Tuesday 10 November 2009

Miss Simple

Many of the people I meet on a daily basis are a little perplexed when I chat about my lifestyle, they just can't fathom out where I am coming from. Some may even think I'm from another planet. My straight forward black and white ideas, and my simplistic solutions to everyday complications seem to baffle them. I am an ideal candidate to embrace a simple lifestyle.

For a long time now I have understood the concept of choice. Each one of us has the mechanics, the information, and the capacity to learn, to enable us to make informed choices on how to live our lives, yet many follow blindly the path taken by millions and ignore the junctions which veer off in another direction.

I am not a fan of making decisions, so I take the simplistic way out by eliminating everything that is not important to me. For example, my house could do with some new decoration, but I wouldn't know which wall paper to pick, so I simply live with what I have, it's not important. I simplify my food shopping by not going down half the aisles of the supermarket. I eat what is good for me, no need to go down cakes and biscuits.

I stay with the same insurance broker for my car insurance, because I know they will find me the best deal. I have tried looking myself but no one else came up with anything better. I don't flit around the utilities trying to get gas and electric a bit cheaper, because they are all as bad as each other. The simple solution for me is black and white, use less and you pay less.

I dumped the TV because I could see no usefull purpose for it except to take up too much of my valuable time. I will not be dictated to by a box, simple choice. I don't have to buy a TV programme magazine, don't have to scour through it to find something that is slightly interesting to watch, and don't have to organise the rest of my time around it. Simple.

I have no fear of receiving bills I cannot pay, because I simply don't buy what I cannot afford. The word 'overdraft', is alien to me, I have never asked for one so I would not know how to get one. Overdraft puts the fear of God in me, it is spending someone else's money, so why would I want to do that? I would have to pay it back. Black and white answer, earn more or spend less.

I build simplicity into every aspect of my life, I don't have to think about it, it comes naturally. Ask me a question and I will give you a simple answer. I am quite simply, very simple.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Ilona - just bumped into your blog and love it!!! From what I've just read I already like to think of you as 'Miss Simple' more than 'Mean Queen' which makes you sound mean (and not just in the frugal sense!). Your moneysaving ideas are ace and your list of 'free' things really made me chuckle!! I can relate to rummagig around in rubbish for useful stuff - we do it here all the time! It would be great if you can amend your blog so that it allows people to comment using their name & url rather than the few prescribed 'accounts'. I'm using a random google account to leave this comment but my blog's at: www.full-monte.com/blog. Also the word verfification is tiresome - not 'simple' at all... My bloggy friend's recent article addresses this - read the last part of this post: http://holisticmum.blogspot.com/2009/11/shouting-out.html and ask Mon's help for amending your 'post a comment' section to be simpler & more inclusive.
    I applaud you living the simple life & look forward to checking your posts regularly from now on...
    Den

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  2. Hi Ilona, love your site, check it out each day.
    Heres a tip,buy a bottle of fairy washing up liquid and decant into 3 bottles, top each bottle up with water, these three bottles go as far as one,
    Love your scrap bags and especially liked the crochet cat
    Briony

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  3. Hi Den, yep the commenting thing is a pain. I'm not very good with techy stuff and can't be bothered to read instructions, I just muddle my way through blindly. :-)

    Crafty Cat, I have been diluting wash up liquid for ages, but I use it to clean the bathroom. When I wash the pots I put three drips of the neat liquid into the bowl, never squeeze the bottle or too much might come out, ha ha.

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  4. Hi Ilona, nothing simple about you, just honest, I,m not at your level yet but I'm trying to downsize and live a more frugal life. Went to a CS yesterday and got 2 tops, lovely, and two sheets and 2 pillowslips all for $15.00. So pleased the long sleeved top I wore today got lots of comments and the sheets will be used for quilts or Christmas presents so I am in a win/win situation.

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  5. Hi Aunty Bee, Nice to get a bargain. I really ought to change my clothes occasionally, the only comments I get are, 'weren't you wearing that last week?' Trouble is that if you wear coloured clothes you have to wash them more often, and I don't buy any clothes that need ironing, I hate ironing. Ha ha!

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