Cresting The Hill

I'm a bit both ways on this one. I'm not a big consumer as in I don't buy much stuff. My main extravagance is as it always has been books, but these days I mostly borrow from the library. We do, however, eat out once a week - sometimes it's lunch at our favourite Vietnamese, sometimes a little fancier - and we spend on travel. So for me its simplicity with added wings.

Hi, Leanne - This is another great post that resonates. I agree that there is incredible power in inviting simplicity into our lives -- not only in terms of material things but also with our emotions. Inviting simplicity into our also makes rooms for us to savour more important ones. <3

I think most of us come from a generation where scarcity was an actual thing. We've seen our parents having to weigh the pros and cons of buying things. In India, my generation lived through three wars and rationing was a big part of our lives. I remember how we switched to having just half a teaspoon of sugar in our tea during the war years. My main indulgence is books and stationery. My husband has to push me to go to a saloon for a haircut, most times! Learning to be simple and yet have an abundance mentality is something I'm working on.

I grew up with a scarcity mindset that I brought into our marriage but my husband grew up with an abundance attitude and slowly through the years he's worn off on me. I now think I fall somewhere in the middle!

Great post with so many good insights. These are especially relevant as we get older and start living off of retirement income, savings, investments and simplifying. We keep downsizing and are about to do it one more, maybe next to last time. Just sold our last owned property in the U.S. moved to Mexico as full-time ex-pats, at least for now. We have been long time admirers of KISS, Keep It Simple, Sweetheart! We have had the benefits and blessings of travel, continue to do that on occasion and are now in a community of other, mostly "retired" but active folks who support and encourage one another in our various activities.

This is a topic that I think about a lot.

I have always had a fear of money running out. I have always been a saver, never had a credit card and prided myself on living within my means, while enjoying such pleasures as travelling.

Then kids came along.

Hubby was at uni, so things were really tight, then we were on one income with 4 kids.

Even as things have become easier, financially, I still had the scarcity mindset.

I’m working hard to overcome it. So thank you for this piece of writing.

We lived for years with a more scarcity mindset, more because we were saving for the future than living paycheck to paycheck. We always lived with saving one paycheck for the future, which has allowed us to retire early and not be worried about money. But, I still wait for sales, use coupons, never buy the most expensive thing on the menu. And yet, I don't need to do any of that because we are extremely financially secure. I'm not extravagant, but I also don't worry about having a really nice dinner out or buying things for my hobbies. It's a good place to be.

I am a person who likes minimalism and simplicity. Unless I need something, I don't want it. My profession is not a high paying one. So, I had to be very frugal to make sure that I can make both ends meet. Luckily, I am better placed now.

It's so interesting isn't it leanne, how we grow up with these ways and find it hard to lose them. I always had to add up my shopping with a calculator in the early days with three children and one income, worried I'd exceed the budget we'd set. I am still aware of what things cost but have learnt to let go of my frugal instincts and these days we're quite comfortable with buying things we need/want. My husband is still quite unaware of how much things have gone up and is often surprised when out shopping! I get your differences between scarcity and simplicity and thin most of us could make do with less these days.

Gosh, I think I am neither..but at times I get very scared about 'not enough' money because of how things went pear shaped for us a number of times. Some were circumstances beyond our control but others...well, let's just say I am loathe to raise them again. So, I am glad that you have found the relative balance between the two. I do agree though that when two people marry as we did with totally different upbringings and backgrounds then it is/has been a case of making things work as best as they could. Trying to feel grateful right now for our relative good health with chronic medical conditions and how fortunate we are for my husband's pension paid from the career he was medically retired from, and that we receive government benefits that help bridge the gap between what comes in and what goes out.

Many great thought-provoking points again, Leanne. I am reminded how grateful I am to have choices. Yet, as you share, the choices I now have are because of many of the choices I have made in the past. You remind me of a story a patient told me many moons ago…she had finally been ruthless and cleaned out items/donating things from her home…she attended a home/lifestyle show the following weekend…she won $1000. Gift to spend … she felt it was because she had made room for new things/moments…you describe this well. Thank you for sharing you, Leanne. I always learn something new. xx Erica

Thanks for another thought-provoking post, Leanne. I do believe for most of us the difference between scarcity and simplicity is the mindset. Of course, if you can't obtain the necessities of life, that is clearly scarcity. I enjoy spending money on experiences mostly...nice meals, vacations, pampering myself. I don't need a lot of possessions to be content. In fact, I'm at a point where I want to get rid of some possessions that I feel are cluttering my space more than contributing to my enjoyment.