living with less

[forest]

Most of us have made the decision to reduce what we spend, make do and pay off our debts quickly. Making the decision is the easy part, how difficult is doing it?

For me the process of spending less and making do was relatively easy. A long time ago I realised that happiness does not automatically come with having what I want.

The one thing that made it all work for me was to redefine what success meant to me. In the old days success was having the money to do what I wanted and buy what pleased me. I realise now that was a very limited, and limiting, definition of success. "Things" and "stuff" mask what success is. Success to me now is a feeling rather than possessions. Now I know that I'm successful because I'm happily living the life I choose.

What did it for you? How did you successfully work living with less into your life?

[sab]

I started in the 70s. After I left school and moved out of home I lived on less than $20 a week. $11.25 for rent (shared house) $5 for food. I was getting about $60+ per week.

Then followed some years of being unemployed. I had to learn to say, "I don't need that or I don't want that when I went through a shopping mall." If you analyse the content of the item or reason we want stuff it gets easier. I made lists of what I wanted and waited. Most of the items came my way if I waited long enough - cheap in Op shops - or I could talk myself out of having them.

In Manila we had no choice. No spare cash for years. My "personal spending money" was about $5 a week for years. When our finances improved we were so used to scratching that we paid off a mortgage really quickly. Tips. Learn to sew. Eat less meat. Eat less. Don't buy on impulse. Put your money where you can't touch it. We don't have a car but we can get away without one here. Aus is another story.

[forest]

When I first left school I was earning $27 a week as a student nurse. It's amazing to think that I did that. It sure taught me a few things about saving money.
I so agree with this: "Learn to sew. Eat less meat. Eat less. Don't buy on impulse." We saved a packet when my kids left home and my husband decided to stop eating meat. I use less of everything now. If an instruction tells me to use 2, I use 1. I use less toothpaste, less soap, salt, butter, milk. You can get away with using less of almost everything and it doesn't affect anything.

where are you living, widgeenut ?

[sab]

Right now I'm still in Manila, Philippines. Been here almost 19 years. We ship out on Dec 31 (cheap fares that day) leaving our two daughters here :( :( We're heading for Qld first as we have our stuff in storage there but I've been offered work in Hobart so I've been checking out realestate.com.au and dreaming a bit. We have a house in Widgee (near Gympie) on 10 acres but we need work asap. I like Tassie anyway.

[barely run]

:lol: Don't forget there's a bed here if you drive/bus down to Tassie and who knows I might be able to talk you into staying in the central west rather than Tassie....there is a christian community here "Cornerstone" you might like to visit...it is a community and theological college.
Aussie Here You Come!!!
Cathy

[sab]

Thanks Cathy, That's really kind. My mum's giving us her old car and we'll have to take it pretty slowly - Like only two or three hours driving a day if we don't want it to pack up. I want it to keep going as long as possible. I wouldn't mind having a sticky beak. Pull a few weeds for you. So far we'll be stopping in Gympie, Bris and Lismore.

Ahh there's a few older ladies in Tassie who have been twisting our arm with stories of how beautiful it is there to get us there. I get letters everyday from them. I can't say no. (My daughter would instantly take advantage of that statement - can I have some money, Mum...)