Living The Simple Life

Temper Tantrum In Progress

     I was extremely upset last week because of money again. We got up one very cold morning and the truck wouldn't start. We worked at it for two days and nothing. We knew it wasn't the battery because it was getting a spark. We assumed the starter had died. We called a tow truck and had it brought to the garage. There was nothing wrong with the starter besides being frozen but during the inspection, the mechanic realized the ball joints were finished. When all was said and done, we paid out $480.

 
To add insult to injury, we found out that hydro is going up 48% over the next 3 years. Property taxes are rising to 3.2%, natural gas will be up 1.2% and water taxes are on the rise. We then received a letter from hubby's pension informing us we are going to receive a cost of living increase of .5%. What the hell is up with this shit? Do they not listen to the news?

     I did the usual. I ranted and raved and totally freaked out. I had my little hissy fit and then I sat down and tried to get my head around it all. The money for the truck had to come from our savings account but that meant I would probably not be able to buy a little pop-up camper for the summer. That was the main reason for the temper tantrum. There was something I couldn't have and as far as I was concerned it stunk like a very ripe fart and I didn't like it. Does this sound all to familiar?

     Hubby and I have been working very hard to save money these past 2 years and I felt that I deserved this little camper. It was something I wanted but did I really need it? I realized I was acting like a child that didn't get everything they wanted for Christmas. I've often preached about buying only what you need and can afford and not what you want and have to put on credit. I decided to go for a walk and try to clear my head. I kicked a few snow banks, cussed out a few trees and even told a few crows to screw off. By the time I got home I was feeling a lot better and I had put my problem into perspective. It was a long walk.

Balancing Act: Weighing the Wants and Needs

     Sometimes we have to put aside our wants and concentrate on our needs and that's what I did. The camper would be nice but it wasn't going to stop me from going camping. I have all the gear I need to spend a month in the bush if I wanted too.

• I wanted the camper for those damp days when the chill gets into your bones and makes you ache. -- I'll just bring more warm clothes.
• I wanted the camper so we could extend the camping season into fall when it gets cooler. -- When autumn gets here we'll do what we've always done; day trips.
• I wanted a camper so I could get these old bones up off the ground. At 3 am when nature calling, I find it a bit hard to get up from the air mattress. I'll buy myself a folding cot and I'll be just fine.
• I can pick up a good second hand camper for $3000 or a cot from Canadian Tire for $75. I just saved $2925.

     Basically what I'm trying to say is I don't need a camper. It's just one more thing in my already busy life that I would have to clean and care for. There's also the added cost. I would need insurance to take it on the road. I would also have to find a place to park it over the winter and storage doesn't come cheap. Then there's the upkeep. Hubby isn't what I would call a handy man so that means taking it to a professional for any repairs that need to be done. Cha-Ching! $$$$. I don't need a mechanic to fix the zipper on my tent.

We Took A Wrong Turn

     We've become a people of instant gratification and we seem to think we should be rewarded for

everything we do. All of this got me to thinking about all the things we already own or want. For an example, take a look around the room you're sitting in right now. Do a quick inventory. What do you need to run your small office efficiently? Do you need that small stereo in the corner? ($300) How often have you actually turned it on? How about the headset hanging above the computer? ($125) When was the last time you plugged them in? We are absorbed with material things. If each of us gave this kind of consideration to the people in our lives, the world as we know it would be a much better place.

     Our lives are cluttered with a myriad of things we don't need and we continue to buy more things we don't need. Why? Prestige or greed? Is that what our lives amount to? Does more add to our status as human beings?

     Two years ago I took an oath to live a much simpler life but somewhere along my journey I lost site of what I was trying to accomplish. The camper incident brought it all back. Hubby and I have spent the last few years paring down our possessions. Any free time we have left over is spent doing the things we love; gardening, camping and fishing, not cleaning and dusting.

     Each individual sees simplification as something different. For one it may be downsizing to a home that is more affordable or easier to take care of.  For others it may mean giving it all up and moving to the boonies. My idea of a simple life means not letting my possessions control me and learning to live within my means. When hubby became ill, we decided the big apartment in the city and the high paying jobs were not worth the stress or the cost. We walked away and left it all behind. His illness made us realize that we only get one turn at this life so why shouldn't we make it as easy and enjoyable as possible. By letting go we set ourselves free.

     We've come a long way in 6 years and we still have a way to go but I'm confident that we will arrive. It just takes a bit of persistence and ingenuity. We have everything we need to be comfortable and happy and we've come to know the difference between "need" and "want". Six years ago I had a 4 page "want" list but today I have very few "needs".

     Now I spend my time counting my blessings because I've come to know they are the important things in life.

• Nowadays when I wake each morning and see the light coming in my window, I know I'm still alive and I count it as a blessing.
• The fact that there is money in the bank for a truck repair because we've learned to budget, I count it as a blessing.
• When I roll over in the morning and see Michael sleeping contentedly by my side, I know it is a blessing.
• When he opens his eyes, smiles and says "Good morning Dear", I thank the powers that be and I know it is a blessing.

     Life is short and can come to a screeching halt at any time so make a point of learning to count your blessings. You begin to appreciate what you have; what you want really doesn't make that much of a difference anymore.

Judy