Living With Less. A Lot Less.

[FUEGO]

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Originally Posted by FIREd I just requested that book from my local library as well as Menzel's other book: Amazon.com: What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets (9780984074402): Peter Menzel, Faith D'Aluisio: Books

Didn't know he had another book. Thanks for the tip, it's on my reading list and available at the local library.

[DeborahB]

Every time I think I got to the end of the posts... there were more. So I gave up trying.

I think this guy is a bit of a nut. It's easy to live small and cheap when you know that you can buy anything you need. Sure you can travel with 1 suitcase or whatever - and buy lots of disposable clothes...

That's the problem with this ultra-simplistic thinking. It has to be authentic. If you have very little money, you DO hold onto things because you can't afford to buy them again.

That said - we have a large comfortable house. It is more cluttered than I would like and - after seeing my parents' basement - it's not going to be that bad in a couple of years. But we have no reason not to have enough dishes to entertain a crowd, or have extra towels for guests, or whatever. The cars do live in the garage though - but it is a rather LARGE garage.

What the heck - we can afford our life. I don't want to sleep in a Murphy bed at my age!

[JoeWras]

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Originally Posted by haha THe younger and hipper someone is, the more likely he is to be an idiot. And this really goes for young rich guys.

Ah, but they snag the "Andorran beauties".

At first I just thought it was jealousy that got under my skin with the whole "Andorran beauty" thing.

Nah, it just comes across as pompous. Why did he have to put this in the story?

Look at me! I'm rich, my girlfriend is from Andorra, land of the rich pretty people. Have you ever been to Andorra? No? Too bad.

[haha]

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Originally Posted by JoeWras Ah, but they snag the "Andorran beauties". At first I just thought it was jealousy that got under my skin with the whole "Andorran beauty" thing. Nah, it just comes across as pompous. Why did he have to put this in the story? Look at me! I'm rich, my girlfriend is from Andorra, land of the rich pretty people. Have you ever been to Andorra? No? Too bad.

Yeah, I'm jealous. I wouldn't need stuff either, if I had access to that Andorran Beauty stuff.

Even if I went to Andorra and took my Amex card, I'm sure the beauties would bypass me. No fair!

This sort of inequality hurts, it hurts I tell you. My health will likely suffer.

Ha

[UserRequested]

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Originally Posted by haha Yeah, I'm jealous. I wouldn't need stuff either, if I had access to that Andorran Beauty stuff. Even if I went to Andorra and took my Amex card, I'm sure the beauties would bypass me. No fair! This sort of inequality hurts, it hurts I tell you. My health will likely suffer. Ha

Cheer up! The Andorran beauty left him as soon as she realised he was a tosser
I'm sure if you had his money you'd have no problem landing yourself an Andorran or any other beauty looking for a sugar daddy

[ERD50]

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Originally Posted by haha Yeah, I'm jealous. I wouldn't need stuff either, if I had access to that Andorran Beauty stuff. Even if I went to Andorra and took my Amex card, I'm sure the beauties would bypass me. No fair! This sort of inequality hurts, it hurts I tell you. My health will likely suffer. Ha

I'm not sure if I ever heard of 'Andorra' before, but 'Andorran Beauty' conjures up magnificent images!

Yes, this inequality does hurt. Forget this other inequality stuff (income, wealth - heck, who needs that, this thread is about living with less 'stuff'), how about re-distribution of access to Andorran Beauties? Now that's some re-distribution I could support!

-ERD50

[tinlizzy]

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Originally Posted by ls99 Love the first paragraph. Edited for propriety with the ** "......You are not simply Some Fu**ing Guy Who Sold Your Internet Company For a Lot of Money; you are a lifestyle guru, with many important and penetrating insight about How to Live that must be shared with the common people."

"......You are not simply Fu**ing Some Guy Who Sold His Internet Company For a Lot of Money; you are a lifestyle guru, with many important and penetrating insight about How to Live that must be shared with the common people."

Change the wording a bit and it's the "Real Housewives".

[JoeWras]

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Originally Posted by tinlizzy "......You are not simply Fu**ing Some Guy Who Sold His Internet Company For a Lot of Money; you are a lifestyle guru, with many important and penetrating insight about How to Live that must be shared with the common people." Change the wording a bit and it's the "Real Housewives".

Hmmm, never seen the show but heard about it.

Now I know for sure it isn't worth my time. Thanks.

[JoeWras]

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Originally Posted by jags Cheer up! The Andorran beauty left him as soon as she realised he was a tosser

Good point!

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Originally Posted by ERD50 I'm not sure if I ever heard of 'Andorra' before, but 'Andorran Beauty' conjures up magnificent images! -ERD50

Google the term. You'll see pictures of mountains -- the rocky kind.

I've never been there, and tend to only hear about the place during the winter Olympics. My take on it from reading is it is a "Monaco of the mountains," although Andorra is much "cheaper," relatively speaking.

[Milton]

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Originally Posted by JoeWras The pattern I see from these guys -- from nobodys to Really Big Names -- is that they preach, and then ignore their own advice, usually through travel. Travel is "stuff" of a different kind and has a huge earth impact -- if that's what you are preaching. Oh sure, they buy carbon credits. But what about those consumables at the 5 star hotel you failed to mention? Blah, blah. Meanwhile, the offset trees being planted are being cut down and mulched, with the mulch giving off gasses. Did that credit really sequester the carbon? Not trying to get political here, just saying if you really want to preach no-earth-impact, stay in your 400 sq. ft. and do a lot of walking and gardening. Invite your new found friends to start hoeing the earth with you. They should ride bicycles to your garden, BTW. Hope you didn't serve fine wine. Wine can be very resource intensive.

I guess they rationalize that the cumulative efforts of those who are influenced by their message more than offsets the negative environmental impact of their personal travel habits. Perhaps it does; it's effectively impossible to say. But in my own experience, personally modelling values is at least as important as communicating them. In other words, it's not much good talking the talk if you don't also walk the walk.

I saw a recent article ("Apocalypse Now", Toronto Life magazine, March 2013, p.16) on Rob Stewart, a film director who has a new conservation / anti-consumption movie coming out next month ("Revolution"). Among his other comments:

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It was incredible. I got to travel around the world and go to a slew of massive film festivals. High fives. Big parties..... The hypocrisy is there, totally.... I just flew back from a vacation in Costa Rica; I drive a Land Rover. I'm probably not living the way I should.

[ChainsBeGone]

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Originally Posted by Milton I guess they rationalize that the cumulative efforts of those who are influenced by their message more than offsets the negative environmental impact of their personal travel habits. Perhaps it does; it's effectively impossible to say. But in my own experience, personally modelling values is at least as important as communicating them. In other words, it's not much good talking the talk if you don't also walk the walk.:

A few years ago, I saw a TV special that featured a number of Hollywood stars, all attending a save the environment event. They walked into the event on green carpet to symbolically state that they were all concerned about saving the planet. The only problem?: The event was in Japan or some other foreign country across the ocean, and every one of those stars jetted over to that made-to-market-Hollywood-stars-event, and then jetted home. No one seemed to catch the irony (hypocrisy).

[marko]

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Originally Posted by ChainsBeGone A few years ago, I saw a TV special that featured a number of Hollywood stars, all attending a save the environment event. They walked into the event on green carpet to symbolically state that they were all concerned about saving the planet. The only problem?: The event was in Japan or some other foreign country across the ocean, and every one of those stars jetted over to that made-to-market-Hollywood-stars-event, and then jetted home. No one seemed to catch the irony (hypocrisy).

Like the guy who lectures us about "climate change" but has a $30,000/yr electric bill?
Or the singer who lectures us to use "one sheet of toilet paper" but has an 18,000 sq.ft. home?

Yeah, those people..."YOU save the planet; take public trans...I'll be on my jet".

And there are people who actually listen to these fools.

[warren]

My wife and I could probably qualify for that TV show, "The Hoarders". I love stuff and have more than my share, but that's my choice. We also live in the house where we raised our six kids for around $700 a month, so why would we downsize so we can move into a retirement community for $1,500 a month or more?

[unclemick]

Hmmm - then there is the stress llevel of what goes and what stays.

Girlfriend - with house, car and pension/401k. Her cat and my dogs get along - everything else is a work in progress.

Decluttering is okay if you don't tighten up and take it too serious.

heh heh heh - soon to be less north of Kansas City aka in town.

[Milton]

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Originally Posted by unclemick Decluttering is okay if you don't tighten up and take it too seriously

Exactly. Everything in moderation.

[UserRequested]

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Originally Posted by unclemick Girlfriend - with house, car and pension/401k.

Now that's what I'm talking about. Rich girlfriend to look after you in your old age. Is she 18 with a super hot body as well?

[HFWR]

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Originally Posted by jags Now that's what I'm talking about. Rich girlfriend to look after you in your old age. Is she 18 with a super hot body as well?

And does she have a sister?

[Lakedog]

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Originally Posted by HFWR And does she have a sister?

+1

[unclemick]

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Originally Posted by jags Now that's what I'm talking about. Rich girlfriend to look after you in your old age. Is she 18 with a super hot body as well?

Er - 65 gray hair and everything works - sort of like me - we still got it just 'at that age 60ish retired pace.'

heh heh heh -

[Sittingduck]

Nothing wrong with this fellow's observations, but you might as well read it in the original -
try Henry David Thoreau's "0n Walden Pond".

"Simplify! Simplify!" I read it when I was much younger and it was the inspiration for a life of LBYM. The incidental side effect is that I am looking to retire comfortably at age 57.
(Well, HDT wasn't as concerned about paying for healthcare as we are, but it has been a rewarding philosophy). I am new here. Is there a thread regarding the original American LBYM advocate?