Simpler Living

Enlarge Image Image Gallery When was the last time you took a stroll down a quiet country lane? PAT & CHUCK BLACKLEY

For many of us, the idea of simpler living has a lot of appeal. “Stressed,” “stretched,” “time-starved” and “cluttered” describe the frantic condition of so many lives today. No doubt about it, Americans have grown weary of the work-spend-consume treadmill; and a growing number of us are recognizing that consumerism and its counterpart, materialism, are inherently unsatisfying, and are casting about for alternative value systems.

Tim Kasser, who holds a doctorate in psychology and wrote The High Price of Materialism, explains that genuinely happy people express “intrinsic values” through self-exploration and self-acceptance, by maintaining close personal relationships and developing “community feeling.” In contrast, those who exhibit “extrinsic values” associated with the pursuit of wealth, status and image tend to display narcissistic behavior, to be less empathetic, have lower self-esteem and have lifestyles that are less eco-friendly. Even at middle school age, materialistically oriented students are “less likely to do relatively simple things (for the environment) like turn off lights when no one is looking,” Kasser says, “and less likely to reuse stuff.”

So if you want to get on the track toward happiness — while lowering your carbon footprint — all roads lead to simple living. The simplicity table stands on four legs — environmental stewardship, thoughtful consumption, community involvement and financial responsibility — and strengthening one leg bolsters the others. For instance, when you decide to start commuting on the bus, you’ll save money, build community and become a better environmental steward, all in one. To get started, here are a few ideas for achieving a simpler lifestyle:

Try TV-free living. Disconnect and reconnect. This probably sounds strange coming from me, the host of a television series, but I decided to go TV-free. Most evenings, my 11-year old son and I enjoy a leisurely dinner (outside in good weather), read, garden, play chess and talk.

Frugality factor: In 2005, the average cable bill was $43 per month. In a year, that adds up to $516.

Consider one vehicle. If you own two vehicles, try scaling back to one to save money and decrease carbon emissions. Consider selling or donating your spare and shifting to public transportation, carpooling, biking or walking. An obvious solution is scheduling shared use of the family vehicle. It’s not as hard as you may think.

Minneapolis resident Matt Hendricks bikes 25 minutes daily to his job, leaving the family’s one (paid-for) vehicle with his wife and their daughter. “It’s a commute, workout and some recreation all rolled into one,” Hendricks says. “If we had two car payments, we probably could not own our home.”

Frugality factor: In 2008, the estimated cost of owning one vehicle, including financing, insurance, maintenance, fuel and tax is more than $8,000 a year — and growing as gas prices continue to rise.