The Simple Life

No, this isn't about Paris or Nicole, it's about the lifestyle known as "Simple Living."

"Simple Living," as Wikipedia currently puts it, "is a lifestyle in which individuals consciously choose to minimize the 'more-is-better' pursuit of wealth and consumption. Adherents choose simple living for a variety of reasons, including spirituality, health, increase in 'quality time' for family and friends, stress reduction, conservation, social justice or anti-consumerism, while others choose to live more simply for reasons of personal taste or personal economy.

"Simple living as a concept is distinguished from those living in forced poverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle choice. Although asceticism may resemble voluntary simplicity, proponents of simple living are not all ascetics. The term "downshifting" is often used to describe the act of moving from a lifestyle of greater consumption towards a lifestyle based on voluntary simplicity."

I've actually been practicing this method of living for most of my adult life, even if sometimes only out of financial necessity, and I find that the more I do the more at peace I am, which suits me just fine considering my intense dislike of stress.

I realize that this lifestyle obviously isn't for everyone, and some of the methods I use to pursue the simple life may only work for people who fit into my particular sort of geographical location (downtown in a major city) and family status (a spouse who shares my love of peace and simplicity and my desire to remain childfree. Having two incomes helps as well, even if they aren't particularly high incomes), but I thought I'd still share some of the methods I use for those who might be curious what Simple Living looks like for a big city Christian Heretic and his wife:

- Growing up in Toronto I never needed a drivers license, thanks to the TTC (the Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto's public transportation system), so I never bothered to get one. While my wife does have one, we decided to continue going vehicle-free since there's just no need for one here in the downtown core, and the financial savings are tremendous.

- One rule I've held since I began full-time work was to make sure that any home or job I have is within a five minute walk of a subway station so I can continue not needing a vehicle.

- Another reason that living in the downtown Toronto area is great is because anything I could possibly need is either within walking distance or no more than a short subway ride away. This also helps keep us both in shape as well.

- Speaking of keeping in shape, we have miles and miles of indoor walking areas in the PATH and in the two other underground malls in the downtown area, all three of which are attached to the subway line (in fact the PATH is so extensive, totaling 27 kilometres in length and still expanding, that one can access it from any of 5 different subway stations downtown). I like to walk for miles a day in the better weather, and the PATH and these malls mean I don't have to stop when the weather gets bad.

- I've found that a great way to simplify my life is to keep my entire wardrobe completely black so that every single article of clothing I own matches every other article of clothing. This seriously helps when trying to decide what to wear since nearly everything I own could be worn in almost any sort of social situation. All I have to do is consider the temperature and whether my shirt should have a collar or not. As far as pants go, I only own a few pairs of black khakis which work in any situation.

- The Internet is probably the greatest tool for Simple Living since it helps one gather information in seconds, and also gives one access to lots of web sites on the topic itself.

- The public library can be great for entertainment and informational needs. It doesn't cost anything to check stuff out (unless you forget to return your books on time), and the Toronto Public Library system has a huge selection of books, magazines, DVDs, and other resources (including Internet access and/or wireless access points in many of their branches if you have a laptop). Plus, there are three libraries within walking distance of our apartment.

- This might seem strange to some people, but we've found that we did laundry far more often than we actually needed to in the past and have cut down. Before you freak out, think about it. If you've only worn a shirt once or twice (or even a few times) and nobody's going to know it because it doesn't smell and isn't obviously dirty, I can think of no good reason to wash every article of clothing after it's only been used once (okay, underwear and socks might be a different story, but even with them there are exceptions). Cutting down on doing laundry so often not only saves a lot of money, it's good for the environment as well (and, again, who's going to know, unless you publicly announce it on the Internet? :D ).

- I'd get lonely with no friends, but limiting the number of friends I have (and understanding the difference between a friend and an acquaintance) definitely helps keep life simpler. I love seeing my friends, but my wife and I are both introverts and neither of us need to see them every day, or even every week (some friends we only see once or twice a year, but thanks to the phone and the Internet we're able to keep in touch and up to date on each others' lives), and this gives us a lot more free time for ourselves to relax.

- Other than the Internet, cell phones are probably the greatest boon to Simple Living. Thanks to having a cell phone I don't have to stay at home if I'm waiting for that important call (whatever it may be). Of course Call Display and Voice Mail are a must, since thanks to them I can avoid answering the phone if it's someone I don't want to speak with at that moment and because I can let the call go to voice mail if I'm too busy to answer it right then. I've actually probably only had a regular landline for about 8 months out of the last 12 years or so thanks to cell phone technology, and I can't imagine a reason I'd ever own a landline again except for if I couldn't get Internet access without it (though here in Toronto we have dry-loop DSL and don't need a phone line for Internet access with many providers).

- A major way that I simplify my life is by not celebrating any holidays (I take the time off work, but that's as far as I take it), and by only celebrating the birthdays of immediate friends and family who invite me out to their own birthday celebrations. For most of my childhood my family didn't celebrate Christmas, and I'm actually very thankful for this fact since it means that now that I'm out on my own I don't miss it at all, and it sure does save a lot of money, time and headaches not having to buy Christmas gifts for people.

- An important factor for me is that I try my best to always have a job where I'm not required to do much (if any) overtime or take any work home with me. As soon as I'm finished work I don't want to have to even think about it again until it's time to hit the office the next work-day. This may mean I'll never have a prestigious job, but peace of mind is much more important to me than an important title on a business card. The one thing I know I'm not going to say on my deathbed, after all, is, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," but I know for sure that a lot of workaholics are going to say they wish they'd spent a lot less time at their job when the end comes. Hey, I may have to work to live, but I certainly don't live to work.

- Finally, cutting down on unnecessary possessions is probably the most important part of Simple Living. I've moved a few times in the last decade or so, and I use each move as an opportunity to get rid of stuff I may have accumulated that I don't need. Any clothing I haven't worn in a year goes to good will, for instance (not counting things like my suit jacket, of course, which I only wear to weddings and job interviews but wouldn't want to have to buy a new one when I need it). Our apartment is very spartan, and I find that extremely relaxing (though I realize it may not be for everyone). I must say that I find the old expression about your possessions owning you to be so true, and the less I own the more free I feel.

There are a lot more things I could add, but that's probably a sufficient introduction to the concept for those of you who have never heard of it before. For those readers who are already practicing the lifestyle, please feel free to add some tips of your own.