Voluntary Simplifiers Needed

[HJones]

Hi,

I am a student at Bournemouth University (UK) who has recently come across the Voluntary Simplicity movement. It has really interested me and subsequently, I have decided to write a dissertation piece on the subject. I am looking for some volunteers to take part in the interviews, which should last between 30 minutes and one hour. I can send you the discussion guide in advance, and any information you provide will only be seen between the examiners and myself. For participating I would like to give you something to show my appreciation, which can be discussed between us.

Many Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.

Hannah Jones

F9090425@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

[FIRE'd@51]

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have no idea what the Voluntary Simplicity movement is. Could you describe it in a sentence or two?

 

[HJones]

No problem at all, voluntary simplicity is a movement where people escape from the 'rat race' and simplify their life cutting back on consumption. I only have a basic understanding and would not want to offend anyone but explaining it incorrectly, and I would like to gain further understanding of it myself

 

[dex]

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/960415c.htm
Amazon.com: Buying Time and Getting by: The Voluntary Simplicity Movement: Mary Grigsby: Books

The concept of voluntary simplicity encompasses both self-change aimed at bringing personal practice into alignment with ecological values and cultural change that rejects consumerist values and careerism. While simple livers struggle with self-change, they work toward the broader goals of a sustainable global environment, sustainable communities, increased equality in access to resources, and economies aimed at human quality of life rather than profit.

 

[HJones]

Thank you. Do you know of any participants to this movement?

 

[dex]

Thank you. Do you know of any participants to this movement?

Karl Heinrich Marx
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Fidel Alejandro Castro

 

[HJones]

Thank you very much, but I need some volunteers who would not mind me interviewing them.

 

[ziggy29]

Karl Heinrich Marx
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Fidel Alejandro Castro

Now, now, let's not Soap Box this thing.

Besides, the word "voluntary" rules these guys out.

I just think of "voluntary simplicity" as LBYM on steroids.

 

[Meadbh]

Thank you very much, but I need some volunteers who would not mind me interviewing them.

Besides, two of them are dead.

 

[travelover]

Besides, two of them are dead.

2 and a half.

 

[bd68]

Dex,
You crack me up.
bd

 

[wolfbay]

We practice voluntary simplicity and it's a very small movement in America. There is a very large movement growing rapidly in America called Involuntary simplicity.Kidding aside , the book "Your money or your life" probably started the movement and is an interesting read.

 

[unclemick]

Henry David Thoreau? Walden Pond if you want to get the soap box out.

heh heh heh - Didn't work here - when I shut off the electricity at old fish camp in Louisiana - there were some very colorful descriptions of what she could do with a cast iron fry pan once I fell asleep.

. My personal best was 12k one yr budget - early nineties. Never to be repeated.

 

[CuppaJoe]

2 and a half.

Two and a Half Men is a funny sitcom in the U.S. Do you have a similar one in the U.K.?

 

[Bestwifeever]

I think Two and A Half Men are more into the voluntary promiscuity movement, at least the Two are. The Half is still pretty young.

 

[travelover]

Lenin and Marx are all dead, Castro is half dead.

 

[CuppaJoe]

I think Two and A Half Men are more into the voluntary promiscuity movement, at least the Two are. The Half is still pretty young.

How is it that they find new volunteers in every episode? Never ending supply in Malibu.

 

[Nords]

Welcome to the board, HJ, but I think you could do better with a more suitable (less wise-assed) forum:

The Simple Living Network

Your Money or Your Life

Main Page - Financial Integrity

Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate, occasionally drops by this board but has a blog here: Jeffrey Yeager || The Ultimate Cheapskate

Before Jeff there was the legendary (but apparently real) Dolly Freed:
http://www.f4.ca/text/possumliving.htm

Here are some thoughts from another thread on this forum:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/frugal-living-when-is-it-bizarre-36438.html

And finally, I don't know if this person is still free on her own recognizance, but she sets the "Hall of Fame" standard for deprived frugality:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showpost.php?p=317941&postcount=16

 

[HJones]

Thank you very much

 

[Ultimate Cheapskate]

Welcome to the board, HJ, but I think you could do better with a more suitable (less wise-assed) forum:

The Simple Living Network

Your Money or Your Life

Main Page - Financial Integrity

Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate, occasionally drops by this board but has a blog here: Jeffrey Yeager || The Ultimate Cheapskate

Before Jeff there was the legendary (but apparently real) Dolly Freed:
http://www.f4.ca/text/possumliving.htm

Here are some thoughts from another thread on this forum:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/frugal-living-when-is-it-bizarre-36438.html

And finally, I don't know if this person is still free on her own recognizance, but she sets the "Hall of Fame" standard for deprived frugality:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showpost.php?p=317941&postcount=16

Nords -

"but apparently real"? Nords, you can just ask my poooooor wife if I'm the genuine McMiser or not. She'll vouch for me. Poooor thing.

You know, I have a special device to keep anyone other than me from turning up the thermostat. My pooor wife calls it my "chastity belt" for the thermostat.

At any rate, she came back to the bedroom the other morning and complained, "Jeff! It's so cold in the kitchen that I can see my breathe!"

"Great!" I said. "It's cold enough now that I can unplug the refridgerator."

Happy holidays to all and to all ...

Stay Cheap!

-Jeff Yeager

 

[Walt34]

At any rate, she came back to the bedroom the other morning and complained, "Jeff! It's so cold in the kitchen that I can see my breath!"

"Great!" I said. "It's cold enough now that I can unplug the refrigerator."

Man, that's harsh!

Our thermostat is at 77 F, and I'm wearing thermals, flannel shirt, and a sweatshirt.

 

[ERD50]

Man, that's harsh!

Our thermostat is at 77 F, and I'm wearing thermals, flannel shirt, and a sweatshirt.

A comfy 64F at my computer. A couple layers of shirts/sweaters, sock & slippers and I'm good. 61 degrees above outdoor temps.

My inlaws have their thermostat set at 72F. I feel like I'm sitting in an oven when I'm over there. I'm tempted to bring a thermometer, their thermostat must be off!

-ERD50

 

[haha]

While simple livers struggle with self-change, they work toward the broader goals of a sustainable global environment, sustainable communities, increased equality in access to resources, and economies aimed at human quality of life rather than profit.

I think this is all utopian. The last thing we Americans want is equal access to resorces. We have a big country with much of it cold in winter and hot is summer, big energy hogging houses, a huge investment in big cars.

What we want is a good Navy and world domination so we can keep an unfair share of resources coming our way.

As for economies aimed at human quality of life, forget it. The best thing is for almost everyone but yourself to keep grinding on, living in suburbs, dependent on cars, producing whatever they are capable of producing. You make different choices which you find more rewarding and live the life of an orchid in a tropical jungle.

Ha

 

[haha]

Nords -

"...you can just ask my poooooor wife if I'm the genuine McMiser or not. She'll vouch for me. Poooor thing.

You know, I have a special device to keep anyone other than me from turning up the thermostat. My pooor wife calls it my "chastity belt" for the thermostat.

At any rate, she came back to the bedroom the other morning and complained, "Jeff! It's so cold in the kitchen that I can see my breathe!"

"Great!" I said. "It's cold enough now that I can unplug the refridgerator."

The part of this that doesn't ring true is the part about her coming back into the bedroom.

Ha

 

[TromboneAl]

For participating I would like to give you something to show my appreciation, which can be discussed between us.

Now when's the last time any of us guys got an offer like this from a co-ed?

(Sorry, Hannah -- we're all part of the involuntary hilarity movement here.)