Coupons

I clipped coupons and put them away immediately in their new little, very organized home! Now I might actually be able to use them this week... instead of frantically searching for that one coupon I thought I had and could have used but could not find for the life of me.

I'm plodding along with this "Financial Business" challenge.

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #21

There is a big pile of stuff in the garage that needs to go to Goodwill. I'm loading up my car and getting these items ready to go. First thing in the morning, I am dropping them off at the local donation center. They are all crying out for good homes. And I cannot wait until the space they are currently occupying in the garage is filled with, well, nothing. I am learning to love clear areas filled with nothing more than space.

I have also decided that the last eight "days" of this challenge are going to be devoted to giving away non-tangible things. I am going to work on giving away my time.

Another Update on the "Taking Care of Financial Business" Challenge

Here's my update - I've done NOTHING to work towards completing this challenge. For some reason, there is so much about financial literacy, financial obligations, and financial planning that I just find so daunting. Therefore, my tendency is to procrastinate on these tasks to no end. I am getting out my coupons right now and am going to finish organizing them before I do anything else. It is hard to take advantage of weekly deals and to have my shopping lists together if I can't even find the coupons I need when I need them. Actually, I am going to do a little web search right now on coupon organization to see if there is anything that really speaks to me. I think I need a little help.

"Take Care of Financial Business Challenge" Update

Here's a quick update on my slowly-moving process.

1. I took care of all outstanding bills. This task was not as daunting or scary as I had made it out to be. I am only left wondering why I didn't do this sooner.

2. I inquired about health insurance through my new part-time employer. I received a response and now just have to figure out the details and see whether or not it will be in my best interest to switch plans.

3. I've THOUGHT about updating my monthly expenditures, but have yet to deal with all the lingering receipts in my purse and on my table. Now that I think about it, I am going to go deal with the receipts in my purse... right now.

My "Take Care of Financial Business" Challenge

Katy over at The NonConsumer Advocate has issued a "Take Care of Financial Business" Challenge. I feel like reading her post has finally given me the push I needed to take care of some financial business. Frugality is a big part of my quest to live a life of greater simplicity, and in the spirit of living a simpler, more fulfilling life, I am challenging myself to take care of the following items in the next week:

1. Take care of all outstanding bills.

2. Organize my coupons.

3. Open up a high-yield savings account.

4. Explore the option of cheaper health insurance.

5. Take advantage of two discounts through the employee discount program I'm now eligible for.

6. Re-read Your Money or Your Life.

7. Update my July-August expense charts.

8. Set up a Financial Wall Chart according to the guidelines outlined in Your Money or Your Life.

9. Locate all my gift cards and spend them!

So, this is a start. I will come back and update this list as the week goes on. I will also be posting daily on both my progress and what I've learned through the process.

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #20

Who knew that it would take me MONTHS to complete a 29 day challenge? The bad news is I don't think those who designed the challenge intended for it to take months to complete (thus the obvious reference to "days" in the title of the challenge). The good news is that I have made the challenge my own, I think about it often, and I will complete it - on my own time frame and my own terms. The best thing that the challenge has done for me has been to make the process of simplifying a conscious very one. I now think more about what I have, why I have it, and who might be able to use what I have more than I can use it.

Today, the following items are going into a donation bag to be dropped off at a local donation center:

1. Some socks - now, I normally wouldn't donate used socks, as I don't think this is generally a hot item at the Goodwill, but I have A LOT of socks that are almost like new that I just never wear. I am passing them along to a better home.

2. A couple of exercise tops that are also in very good shape. They are those tops that I think I might wear someday, maybe... I bet that someone else could definitely wear them soon.

3. Three or four pairs of inexpensive flip flops that I've NEVER worn. I invested in a pair of Chacos and my feet love them so much I don't think I'll ever wear another pair of flip flops again...

I read somewhere recently that we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. I am attacking my closet today with that knowledge. If I have a summer item that I haven't worn this summer, it is going to find a new home. Period.

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #19

So, I did make it over to the local Goodwill today to drop off some big items. I hope they all find good homes. Tonight I'm doing another round of cleaning out the closet. My goal is to find at least three pairs of good shoes to donate, as well as another bag of clothes.

I really do believe that the more you give away, the more space you open up in your life for whatever may come you way...

In other news, I pretty much have our recycling system set up in the garage. I went by the county recycling center, but I want to search to see if there is a closer drop-off point. It sort of seems counter-productive to have to drive 15 miles to drop off some recycling. My goal is to find a drop-off center within 5 miles of the house or at least on the way to another location that I drive to on a weekly basis.

The Southern Reading Challenge Update

I am deep into a wonderful book as part of the Southern Reading Challenge. Years ago, I read Richard Bragg's All Over But the Shoutin' and it instantly became one of my all-time favorite memoirs. Well, last week at the library I was lucky enough to not only pick up that book, but also two other books he wrote as well.

I like the author's style and the way he crafts language in a way that is both beautifully complex and simple. I like the way he portrays the human elements of his life and culture with honestly, while at the same time not making gross generalizations about an entire people. Most of all, I like the tribute he makes to his mother - he does not place her up on a pedestal, but instead focuses on her strength of character and incredible resiliency. The descriptions of his childhood serve as an important reminder of why we must honor those people in our lives who loved us no matter what, who believed in us even when we did not believe in ourselves, and who never let us stray too far from home.

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #18

So, today I am going to do what I have been, for some reason, putting off for a while. I am going to take some "treasures" from the garage that we've cleared out of the house and put them into my car. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning I'm delivering them to Goodwill. There's no good reason, except for procrastination, that I haven't done this already.

So, what am I giving away?

1. Two good lamps that we just don't have space for

2. A water cooler that we never use, but that still works well

3. A desk that we no longer need due to the very smart reconfiguration of an old bathroom vanity area

Why?

Honestly, aside from all the obvious altruistic reasons, I like a clean garage. I like to have a spot for everything and know that whatever I keep I am able to use on a regular basis. The three items above just don't contribute to my zen-like fantasy at all.

In other news, I am thinking about rejoining the compact next month. More on that later...

I've Been Remiss...

I have to admit, lately the only reason I've come to my blog site is so that I could use it as a portal to check other blogs that I read daily. Starting now, I vow to be remiss no more. I feel I have a lot of things to say, and even if they prove to be important to no one but myself, it is still helpful to post these ideas and get them out of there.

First of all, I'm resuming the 29 Day Challenge... really, I am. I am picking up with Day #17 today.

What I'm Giving Away: Another bag full of clothes

To Whom: The local Goodwill

Why & Misc Thoughts: I still have too much damn stuff... Why have clothes sitting in my closet collecting dust when they might go to other homes where they will be worn and made useful.

I must say that moving has turned me into a temporary super-consumer. I need to reverse that trend right now. For example, last night I walked into IKEA to pick up two items and ended up walking out with about twenty. And even though I bought one of their nifty 59-cent reusable bags, I'm hoping that I won't be venturing near an IKEA or any other type of consumer-trap any time soon. My willpower is just not yet strong enough, so I'm better off avoiding the places all together.

On a different note, I have been holding out on buying a new blender. I really, really want a blender, especially the more I read about all the amazing recipes on fatfreevegan.com and other recipe websites that require blending certain ingredients. And yet... I have not yet made the purchase. I'm hoping that either a) my aunt will find an extra one she can pass my way or b) I can find one used at Goodwill or another thrift store. So I am being patient, which I think is one of the main lessons I've learned from the voluntary simplicity movement anyway. Our society is so filled with instant gratification, but sometimes you just need to wait a little while to get what you want. And that is okay...

Resuming the 29 Day Challenge... Day #16

Well, life has been a bit hectic lately, but I think I'm settling back into some sort of routine and am ready to get back on-board with the 29 Day Challenge. I am getting together a car-full of treasures in the garage to donate to the local Goodwill and am also researching how recycling works in the new town I just moved to. They don't have curbside pick-up and so I have to locate the nearest recycling center and see how they want the materials divided. It overwhelms me just a bit that recycling is not standard everywhere and reminds me just how far we still have to go in terms of the choices we as a society make about what we value and how those values manifest, or fail to manifest, themselves in our policies and daily routines alike.

Today I am going to give away some time and TLC to the house. I am going to finish vacuuming, do laundry, and make sure this home knows I love and care for it, even though I'm a very new resident here...

Blogging Vacation...

I'm taking a blogging vacation for a week or so. I'll pick up with my 29 Day Challenge posts when I return. I'll also update my Southern Reading Challenge selections when I come back to the blogging world. For now, relaxation, good reading, and time with my family are taking precedent.

What It Means to Be Human - or - The Post I Promised My Brother I Would Write

This is not an attempt to pretend to be an authority on anything. I am not an authority on the subject of this post and will not pretend that such a timeless and important question can even be, or should even be, articulated on this blog. What I can provide, however, are a few thoughts of how my perspective on the world has changed over the last few years and of how I am learning to see humanity a little more clearly everyday.

I have come to believe that we are all so much more connected to each other, to the earth, to the past, and to the future than we generally act like we are. I have also come to believe that, as a whole, people have come to live lives that are too disconnected from each other and the world in which we all share. However, humanity is everywhere... 

I have seen humanity in so many teachers who refuse to give up, no matter how difficult the education climate in this state has become, no matter how many times they are told to do things that go against what they know to be good for children. These teachers continue not only to show up everyday, but to love and believe in their students in ways that lift these young people to heights previously unimagined.

I have seen humanity in the way that some people remain hopeful in the face of all kinds of adversity, who believe that they are on this earth to serve others, and who selflessly give of themselves without sacrificing their souls. 

I am learning more and more that one of the most beautiful things about embracing voluntary simplicity is that by being true to myself and my own values, I can also free up resources that others might need. I've learned that poverty and voluntary simplicity are two very different things. I have never been poor, but I have worked with countless students and parents who, although impoverished in terms of their economic situations, were rich beyond measure. How can so many of us continue to live with such excess, while so many in this world cannot even afford to meet the basic human needs of themselves and their families? 

To be human means to look at all other humans as equals. Period. It is as simple and as complicated as that. I'm working on this equality thing, because I don't think that we are brought up in this society to learn how to treat each other as equals.

To be human also means to be aware of how our decisions affect ourselves and others. I think that if we were to truly learn about where our food comes, how it is manufactured, and how we are fed so many lies in the name of profit and big business, we might begin to work towards a healthier world. I am proud to say that I have not given one penny to the fast food industry in a number of years, and if I could take back all the money I gave to them years ago and instead give it to local, organic farmers I would in a heartbeat. I am also proud to say that I continue to educate myself on where my food comes from. I am a vegetarian who tries to buy locally grown and organic when I can. I know I can and should do more. And I do not admonish those who choose differently than I do. But I do believe strongly that if we knew more we would make different choices and begin to change the course of history. 

And I believe that to be human means to believe in the possibility of hope and change.  

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #15

Yesterday morning I read a disturbing and compelling article in the newspaper that prompted me to action. The article reported that 7 out of 10 children in our local community are designated as low income and qualify for free and reduced price lunches through the public school system. For many of these children, the only meals they get throughout the day are the ones provided for them at school. This is also the last week of school for local area schools, which means that come next week, these kids will not be getting their regular meals through the schools.

What did I do? I researched a local food bank that distributes food to over 90 local organizations. What did I give them? A modest check that, according to their calculations, will provide 240 meals to local residents.

How do I feel? Sad... but more on that later.

Simplicity and Cycling...

Yesterday my mom and I did a beautiful and challenging bike ride through a nearby National Park. The park was so seemingly empty that most of the day we had the place to ourselves. It was amazing to be able to ride along and actually hear and see the wildlife in their natural habitats. We were far less intrusive than we would have been in a car, and it gave me a new perspective on a place that I truly feel is magical. Next time, though, I'll bring more water and plan my food better... that should make the last 16 or so miles more enjoyable than they were yesterday... All in all, though, it was a beautiful day in a beautiful place. Small pleasures, small footprint on the earth, large gratitude for the good company and this wonderful place we all call our home. 

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #8 - Day #14

I know I've been remiss with this challenge's postings, but I have not been remiss in the giving-things-away department. Here's a recap of what I've been up to this week:

I've donated a couple carloads of stuff that I didn't even realize I had until I started going through desk drawers, closets, and other storage spaces. Hopefully, what had become unloved by me will find good homes. 

This week has made me realize that we really do need much less than we think we need. I've learned that I don't want to or need to store as much stuff. I want a space filled sparingly with useful and beautiful things, but I do not want or need closets stuffed with things that I only see when I pull them out and box them up and move them to a new home. 

Hopefully, by day 29 of this challenge my reasons for giving will be more altruistic than they are at this point. Honestly, it feels so good to lighten my load just a little bit more everyday. I don't think this is a bad kind of selfishness, but I do hope that I get more creative and selfless in my gifts. 

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #7

What I Gave Away: Some quality afternoon time...

Who I Gave It/Them To: My mom

Why: Because I sensed that she just needed me beside her this afternoon...

What I Observed/Learned: When my mom and I set our mind to something we are quite a powerful duo.

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #6

Ooh... I didn't give anything away today, but I am going to make up for it tomorrow. And I am going to fill a donation bag tonight so that I am ready to go...

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #5

What I Gave Away: Some time and attention to my mom's flowers

Who I Gave It/Them To: My mom

Why: Because she loves her flowers and has taught me the importance of caring for living things. Finally, after all these years, I might just be catching on...

What I Observed/Learned: Nature is incredible and brings me a kind of peace that calms me instantly...

Southern Reading Challenge

I've decided to join the Southern Reading Challenge and, in doing so, will choose three or more books to read this summer that focus on Southern culture or history. I'll update this post later when I've chosen my books.

Food Matters

Food Matters

We, as a society, have come so far from where we need to be in terms of what we put into our bodies. Here's a challenge - for a week, or a day, or a meal, or whatever you can... try to have meals that each have no more than 4 ingredients in them. Ideally, these foods will all be locally-grown, organic, and plant-based.

I'll update you on my progress here later. Until then, make sure you check out the site. Watch the trailer, learn what research is out there, make conscious decisions every day about the choices you make and the effects of those choices.

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #4

What I Gave Away: 2 more boxes of books and a bunch of classroom supplies to a friend who will be teaching high school English for the first time next year

Who I Gave Them To: Goodwill and to my friend

Why: Because I don't want all of my classroom materials sitting in boxes and collecting dust.

What I Observed/Learned: Sometime you just have to let go...

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #2 & Day #3

What I Gave Away: 10 boxes of classroom books and misc. supplies and some of my time to tutor a friend's son...

Who I Gave Them To: The boxes went to Angel View Crippled Children's foundation

and the time went to my friend's son...

Why: As far as the boxes go, I had enough classroom stuff to fill 10 classrooms. I only need enough stuff for 1. And for the tutoring time? My friend is a single mom with two teenage high school boys. She works hard and asked me for help. I have a special place in my heart for single moms, as I've watched some close friends walk this path. Coming from a home where my parents are still married, I can't fully comprehend the alternative... but I know that in this friend's case, she needed help yesterday and I have the time and the resources to help out.

What I Observed/Learned: Not being in the classroom every day this year, I sometimes forget how much I enjoy working with teenagers. It was a nice reminder...

The 29 Day Challenge: Day #1

What I Gave Away: 2 bags of books and clothes, some of which were mine and some of which belonged to my mom.

Who I Gave Them To: Angel View Crippled Children's foundation, which runs thrift stores that supports an organization committed to helping developmentally disabled youth become more independent.

Why: Honestly? It's where I always donate stuff. It supports a cause I believe in, but it's also a very conveniently-located drop off place.

What I Observed/Learned: They always ask me if I want a receipt and I always say no. I know that with all I've donated this year I could probably get myself a nice little tax write-off, but for me that would make the act too self-serving. I need to stay focused on the giving. I feel like having a quality organization that is always willing to accept donations and, in doing so, help me simplify my life, is more than enough.

The 29 Day Challenge

Check it out.

So, I joined the 29 day challenge. The goal is to give away 29 different things in 29 days. The "things" do not have to be tangible items - time or services can also be things. 

When I registered on the site, it asked me why I wanted to join the challenge. I think this is it in a nutshell... I live in a world of abundance, where I know that I have more than I need. I am fortunate enough to never have had to think about where my next meal is coming from or where I am going to find a warm bed. Most importantly, I am surrounded by an incredibly supportive network of family and friends who are constantly enriching my life in ways both tangible and intangible. I also know I need to constantly challenge myself to walk the path of social justice. If I believe that this world needs to work every day to become more just, more equitable, and more humane, then I need to do my part. 

I'll chronicle the next 29 days in this blog. I encourage you to join me on my journey.

Simplicity, Peace, and Running

I've decided to train for and run a marathon. I know that part of this decision is fueled by my compulsive need to have tangible goals and plans. At a time when much of my life seems uncertain, I tend to gravitate towards tasks that are straightforward and goal-oriented. That being said, I have been wondering if and how running connects to my voluntary simplicity journey and the concept of peace. Here is what I've come up with thus far...

Running is the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. It is one of the simplest and accessible forms of exercise in that you need little equipment except your own body and a good pair of shoes. Yet there is an inherent complexity in this simple act. I acknowledge my place of privilege in that I am able-bodied and have the physical health to run - many people throughout the world are not able to engage in what, to me, is a simple and enjoyable act. Running is predictable - if you look ahead and stay focused, you will most probably reach your intended goal. Yet, you cannot get your mind too far ahead of your body or you run the risk of disconnect. Running takes sacrifice. Sometimes you have to force your body to move when it would rather lay dormant. At the end of the day, though, running brings me a sense of peace and calm that help center me and bring me home. I like the rhythmic repetition. I like the challenge of doing something that does not come most naturally to me. I like knowing that this is something at which I will be okay with being average. I can get joy from running without feeling that pressure of perfectionism that drives a lot of things in my life.

For me, voluntary simplicity is like running in that the journey towards a simpler life is a long, complex one made up of the simplest choices and steps. It is also a movement of privilege in that it is a movement of the middle class. Involuntary poverty looks and feels very different than voluntary simplicity because voluntary simplicity involves conscious choices and a sense of freedom. A simple life might often look like a predictable one, although embedded in the predictability is both ambiguity and change. It does not come naturally to me always, and my desire to live a peaceful, simpler life challenges me daily to move outside of my comfort zone and let go of the need to be perfect. It is about seeing the beauty in imperfection and about learning how to be forgiving of myself and my mistakes. Paradoxically, however, simplicity looks like peace and feels like home.

So Proud

So proud of this guy, not only because of this (see #4 ranking) but more importantly because of the person he is. He inspires me everyday to live a life of conviction and meaning and he reminds me constantly - through the choices he makes - that sometimes all you need to make life more beautiful is to see the world through new eyes.  

Inspiration...

Curious? Check this out.

http://web.mac.com/thelastpintaturtle/Voluntary_Simplicity/Home.html

Perfect Day...

... coffee and conversation with my sister-in-law in the a.m. and gardening all afternoon with my brother. More later, but I just wanted to get this post started so I don't forget to write it. 

I'm coming back to finish this post a few weeks after I had intended, but here it goes. 

Sometimes, simplicity comes when we are reminded that life is more about who you are with than anything else. If we can keep spending time with the people we love central to our lives, then maybe everything else will fall into place without much effort. And sometimes, the most beautiful moments are those unplanned hours spent in good company engaged in good work. 

Clearing Away the Clutter

Although simplifying my physical space is only one facet of my journey toward a simpler life, I am constantly amazed at just how difficult this task is for me. No matter how much I clear out, donate, recycle, organize... it still seems like there is so much clutter still left over. I am inspired by those who have successfully lived according to the rules of "the compact,"  those who are living in small spaces, those who are reducing their possessions to only a set number of things. Period.

When I was little my family lived on a 27-foot sailboat. We also lived on a boat-access only island where everything we wanted to get to and from the island had to be transported in our very small, not-so-reliable boat. This next week I am going to ask my parents questions about this time in our lives - much of which I was too young to remember with much clarity - and then see what lessons I learn that I can apply to my life today. There is something beautiful about not being hindered, bogged-down, controlled by our stuff. There is also something difficult about shifting our minds away from the consumer mentality that drives so much of people's day-to-day interactions.

All I really want is to be free and to be able to focus my energy on the people, ideas, and actions that truly mean something to me. Everything else is going to have to fade away, be given away, or be just let go of. 

Getting Married...

No, not me... my little brother. I am so excited for him and the wonderful woman he is marrying as they start this new adventure in their lives together. I have no doubt that they'll enjoy the journey. 

The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step - or - Reflecting on the journey

I realized even though I read other people's blogs everyday, I haven't posted on my own in almost two months. Hmmm... again, I've sat here waiting for the perfect post to come and then write nothing. As a writer, I should know this process doesn't work that way. Sometimes I just have to put the words down with them and then perfect them later. So here we go...

Sometimes I don't think much about simplicity until I wake up one morning, my mind racing with all the things I "have" to do and all the deadlines I "have to meet." It's almost like I wait until I'm forced to take a deep breath before I take the time to look around and ask those all-important questions about my life, questions like:

What am I doing?

Where am I going?

Why am I doing what I'm doing and going where I'm going?

I think that voluntary simplicity is as much about consciousness and intention as anything else. In that way, choosing to live more simply is very much like the writing process. You start off with an idea, a vision, a goal. Then you give it a shot, as messy as that first attempt might look. And then to pare it down, and pare it down some more. Sometimes you have to stop and breathe, scream, jump around the room. Or do whatever it takes to refocus yourself. And then you keep at it. Even if you end up with a final product in mind, if you don't take pleasure in the journey then the end product can never be as beautiful.

I've realized that there are a lot of things I like about my own simplicity journal. I like the satisfaction of cleared spaces -- in my home, in my life, in my mind. I like planning the next steps. I like the feeling of free moments. I like knowing that I'm trying, albeit imperfectly, to reduce my footprint on the earth. And I like stopping once in a while to reflect on how far I've come and how good it feels to enjoy the journey. 

Remember to say thank you...

I've been spending a lot of time out on the road lately, driving all over this part of the state visiting school sites and collecting data for my research. Sometime last week I was speeding down the freeway, feeling a little stressed because I was running about 5 minutes late, and this red truck in front of me was going so slow I had no choice but to read the decal on the back of his truck. What I saw made me smile, calmed me down, and reminded me how important it is to have perspective...

The decal said "Remember to say thank you" and was accompanied by two silholutte (how do you spell that word, anyway?) figures - a man and a horse - bowing their heads. In the background was the outline of a large hill with a cross on the top of it. Even though I don't consider myself an incredibly religious person, I felt that the message on the back of this truck was one that I needed to see, to internalize, and to remember.

So often we go through our days, forgetting just how incredibly blessed we are in our lives in so many ways. To me, striving for a life of greater simplicity is as much about giving thanks as it is about anything else. I think it was Gandhi who said that we should live simply so that others can simply live. I know that if I live a simpler life, through both clearing away the external clutter and enriching my inner sense of peace, I am - in my own way - saying thank you. 

I am saying thank you to my parents who taught me, through example, that people and relationships are more important than things... I am saying thank you and acknowledging that I have everything I really need, and that there are those in the world who don't, and that the more responsibly I live and the more generously I live, the more hope I am creating for people whom might be in greatest need of that hope.

Peace is possible, change is possible, and today - as much as ever - I know it's important for me to remember that and to say thank  you to all who have taught me those things through both their words and their actions. 

Independence, Interdependence, and Community

"We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be."

                                        - Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

"There are people whom one loves immediately and forever. Even to know they are alive in the world with one is quite enough."

                                       - Nancy Spain

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

                                       - Margaret Mead