- Introduction...
- What A Difference Two Months Can Make
- A New Home For The Simple Living Network
- The Holiday Season
- CyberAngels, We Need You!
- Holiday Gift Ideas & New Resources: Cards, 2009 Calendars, Books, Posters & More
- I Don't, Therefore I Can: The Non-Consumer Advocate
- Thoreau's Experiment With The Simple Life: Living Simply As A State Of Mind
- November 28th Is Buy Nothing Day: Adbusters
- Discover Your Neighborhood: One-Mile-Radius Living
- Holiday Cards Without Clutter: Enjoying The Season
- Earth Overshoot Day 2008: The Global Footprint Network
- Gems Of The Discussion Forums: Looking Forward To Holidays & A New Year
- Some Thoughts On The Fulfillment Curve: The Simple Dollar
Dear Friends,
Since I last wrote to you we have experienced worldwide collapse of the banking industry and stock markets. Here in the US mortgage default rates continue to rise, unemployment is at a 14-year peak, average household credit card debt stands at an all time high of $11,000, and we have a new President Elect after a far too long, often bitter campaign. What a difference two months can make!
It is easy to be depressed these days. Nonetheless, I choose to view this unique moment in history as an opportunity to further champion the practices of voluntary simplicity and sustainable living.
If participation in this web site is any indication — the growing number of subscribers to this Newsletter and our Discussion Forums, the growing number of Study Groups, our exciting new relationship with Alternatives for Simple Living and the long anticipated December 10th release of a new edition of Your Money Or Your Life — it is now truly "cool" to live simply!
Growth indeed! After 14 years, The Simple Living Network has finally outgrown my modest, 900 square foot home. Fortunately, a wonderful, simple and affordable opportunity has presented itself and we will soon be moving our office to a nice little space located in the heart of beautiful downtown Trout Lake, Washington. In addition to continuing the same services we offer through this web site we will soon be opening a "store front" called The Trout Lake Exchange. The Exchange will serve as our new office and a sustainable living resource center for the local community. We are finally able to truly demonstrate thinking globally and acting locally in a very concrete and personal way.
I'm so excited. This dream has been in the works for years and we have finally reached the point where not only can we afford to make the dream a reality, but we also have the perfect time in history, the perfect location, great support from our local community and the momentum to see it through. Thank you to each and every one who has helped, either through your purchase of resources, volunteer work on this web site or as a CyberAngel. Keep it up! We could not do it without you!
(Right now we are busy behind the scenes cleaning and painting our new office, building bookshelves and preparing for the big move. In the months and years ahead we will be sure to share our new offerings and experiences with you through this web site. Photographs to come!)
The Holiday Season is upon us. If you are like me, this can be a difficult time of year. Having chosen the simple living lifestyle, I sometimes feel pressure to conform to the status quo of putting up silly, often environmentally harmful decorations, throwing huge parties and giving too many gifts. I relentlessly resist, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I strive to celebrate quietly with a few family and friends and avoid giving gifts out of of guilt or duty, but because they convey a sense of deep thoughtfulness and caring — often something I've made myself or a rare purchase that is extremely appropriate to the recipient.
The last thing we want to do is support the purchase of more stuff and junk — The Simple Living Network is decidedly anti-consumerism. In fact, this and past holiday issues of our Newsletter are loaded with simple, often low or no cost, holiday gift ideas....
- Holiday Gift (or not) Ideas & New Resources: — 2008
- Holiday Gift Exemption Voucher — PDF File.
- Holiday Cards Without Clutter — 2008
- Looking Forward To Holidays & A New Year — 2008
- The Secret To A Relaxed Holiday Dinner — 2007
- Preparing The House For Thanksgiving — 2001
- Simple, Sustainable, Clutter-Free Gift Ideas — 2007
- Scrooge's Christmas List — 2004
- The Ecological Costs Of Christmas — 2001
In all reality, we know that some of you will purchase holiday gifts this year and will probably think long and hard about the social, political and environmental impact those purchases will have. If that is the case for you, you can further support The Simple Living Network by shopping through this web site. We stock almost 2000 simple living and do-it-yourself resources — Books, DVDs, CDs, T-Shirts, Posters, Bumper Stickers and more.Take a peek at the Holiday Gift Ideas & New Resources section below and our Library Menu on the top left side of your screen..
By purchasing your gifts through The Simple Living Network you are not only supporting the free services you use here, you are also making a statement that says you believe in small, home-grown businesses that do everything in-house.
Finally, I must once again say "Thank You" to all the CyberAngels out there who have continued consistently to give small and large amounts here and there to help support the services on our web site.
Our fundraising goal for 2008 is $20,000. As of this writing, with less than two months left in the year, we are less than halfway to our goal. As such, I must once again encourage each and every reader out there who has not yet become a CyberAngel to consider making a contribution.
We want to keep this web site commercial free. We want to continue to operate as an independent voice for the simple living movement free from the constraints of foundation, government and industry funding. We want to continue to offer our user supported services through volunteer funding rather than establishing membership or subscription fees.
We can only continue to do all of that with your voluntary financial support.
Thank you and we hope you enjoy the 67th edition of our user supported, on-line Newsletter!
Dave Wampler
Founder
The Simple Living Network
Copyright © The Simple Living Network. All Rights Reserved.
All of our Holiday Cards are printed on Recycled Paper. Cards contain at least 10% Postconsumer Waste. Envelopes contain 100% Postconsumer Waste. Click here to view all Holiday Cards...
- Earth Song
Peace to all Beings. Happy Holidays! - Every Choice We Make
Celebrate our commitment to building a better world! / ˇCelebre nuestro compromiso de construir un mundo mejor! - Menorah
Happy Chanukah! - Peace & Love
Happy Holidays! / Felices Fiestas! - Reindeer Dream
Imagine a world of peace and freedom. Happy Holidays! - Sun & Moon
Greetings of the season. Happy Solstice.
- Holiday Gift Exemption Voucher — PDF File. Print and give it to your family and friends and let them off the gift-buying hook!
- See the Holidays & Celebrations Section of The Simple Living Library. Here you will find numerous books for simplifying the holidays as well as a large selection of PDF E-Books for making your own Holiday Gifts.
- See the Alteratives for Simple Living Library for:
- Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? — Ideas for a Christ-centered holiday.
- The Unplug The Christmas Machine Kit — A complete set of materials for offering a four-hour workshop to put love and joy back into the season.
- Additional Christmas & Advent Resources — Spiritual writings, pageants, and ideas to give more meaning to your holiday.
- 2009 Peace Calendar
- 2009 Poster Calendar
- A New Earth 2009 Calendar
- Art Wolfe Travels To The Edge 2009 Calendar
- Organic Kitchen Garden 2009 Calendar
- Posters For Peace & Justice 2009 Calendar
- Spirit Of Peace 2009 Weekly Engagement Planner
- The Spirit Of Place 2009 Calendar
- Thich Nhat Hanh 2009 Calendar
- We'Moon 2009 Calendar
- Women Artists 2009 Datebook
- 33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History: From Suffragettes To Skirt Lengths To The E.R.A.
- 100 Things Guys Need To Know
- Celebrate The Whole Boy — Poster
- Hey, Little Ant
Also available in Spanish: Oye, Hormiguita - The Mini Book Of New Family Traditions: How To Create Rituals For Holidays & Everyday
- Respect: A Girl's Guide To Getting Respect & Dealing When The Line Is Crossed
- What Can I Do Today? To Make This World A Happier Place
- The What's Happening To My Body? Book For Boys
- The What's Happening To My Body? Book For Girls
- Confessions Of An Eco-Sinner: Tracking Down The Source Of My Stuff
- From Vines To Wines: The Complete Guide To Growing Grapes & Making Your Own Wine
- The New Agritourism: Hosting Community & Tourists On Your Farm
- The New Self-Sufficient Gardner: The Complete Illustrated Guide To Planning, growing, Storing & Preserving Your Own Garden Produce — Highly Recommended!
- Common Sense On Mutual Funds: New Imperatives For The Intelligent Investor
- The Only Guide To A Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need: The Way Smart Money Invests Today
- What Wall Street Doesn't Want You To Know: You Can Build Real Wealth Investing In Index Funds
- Work Less, Live More: The Way To Semi-Retirement — Highly Recommended!
- The Work Less, Live More Workbook: Get Ready For Semi-Retirement
"Never Doubt That A Small Group Of Thoughtful Committed Citizens Can Change The World. Indeed, It's The Only Thing That Ever Has" — Margaret Mead
- Never Doubt — Bookmarks
- Never Doubt — Postcards
- Never Doubt — Poster
"The Web Of Life Holds Us All — Cherish & Protect Our World"
- The Web Of Life — Bookmarks
- The Web Of Life — Poster
- One Person Speaking Up... — Bookmarks
- Celebrate The Whole Boy — Poster
Copyright © 2008
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Katy Wolk-Stanley's Non-Consumer Advocate weblog at thenonconsumeradvocate.wordpress.com.
My husband is about to take a dream job that will result in a pay cut for the first year.
Am I worried?
Not in the slightest.
We know how to live on very little.
And it's actually quite simple. It's not about all the things we do, but rather all the things we don't do.
- We don't buy anything new. (I am part of The Compact, a "buy nothing new" movement.)
- We don't buy expensive presents. (Although I give great presents, but they usually only set me back a few dollars.)
- We rarely eat out.
- We don't rent movies. (Libraries!)
- We don't have expensive hobbies.
- We don't buy a ton of stuff for the kids.
- We don't go on expensive vacations.
- We don't air-condition the house.
- We don't spend money decorating the house.
- We don't entertain expensively.
- We don't pay for haircuts for the males in the household. (Me? I get a cheapo-cut 1-2 times per year.)
- We don't subscribe to magazines.
- We don't have cable TV.
- We don't purchase workplace lunches.
Sound grim?
Absolutely not!
We have everything we could ever possibly need, and then some!
We watch DVDs from the library, we eat delicious home cooked meals, entertain simply, shop at Goodwill or simply not shop at all.
Our life is rich. We don't need to be.
If you're having trouble living within your means, take it down a notch. Heck, take it down a dozen notches! Stop all the extra stuff, and you may find your life seems more relaxed, more sane, more in control, more happy.
Less = more.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
About The Author
Katy Wolk-Stanley writes a daily blog as "The Non-Consumer Advocate." She works part-time as a labor and delivery nurse and full-time figuring out the minds of her pre-teen boys. She is a library patron, Goodwill enthusiast, utility bill scholar, laundry hanger-upper and citizen. You can read her thoughts on living a responsibly fun and frugal life at: thenonconsumeradvocate.wordpress.com.
Related Resources
- Miserly Moms
- The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map To True Riches
- The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map To True Riches — 7 Audio CDs
- Living Cheaply With Style
- Radical Simplicity
Copyright © 2008
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) was born in Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived most of his life. He attended Harvard University and soon after completing his studies joined his father's pencil manufacturing business. During this period, Thoreau had taken to endless walking in the woods surrounding Concord, observing the minute details of nature and recording them in a copious fashion in numerous notebooks. Emerson stated in a essay about Thoreau that he could "... draw out of his breast pocket his diary, and read the names of all the plants that should bloom on that day ... He could tell by the plants what time of year it was within 2 days."
In 1845 Thoreau built a small hut on the shore of Walden Pond, near Concord, where he lived in solitude for two years. It was his experiment in simple, grounded living that he hoped would enable him to gain some insight into the primary realities of life. His writing during this time was later published as a book entitled Walden, which encapsulated his feelings on nature, simple right living and the need for solitude. The work offered up profound spiritual insights and wisdom, later becoming recognized as a "high water mark" in American literature.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach me, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.— Henry David Thoreau
The experience of Walden never left Thoreau; it continued to pour through his writings and through his life. Whether on environmental issues, life philosophy or social justice, Thoreau's writing drew on his contemplative nature — which had blossomed during this period — to shine a light on these important subjects. In later years through his writings on civil disobedience, he came to influence the work of many, including Tolstoy, Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Such was the depth and breath of his thoughts and deliberations.
I read Thoreau ... I read Walden first ... and his ideas influenced me greatly. I adopted some of them and recommended the study of Thoreau to all my friends who were helping me in the cause of Indian Independence ... There is no doubt that Thoreau's ideas greatly influenced my movement in India.— Gandhi
Simplicity
Although Thoreau's fine mind was employed in many different arenas, at the heart of his thoughts and writing was the repeated single theme of simplicity in all its richness and profound presence. He had come to slowly and appreciatively recognize the importance of leading a simple life in order to bring clarity and understanding to the experience of existence. Unfortunately in our modern world our lives have become increasingly complex, very complex indeed to a point that Thoreau wouldn't recognize. We regularly run around in frantic activity — busy, busy, busy — without a thought for mindfulness or appropriate pacing, and then we wonder why we get so tired and need to seek rest. We over-burden ourselves with stressful states of work, reaching out to accomplish so much, and then wonder why our bodies collapse under the strain. Life has become so frenetic for many of us that it has now assumed the status of normalcy, the routine, the everyday way we conduct ourselves — but at what cost? Levels of stress-related illnesses have now peaked at an all time high with no sign of abating, and yet we still continue to engage with the very thing that causes the problem: over-burdened busy-ness. We are not here to preoccupy ourselves with constant activity that can easily overshadow and destroy the life of contemplation and reflection. This is the core message of the biblical story of Martha and Mary. While Jesus was visiting their home, Martha was concentrating on preparing a meal and undertaking other household duties, but she was unhappy with her sister Mary who was apparently doing 'nothing' but listening to their invited visitor. She grew increasingly agitated with the situation until she could not hold back any further. She approached Jesus to express her concerns over Mary's lack of work effort, but to her surprise Jesus was not at all sympathetic to her argument. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42). Christians traditionally see Martha as representing action while Mary represents contemplation — "the better part." Thoreau would have agreed with this. He knew that in order to penetrate the depths of our intellectual and spiritual powers we need to generate a spacious margin in our lives for creative reflection and meditation.
The millions are awake enough for effective physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, and only one in a hundred million to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?— Op cit
Nature As Divine Revelation
From this same realm of spaciousness and mindfulness, Thoreau argued came a deep appreciation for nature and all she had to offer including spiritual insights and revelations. The latter have always been present in the Pantheism of such poets as Wordsworth and Shelley, so Thoreau never appeared embarrassed about his feelings here. His journals are rich in observations of nature but they never take on a purely scientific perspective of analysis and cataloging; they go much deeper than that. They enter into a very personal and subjective awareness that speaks with the intensity and spirituality of a religion.
I would [like to] improve every opportunity to wonder and worship as a sunflower welcomes the light. The more thrilling, wonderful, divine objects I behold in a day, the more expanded and immortal I become.
A farmer once asked me what shrub oaks were made for, not knowing any use they served. But I can tell him that they do me good. They are my parish ministers, regularly settled.— Op cit
During his two-year sojourn at Walden Pond, Thoreau became a silent witness to nature. This allowed him to understand and celebrate the richness and diversity of its full manifestation. It was undoubtedly a unique experiment that induced a purity of vision that still remains remarkable today. However, Thoreau is not without his critics. Many consider him just a nineteenth century New England "backwoodsman" whose pantheism is stretched too far into overly sentimental prose that has no real relevance to our world today. Whatever our views on him, whether we see him as a gifted writer whose poetic song sings to us of spiritual revelations or as an "idle" "primitive" "skulker" (Robert Louis Stevenson's comment), one thing is for sure: he will be remembered.
The World Today
We live in a culture of activity today of such crazy proportions that we run the risk of harming ourselves as well as the planet. We simply cannot go on reaching out for unsustainable economic development and growth — fueled by scientific endeavor and ensuing technologies — as if it were a religious duty that we were committed to following at all costs. We must now, as never before, take a deep look at our lives and simplify all that we do. Obviously we can't all run away to the woods like Thoreau and live the life of a hermit, but we can try to find our own special Walden wherever that may be, and commit to doing our very best. We must never forget that Walden is not just a geographical point somewhere in the New England landscape but a state of mind, an attitude of simple living that can be transported anywhere, anytime, if we so decide. After his two-year experiment in simple living, Thoreau left Walden Pond to pursue life elsewhere, but he recognized that he had touched something quite special and precious during this time and he never forgot this.
I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been. They were not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance.— Op cit
May we all engage ever deeper with the joys of simplicity
About The Author
Michael Lewin, who has a degree in Psychology, has spent 25 years teaching and supporting a variety of different groups, from children with special needs to adults with learning difficulties. He is active in a number of UK-based Buddhist groups and has regularly published articles in a number of UK psycho/spiritual magazines. As he says, "I am at that stage in my life that I want to pursue the spiritual path even further to find out the depth I can penetrate. I am a seeker, if not for perfection, then at least for some kind of personal progress that can bring me joy, contentment and happiness." Contact Michael at: lewinmick@hotmail.com.
Related Resources
For years, Buy Nothing Day activists have been trying to inspire the world to consume less, to reduce its spending and reassess its needs. We have been warning that the logic of consumer capitalism is fundamentally flawed, that it is unsustainable and built on a model of limitless growth that is destined to fail.
Now the global economy has come crashing down. Markets are stalling, banks closing, billionaires are begging for bailouts. And for millions of people throughout the world, every day has become a Buy Nothing Day — whether they like it or not.
But it won't last. The markets will rebound, the dollar will rise. The neoclassical model of growth will stubbornly and spitefully refuse to die. Conditions, for a time, will appear normal. Or will they?
What we now face is an opportunity — a brief chance to grab hold of the reins of capitalism and take control.
On November 28th, we challenge each one of the world's richest billion people (that means you!) to take part in a 24-hour General Consumer Strike — sending a message to the economic elite that it will be us, and not them, who will control the future of capitalism. And then we challenge the world's citizens to come together this holiday season and celebrate life in a more meaningful, creative way. Instead of buying into a holiday defined by consumption, create your own meaning and help transform a season of waste into an act of cultural regeneration.
About The Author
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Adbusters is a not-for-profit, reader-supported, 120,000-circulation magazine concerned about the erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces. Their work has been embraced by organizations like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, and has been featured in hundreds of alternative and mainstream newspapers, magazines, and television and radio shows around the world. Adbusters can be found online at www.adbusters.org.
Related Resources
Copyright © 2008
I've got an idea for an experiment that will help cut your expenses, keep you physically fit, reduce global warming, and help build community, all at the same time.
It's called "One-Mile-Radius Living." And despite the name, it's not a form of house arrest!
Here's how it works. First, make a list of all the different types of places you drive to on a regular basis — stores, businesses, parks, restaurants, and so forth. Then, use an online search and mapping tool such as Walk Score or Google Maps to find out how many are available within a mile of your home address. Finally, whenever you go to one of these places, instead of hopping into your car, you walk there.
When I tried this experiment, here are some of the things I found within one mile of my home:
- 2 drug stores
- 1 post office
- parks
- beauty salons
- bus lines
- banks
- clothing stores
- dentists
- bowling alley
- Over 20 restaurants
And I don't even live in an ultra-dense urban area like San Francisco or New York City! Some places I frequent, like the library and farmer's market, were outside the boundary. But the list above was a good start.
I got the idea for this experiment from a theory that I have about commuting to work. When I was a regular commuter, the stores I knew about were mostly along my commute path, and I'd often stop by on the way home from work. But on weekends, I'd mindlessly get in my car and drive to those same stores, because they were the only ones I knew. I'd remain blissfully ignorant of similar stores that were within walking distance but that I'd never driven by. I suspect many commuters fall into the same trap.
One-Mile-Radius Living has many potential benefits for your health, pocketbook, and planet. For example, walking is a great way to stay fit, save on $4-a-gallon gas, and even eliminate the need for gym visits and membership fees. Plus, your lungs put out fewer greenhouse gases than your car's internal combustion engine. For me, though, the most unexpected benefit was discovering a whole "sidewalk community" of other walkers in my neighborhood — dog walkers, families walking to the park, joggers, and other friendly faces I never would have encountered if I'd just stayed behind the wheel.
Keep in mind that One-Mile-Radius Living is an experiment, and experiments can fail. External factors like urban planning (or lack thereof) and public safety can determine whether a neighborhood is walkable or downright hostile to pedestrians. Personal factors also play a role, like having the time to walk instead of drive. As a reasonably fit and mobile person, it takes me a little under 20 minutes to walk a mile, and my current work-at-home situation gives me time flexibility. For short distances, I don't mind spending a few extra minutes to get around, if I'm doing something good for my body and for the environment.
So give One-Mile-Radius Living a try, and report back with your findings. If it doesn't work out in your current neighborhood, keep it in mind next time you travel or relocate to a different neighborhood! And visit the Carbon Conscious Consumer page for more tips on downshifting your driving.
About The Author
Kathryn Benedicto is a corporate refugee from Silicon Valley who is downshifting for a year to make the leap into values-based work. She is a simplicity activist in the San Francisco Bay Area and runs the Simple Living SF South Bay/Peninsula group as well as the Resources for Sustainable Weddings website. She is a creator of websites for nonprofits at Happy Snowman Tech. She can be reached by email at kfben@yahoo.com.
Related Resources
- Biking To Work
- How To Live Well Without Owning A Car
- Divorce Your Car!
- The Post-Petroleum Survival Guide & Cookbook
Copyright © 2008
After eleven months of receiving far more e-mail than any other form of communication, one of my favorite aspects of the winter holiday season is the treat of receiving real mail. My friend Tarrah loves it, too — so much that she makes it into a daily holiday ritual.
I wait until the kids are napping, when I sneak out to the mailbox to retrieve the post. (Some of the joy is lost when envelopes and pictures are "accidentally" destroyed by my children's eager hands.) With a cup of tea, I sit by the Christmas tree and read away. I love every last detail... from the horror stories of hospital visits, to the funny antics of kids... from the joy of the arrival of new family members, to the sadness of lost loved ones. Later, the kids and I sit together, look at the pictures and read about what their friends and relatives are doing-but only after Mommy has recharged with a little quiet time of her own.
What a great way to take what some might see as a time-consuming obligation and turn it into a joyful tradition!
Here are some other ways to make the most of the cards you receive this season.
After you've enjoyed the day's collection of greetings, reduce bulk by noting any address changes and recycling the envelopes. If a card comes with a photo or other loose enclosure, it's okay (really!) to staple it to the card so they don't get separated.
Then choose a way to display them — rather than tossing them into a pile — so you and others can continue to appreciate them:
- Adorn a rectangular basket with holiday ribbon, pinecones or pine tree cuttings
- Decorate a shoebox with cards recycled from prior years
- Hang them with twine and mini-clothespins on walls, ledges, doorways or stairways
- Fasten them to bulletin boards: cork, magnetic or crisscrossed-ribbon
When the holidays are over, pack away this year's cards with your holiday decorations. Life is fragile. After the loss of a loved one, that last note, picture or signature becomes a treasure.
Beyond one year's worth of cards, you'll want to set some limits. Decide how much space you are willing to reserve for your cards, and stick to it, whether you choose an envelope, box or bin. It's fun to look back at holiday cards from years past, but it's not fun if there are so many cards that the sight of them makes you cringe. You cannot enjoy the ones that are truly special to you if you have to first wade through stacks of those that hold less meaning.
For years, I hand made elaborate Christmas cards for our friends and family. (Then I had children!) I would hate to think of anyone keeping one of those cards just because "she worked so hard on them." If you happen to be one of those recipients, you have my permission to recycle those cards. I will never know — or care — if you let them go. Same goes for anyone else's cards you're hanging onto. Maybe it will help you to think of it this way: It is not your responsibility to preserve other people's family histories. Free up some space!
When you're ready to let go of some cards, use your creativity to reuse them:
- Design new holiday cards, post cards or thank-you notes
- Make bookmarks for books you're giving as gifts
- Construct small gift boxes (see www.jenniferswanson.com/make-a-box.htm for basic instructions)
- Cut them into strips for paper chains or napkin rings
- Arrange and frame your favorites as a seasonal replacement of other pictures hanging in your home
- Use jumbo craft punches, die cuts or cookie cutters to create
- Tree ornaments
- Decorative holiday mobiles
- Gift tags or trimmings for gift bags
- Scrapbook embellishments
For years, St. Jude's Ranch for Children was famous for accepting donated cards, but they received so many that they couldn't keep up with them all. Instead, contact local senior centers or churches, and ask them if they have crafting groups that could use your cards.
Finally, whatever is left can be recycled. Check with your local curbside recycler before including any non-paper items such as plastic or metal foil, as these can contaminate the recycling process.
Enjoy every card, letter and picture you receive this year. Give each one appropriate time and space, think carefully about how long to keep it, and be creative in finding a way to give it a new life.
Recommended resources:
- Simple, Sustainable, Clutter-Free Gift Ideas by Jennifer Swanson
- Environmentally-Friendly Gift Wrap Ideas by Jennifer Swanson
- How to make tiny gift boxes
- Gift ideas from the New American Dream website: http://www.newdream.org/holiday/giftidea.php
- Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions
- Hundred Dollar Holiday
- Unplug The Christmas Machine Book
- Unplug The Christmas Machine Kit
About The Author
Jennifer Swanson is a professional organizing consultant, speaker, and mother of three. She publishes a free monthly e-zine, offering practical ideas and encouragement to help you organize and simplify your life. For more tips visit http://www.JenniferSwanson.com.
September 23 this year marked an unfortunate milestone: the day humanity had already used all the resources nature will generate this year, according to Global Footprint Network data. Earth Overshoot Day marks the day when humanity begins living beyond its ecological means. Beyond that day, we move into the ecological equivalent of deficit spending, utilizing resources at a rate faster than what the planet can regenerate in a calendar year.
The recent bank failures in the United States have shown what happens when debt and spending get out of control. We are seeing signs of similarly disastrous consequences from our ecological overspending. Climate change, shrinking forests, declining biodiversity and current world food shortages are all results of the fact that we are demanding more from nature than it can supply.
Humans now require the resources of 1.4 planets
Just like any company nature has a budget — it can only produce so many resources and absorb so much waste each year. Globally, we now demand the biological capacity of 1.4 planets, according to Global Footprint Network data. But of course, we only have one.
Earth Overshoot Day (also known as Ecological Debt Day) was a concept devised by Global Footprint Network partner NEF (the New Economics Foundation). Each year, Global Footprint Network calculates humanity's Ecological Footprint (its demand on cropland, pasture, forests and fisheries), and compares this with the amount of resources the world's lands and seas generate. Our data shows us that in less than 10 months we consume what it takes the planet 12 months to produce.
Earth Overshoot Day creeps earlier every year
Humanity has been in overshoot since the mid 1980s, when the first Earth Overshoot Day fell on December 31, 1986. By 1995 it was more than a month earlier, arriving on November 21. Ten years later it had moved another six weeks earlier, to October 2, 2005.
What contributes to our increasing demand? Part of the story is that there are simply more people on the planet requiring nature's services. In some areas of the world — most notably in high-income regions like the U.S. and Europe, as well as industrializing nations like China — per capita resource consumption has also been increasing. In other areas of the world, however, including India and parts of Africa, per capita Ecological Footprints have actually declined, likely as a result of there being less resources available per person.
Carbon is also a big part of the story, as it is the greatest contributor to ecological overshoot. Humanity is emitting carbon faster than the planet can re-absorb it. Our carbon Footprint has increased more than 700 percent since 1961.
United Nations business-as-usual projections show humanity requiring the equivalent of two planets by 2050. (For details see Global Footprint Network and WWF's Living Planet Report 2006). This would put Earth Overshoot Day on July 1, and means it would take two years for the planet to regenerate what we use in one year. Reaching this level of ecological deficit spending may be physically impossible.
What Can I Do to End Overshoot?
Global Footprint Network and its international partner network is focused on solving the problem of overshoot, working with businesses and government leaders around the world to make ecological limits a central part of decision-making everywhere.
Citizens can take action to get out of overshoot in their own lives: eating less meat, driving and flying less, and using less energy in the home. They can also encourage government and business leaders to build communities with smart infrastructure planning and best-practice green technology. Use our interactive calculator to determine your own Ecological Footprint and learn what you can do to reduce it.
With international commitment to end overshoot, Earth Overshoot Day can become history instead of news.
Related Resources
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- An Inconvenient Truth
Copyright © 2008
The holidays and the calendar are rolling around again. We already have a nice assortment of holiday and end-of-year topics for folks to add to in the Discussion Forums!
First, holidays have traditionally meant gift giving in my part of the world. Many simple living folks would like to do this differently, or not at all. People are discussing how to establish gift rules. The Simple Living Network also provides a Holiday Gift Exemption Voucher for those who'd like to opt out of the usual exchanges and need a creative way to communicate that to their loved ones. Those who personally have enough and would like to give to those in need can find ideas in a conversation about Giving to Charity as a Gift. You could also consider making a donation to the Discussion Forums themselves. For those who would rather make their own gifts there's an entire forum devoted to Hobbies & Creativity. The Reviews forum could also supply good ideas for presents. We have an entire forum devoted to the Holidays, so please make use of it!
Holidays and the end of year also mean parties. One person asked for party food ideas for her get-together and received a wealth of recommendations. If you need ideas for how to bring your community together check the Creating Community forum. For folks who might want to find simple living types in their area, Get Togethers is the place to be.
Gardens are winding down (in the northern hemisphere, anyway) and people are saving seeds for next year. Finally, people are putting together their 2009 New Year's resolutions in 2009 Challenges. Best wishes for the new year to everyone!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE INTRODUCTION to our on-line community. Then join the fun!
About The Author
Ann Haebig is a part-time geek, part-time bicycle advocate, and dedicated follower and promoter of the Your Money Or Your Life program. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her partner, cat and recently adopted guitar. Ann can be reached at ahaebig@pobox.com.
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- Treasury Of Celebrations
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Copyright © 2008
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Trent Hamm's The Simple Dollar weblog at www.thesimpledollar.com.
One of the best concepts from Your Money or Your Life is that of the fulfillment curve. Basically, the idea argues that there's a sweet spot for anything that maximizes the fulfillment you get out of it. If you spend more, your fulfillment starts to actually decrease.
I often reflect on this concept. I see it popping up again and again in my own life and I find that if I put in some effort finding that peak fulfillment, my money just falls into line right behind it. I've come to believe that if a person has their basic needs covered, overspending is caused by going over the far end of the fulfillment peak.
I hinted at these ideas a while back, when I discussed the book in detail:
The middle portion of the first chapter focuses on the "fulfillment curve," which basically refers to the idea that once you reach a certain level of luxury in your life, anything beyond that level is merely diminishing returns.
My conclusion at that time was to tie it to consumerism and clutter:
One of the deep problems of consumerism is that the average American tends toward buying more. They would rather have more stuff that, per item, they have less time to enjoy than less stuff that, per item, they have more time to enjoy.This is connected directly with the clutter problem, also discussed here. This tendency to buy extra luxury items gradually fills a home with lots of clutter - unnecessary stuff that just sits there taking up space when the money invested could be used to help build a more fulfilling life.
Later reflection has led me to believe that it's not necessarily these factors. It's more of a matter of finding balance, akin to riding a bicycle.
Here's a visual example of the fulfillment curve (I'll explain the numbers below):
Let me give you two examples of how the curve works, both pulled from my own life.
Example #1: Video Games
1 — I'd like to play some video games, but I don't own a console or a single game.
2 — I own a console and a single game, which is quite a bit of fun, but it gets boring after a while.
3 — I pick up one game a year from the used game store. After the three month mark, though, I've beaten the game and then I feel unfulfilled until I get another game several months later.
4 — I pick up a game every three months from the used game store, right in line with when I've mastered and am getting tired of the previous game. I always have something fresh to play and master and don't have to spend too much keeping up with the hobby.
5 — I get a game every month from the used game store. It isn't financially pinching me, but I'm building up a pile of games I've barely played.
6 — I get a mix of new and old games, two or three a month. I can handle my credit card bills, but it's a little higher than I like. I also don't like looking at that pile of unplayed games.
7 — I buy a new game every week. I play it for about five minutes, then I feel guilty and I put it on a giant pile of games that are barely played, making me feel really guilty. I do it so I can play the "latest and greatest," but I usually just feel really guilty, and I'm having a very difficult time keeping up with the credit card bills.
See the progression there? That middle point — 4 — is where I'm really enjoying a hobby that I have. I can easily afford it, I get to thoroughly enjoy each game I get, I have plenty of new stuff to play to keep me happy, and I have no guilty feelings about it. If I spend less, I'm not enjoying my hobby as much as I'd like — I feel longing. If I spend more, I start to build up games that I don't play, I build some guilt, and eventually it gets really expensive.
My experience with video game fulfillment: A few years ago, I was somewhere around 6 on this fulfillment curve. When I finally went through my big financial panic, I veered wildly in the other direction, selling everything and rushing back over that fulfillment peak to 0. As our financial life became stronger, I slowly climbed the curve and now stand fairly close to that peak — #4.
Here's another example (with a picture of the curve again, for visual aid).
Example #2: Home Buying
1 — We're essentially homeless. We live in our car.
2 — We live in an extremely cheap, extremely small old apartment. The rent is extremely cheap, but there's barely enough room for sleeping space for everyone or room to do anything at all. We're embarrassed to have guests at all.
3 — We live in a nice apartment or a small house. There's enough room for everyone to sleep and have meals, but we're sometimes pinched for space and there's more clutter than we'd like. We have some of our friends over, but we feel pretty self-conscious about the place and don't have the dinner parties we'd like.
4 — Our house is just the right size for our family. We feel comfortable having any and all guests over, the housework doesn't overwhelm us, and the bills are completely manageable.
5 — Our house slightly exceeds what our family needs, but it gives us some room to grow. The bills are slightly painful, but we can manage things. We spend a bit more of our weekends on home cleaning and maintenance than we'd like, but we feel quite proud giving dinner parties and inviting people over.
6 — Our house is a McMansion. We can afford the bills, but just barely, and only if we eat everything at home. The bills make me feel kind of guilty, and there are times where it feels like all we do is upkeep.
7 — We bought a house nine times our annual income on an ARM and it just adjusted. Our house is mind-blowingly awesome, but we're getting foreclosed tomorrow. We have no equity and we have no idea what we're going to do. I wish we'd never come here.
My experience with housing fulfillment: When we first got married, we lived in an apartment that was probably about a 2.5 on that curve - we were buckling down and saving. After our first child was born, it slipped down to about a 2 — we were in a serious space pinch and we became sort of ashamed to have guests over because of the massive clutter. We bought our first home and now we've happily settled in at about a 4, but we looked at some homes that would have been a 5 or a 6 on the curve, I'm quite sure. I think this house might slip to a 3.5 or a 3 if we have two more kids, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
Some Fulfillment Curve Thoughts and Strategies
What does this curve mean in your own life? How can it help you get ahead? Here are some suggestions.
The fulfillment curve applies to everything you spend money on. The basic principle applies to almost everything in your life, from food to clothing to shelter up to hobby-oriented activities. In almost every aspect of life, the point of maximum enjoyment is not the point of maximum spending - spending too much reduces fulfillment.
Guilt is one of the surest signs of the downside of the curve. If you feel guilt about your spending in any area, you're likely spending more than your natural fulfillment peak. It's likely that if you take the time to seriously look at every area in your life where you feel some guilt about money, it's a result of spending too much to try to chase fulfillment. Pull back on that spending some and you'll almost always find that things become more enjoyable as a whole.
Your fulfillment curve peak might actually come with spending no money at all. For example, I almost always find that when I spend much money on extra things for my kids, neither one of us gets much extra fulfillment out of it and a good chunk of the time I feel like I shouldn't have spent the money. Here's an example: the best time I've spent with my kids recently was last Sunday when we went to the library, went to a free art festival, then went home and read books for an hour. The cost was virtually nil, but it was a peak on that curve. Fulfillment curve peaks don't have to cost you.
Routine frivolous purchases — like a $5 coffee each morning — are beyond the peak, whether you actively notice it or not. If you do it every day, it's no longer a treat. It's not something special to really bring you fulfillment. Try drinking cheap coffee at the office all but one day a week. You'll find that the one good coffee you do drink brings you far more fulfillment than it used to.
Spend some time understanding what things really fulfill you. I feel much more fulfilled by a well-designed item that will last basically forever than just about anything. Reliability is really a strong fulfillment point for me — I tend to like things that I've had for a long time that still work like new. That's why I often do so much research before a purchase - I know I'll get more fulfillment out of it if the item just does its job reliably and easily.
Good luck applying the fulfillment curve to your own life!
About The Author
In April 2006, Trent Hamm went through a complete financial meltdown (read his "financial biography" here). He threw himself head first into trying to figure out every nuance of fixing his financial situation, and after a few months he began to get the picture. Within eight months, he had paid off all of his credit card debt, paid off his vehicle, and also established an emergency fund. Since he has a passion for writing and he had learned so much about how personal finance really works, he established The Simple Dollar near the end of 2006 to tell the world about what he had learned and to help people who were struggling with the same things.
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