Simple Living: How to Save Money and Smile More

1 / 10
2 / 10
Live simply, save money, smile more. You can get started today.
Live simply, save money, smile more. You can get started today.
3 / 10
The Noel family raises beef cattle on Vermont's lush grasses using a planned-rotation grazing system. 
The Noel family raises beef cattle on Vermont's lush grasses using a planned-rotation grazing system. 
4 / 10
Hannah and Eric Noel, along with their two children, raise organic produce, grass-fed beef, and free-range chicken and eggs on their homestead in Highgate, Vt. 
Hannah and Eric Noel, along with their two children, raise organic produce, grass-fed beef, and free-range chicken and eggs on their homestead in Highgate, Vt. 
5 / 10
Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton (and their canine companion) chose to homestead, producing much of their own food and running a home-based business.
Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton (and their canine companion) chose to homestead, producing much of their own food and running a home-based business.
6 / 10
Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton raise their own organic vegetables as well as free-range chicken and eggs. 
Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton raise their own organic vegetables as well as free-range chicken and eggs. 
7 / 10
Growing a large garden and preserving its bounty is one way modern homesteaders trade time and labor for big savings and better food quality. 
Growing a large garden and preserving its bounty is one way modern homesteaders trade time and labor for big savings and better food quality. 
8 / 10
Trade labor for big savings by canning your bounty.
Trade labor for big savings by canning your bounty.
9 / 10
Cam and Michelle Mather are modern homesteaders living off-grid in Kingston, Ontario, by using a small wind turbine and solar-powered equipment. 
Cam and Michelle Mather are modern homesteaders living off-grid in Kingston, Ontario, by using a small wind turbine and solar-powered equipment. 
10 / 10
Cam Mather uses a solar-powered chain saw to cut firewood to heat his home in Kingston, Ontario. 
Cam Mather uses a solar-powered chain saw to cut firewood to heat his home in Kingston, Ontario. 

Imagine a more satisfying way to live, with time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. A quiet evening walk in the woods. Relaxed family meals of flavorful, homegrown food and with conversation, no TV in sight. Curling up with a good book in front of a crackling fire after a day of hard work in your garden …

You can enjoy these rewards of simple living?—?the key is to recognize the full value of becoming a skilled, productive homemaker/homesteader. In today’s world, most of us pay other people to provide the things we need, which means we need a job or two outside the home to bring in cash. But if you learn how to be more self-sufficient, you’ll also learn how to save money, live on less income, and also enjoy greater personal freedom and satisfaction from your daily labor.

Centuries ago, homemaking and homesteading involved a great deal of hard physical labor. Today, we have machines and scientific knowledge that make most tasks much easier, faster and safer. Modern homesteading taps the best of contemporary technology to help us master traditional skills and become more self-sufficient and secure.

Expensive designer clothes, factory-made convenience foods, long commutes to work?—?these parts of consumer culture don’t have a place in the modern homesteader’s value system. Instead, homemakers take pride in producing an entire year’s supply of organically grown food, including cheese, meat, and perhaps even wine and beer. Some spin and weave their own clothing or make their family’s soap and personal care products. Homesteaders also limit fuel costs by spending more time at home and simply not driving as much, cutting firewood to heat their homes, and often installing renewable energy systems. Even building a log or straw bale home is not out of reach.

We talked with three families who have carefully weighed the pros and cons of what many consider the “American Dream” and have decided the numbers just didn’t add up. They explain how they’ve avoided “affluenza” by choosing to pursue a different bottom line, and how this has resulted in total household expenditures that are far less than the U.S. average (see the chart in Simple Living: How Much Do You Save?). Instead of measuring their wealth by job status and how much they own, these families have embraced simple living, healthful foods, strong relationships and, in turn, deep life satisfaction.

  • Published on Jan 11, 2013
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368