I consider myself unique in several ways, among them the fact that I am an avowed minimalist who strives for simplicity.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am not meaning to imply that I live like the Amish do, sans TV, cell phones, and other forms of technology. (In fact, I spend most of my day checking emails and writing posts on this blog!)
What I'm getting at is that I aim to reduce clutter and avoid anything that forces me to put a great deal of time and effort into something I dislike doing.
Take my recent decision to buy a condo. Condos require a lot less maintenance than houses. They're shorter on space, which cuts down on the amount of stuff you need to store and fix. You also have less real estate to keep tidy.
In 2013, I opted to buy a Nissan Versa. The car is small, economical, and offers ample trunk space. Could I have purchased something bigger with more bells and whistles? Absolutely. Did I want to? Nope.
It doesn't take much -- and that includes money -- to keep me entertained. Just pop in a good DVD, hand me a history or psychology book, or allow me to write another blog post, and I'm good to go.
I realize not everyone has the capacity to practice self-restraint of this kind. Some people have a "live for today" mentality that propels them to buy the most expensive stuff out there. Unfortunately, it's that type of thinking that brought on the Recession we're still trying to extricate ourselves from.
I'd like to think that my minimalist ways have also allowed me to be prudent with my money.
Some people are just easier to satisfy than others. Some strive for knowledge and are just as content reading a travel book at home as they would be traipsing along the Grand Canyon. Some people are happy living vicariously through others. Some people like smaller and less. To some, like me, less is actually more.
Which group do you fall under? Would you say you're in the middle?
Now, don't get me wrong. I am not meaning to imply that I live like the Amish do, sans TV, cell phones, and other forms of technology. (In fact, I spend most of my day checking emails and writing posts on this blog!)
What I'm getting at is that I aim to reduce clutter and avoid anything that forces me to put a great deal of time and effort into something I dislike doing.
Take my recent decision to buy a condo. Condos require a lot less maintenance than houses. They're shorter on space, which cuts down on the amount of stuff you need to store and fix. You also have less real estate to keep tidy.
In 2013, I opted to buy a Nissan Versa. The car is small, economical, and offers ample trunk space. Could I have purchased something bigger with more bells and whistles? Absolutely. Did I want to? Nope.
It doesn't take much -- and that includes money -- to keep me entertained. Just pop in a good DVD, hand me a history or psychology book, or allow me to write another blog post, and I'm good to go.
I realize not everyone has the capacity to practice self-restraint of this kind. Some people have a "live for today" mentality that propels them to buy the most expensive stuff out there. Unfortunately, it's that type of thinking that brought on the Recession we're still trying to extricate ourselves from.
I'd like to think that my minimalist ways have also allowed me to be prudent with my money.
Some people are just easier to satisfy than others. Some strive for knowledge and are just as content reading a travel book at home as they would be traipsing along the Grand Canyon. Some people are happy living vicariously through others. Some people like smaller and less. To some, like me, less is actually more.
Which group do you fall under? Would you say you're in the middle?
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