cash for the important things. For example, I just found out that I need to have both hips replaced. Because I've been living so frugally, I had the money to pay cash for the top doctor's opinion. I just switched my health insurance, so that I now have a PPO. I can afford the higher premiums, because I took the bus, ate homemade food, and tracked my spending for all these years. As you get older, different challenges present themselves. At 20 or 30, I never thought I'd need to have both hips replaced. This is one time where I don't want to find the best deal, I want to go to the top specialist.

I will continue to do all of the little things to save money, in case another extreme situation arises. I remember the years when I didn't have an emergency fund. It feels so much better to be prepared.

[JaneV2.0]

Hmmm - Hole in the soul - just words - to me it means emptiness - nothing judgmental intended.

Maybe it's semantics, but although I've spent money less than wisely--many times--I'm sure my soul is intact. I just say to myself "that was dumb," and move on. No need to beat myself or others over the head (figuratively) or judge them for making decisions different from mine. That's the part of simple living I can't embrace--the smugness of it.

[Ultralight]

JaneV2.0:

I really don't think anyone on this thread was being smug. I think simple living has made me less judgmental because when I was right-sizing my life and divesting of belongings that I no longer needed or wanted or worse -- were an outright burden to me -- I had to face my many, many mistakes.

I still make a mistaken purchase from time to time. Then I am like..."Oh man, why did I do that?"

Sometimes it is emotional, though usually it is just a misstep where I think I need something but I actually don't. It is the result of me not thinking things through.

Anyone else feel that simplifying or minimizing made them more empathetic and/or sympathetic by going through one's own many mistakes?

[corkym]

UltraliteAngler: "I think many, many people are headed for the old & poor category." I don't know if there are many, many, but I know my husband and I fall into that category. Although, we never bought luxury items or spent money on things we didn't need, we still weren't wise with saving or tracking our money and budgeting. I wish I had paid attention to people like you and all of these people on this forum throughout my life. I don't even know if I was really aware of simple living. I just wish I had taken the simple living path years ago.