Living The Simple Life

ColorsWolf

New member
I didn't see this on these forums and I didn't find it when searching for this subject either, so here I will create a thread about living the simple life.~

Do any of you live a simple life?~

Would you consider living a simple life?~

Think about it:

instead of having so many things to be concerned with like cars you haven't paid off, a giant television you can't afford, a huge house that you live alone in or with not nearly enough people to fill it with that you don't have any hope of fully paying off, your endless collection of things you keep saying you don't need and you don't want but you keep buying and never get rid of, etc. and to do like working 5 jobs to pay for things you don't need and that you don't even want any more, doing things you don't want to do because it's what's expected of you to live a life you don't want but that every one else thinks is ideal, finding endless excuses to do things you don't want to do to stop yourself from even attempting to live the life that you want to live, etc.,

instead of all of that, you could live with few to no possessions other than what you can carry on your back or that you need to live.~

You could live in small cottage in the countryside with a bicycle if you live by yourself or on a farm in one house that's big but is filled to the brim with people or that has more realistic square-space per person like in countries other than the U.S.A..~

Or you could live with every thing literally out your back pack.~

Some times I feel like even though most of things I own could fit into half a room they feel overwhelming and I find myself at times thinking to myself that I don't even want them any more and I think to myself, "I don't even need any of this stuff!"

I long to sell or give away most if not all the things that I own except for what I can carry on my back.~

I've always wanted to live a "pick-up-go-life" ever since college: a life where I could literally pick up my things, put them on my back, and move just like that when ever I wanted or needed to, but I don't know if I have the courage to actually go through with it.~

Part of me wants to live on a small sail-powered ship made by me for me and put all my stuff in that and part of me wants to live from place to place out of my backpack.~ I just don't know.~

But one thing is for certain: I long to live in the country where it's quite and simple, far away from the noise and the wastefulness of the cities.~

Thoughts any one?~
 
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There used to be a poster who did. He was in some area of Spain. I can't recall his login name right now... But we had some great conversations about it.
 
My husband and I feel like we live simply. We have a small house that is in the country and really, we don't need any more space. We did have a bigger place when the kids were at home, but now they are all grown up and so it was unnecessary.

A big dream of ours is to have a small camper and just go when we retire. Live on the open road and live simply. It would be a dream!
 
My husband and I feel like we live simply. We have a small house that is in the country and really, we don't need any more space. We did have a bigger place when the kids were at home, but now they are all grown up and so it was unnecessary.

A big dream of ours is to have a small camper and just go when we retire. Live on the open road and live simply. It would be a dream!

That sounds lovely.~ ^_^

LovingRadiance, perhaps we can have great conversations of our own about living simply and traveling!~ ^_^

I really really am going to do it, I mean I'm already going to start my life for the next 4 years in the U.S.A.'s Navy on February 13, 2014, I might as well start living simply from that moment on that means less to pack, no house filled with stuff to move with my Navy life, and I could just pack up my backpack and be ready to go just like that!~ ^_^

The Navy is from what I'm told a very unpredictable nomadic lifestyle so it lines up perfectly with my life wants!~ ^_^

I just got to figure out what do you pack in a backpack you are going to live your life out of?~ ^_^

I've never actually lived on my own before, I have my own views of things and my own way of living I am working towards, so I'm not sure what to pack.~


For example: I am working towards and plan on living as close to a life without the concept of "trash" at all, so any thing and every thing I pack I plan on either composting, selling, or giving away if I no longer want to use some thing.~

I plan on getting a real wooden bowl and a real wooden spoon both actually carved from real wood to put in my pack: I could use these for every thing from drinking rainwater to eating almost any thing I want, this is very useful to me since I refuse to use any kind of the popular 'disposable' eating tools like styrofoam and plastic the use of being incredibly wasteful, harmful to the environment, and completely unnecessary.~

I'm still not sure what to pack for soap.~
 
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You can make your own soap. We have made our own for years and just buy the "base" which can be made of different things, melt, pour into a mold (you can make a simple square), let cool and there is your soap.

A movie you might want to watch is called "Alone in the Wilderness". It is about Dick Proenneke who decided he wanted to do things from scratch and built his own cabin, made his own dishes, etc.

Being a nomad means different things to different people. My dream is to go from forest to forest throughout the US and stay a few weeks in each location. No itinerary, just go and enjoy the peace and solitude that it offers. (of course, this means my husband and anyone else who is in our lives).
 
You can make your own soap. We have made our own for years and just buy the "base" which can be made of different things, melt, pour into a mold (you can make a simple square), let cool and there is your soap.

A movie you might want to watch is called "Alone in the Wilderness". It is about Dick Proenneke who decided he wanted to do things from scratch and built his own cabin, made his own dishes, etc.

Being a nomad means different things to different people. My dream is to go from forest to forest throughout the US and stay a few weeks in each location. No itinerary, just go and enjoy the peace and solitude that it offers. (of course, this means my husband and anyone else who is in our lives).

Sounds exactly like what I plan on doing, of course for now I need to report to Navy at certain times, but I don't plan on letting that stop my life wants and in fact I plan on using the Navy to help me further my goals!~ ^_^

I'm thinking about maybe using things left over from the natural foods that I eat to use or to mix together to make some thing I can use to wash my body just as good as soap and quickly biodegradable!~ ^_^

Did I mention that I plan on going to college for survival and honing my body to do any thing?~ :)

I'm not going to kill any thing under most circumstances and even plants I will leave some part of it so it can regrow, so animal fat used for soap or any part of an animal is not some thing I am going to use under most circumstances unless I find a dead corpse lying around and no one is eating it unless it is in a grave.~

Here's what I've learned I can use so far:

Licorice Root, Dogwood, and Oak Twigs for Brushing and Cleaning my Teeth (avoid using poisonous Woods to Clean your Teeth like: cherry, yew, black locust, buckeye, horse chestnut, laurel, rhododendron, poison sumac, or poison ivy vine.)

Any tough Plant Fibers such as Yucca leaves and Human Hair can be used for Flossing your Teeth

A Smooth Stone rubbed on your Body while Washing with Water can be used for getting rid of Surface Oils and Grime

Clay, Sand, Pumice, Ashes can be used to Wash Myself

Of course Water can be used to clean Myself by itself

One of the most useful Plant is Yucca: its' tough leaves and roots can be used from every thing from floss, sewing needles, soap, to making clothing, and even building materials.~

Any kind of Oils can used for smelling like them, Highly Acidic Oils like those made from Lemons can be used as sanitizer

Simple Plants that can be used for Cleaning My Body by simply Crushing them with Rocks and Mixing them with Water to make Simple Lather or 'Soap':

Amole (inner white core: one bulb can last for 1 week, hairs can be used to brush your teeth, and the lather made from it can also be used to poison fish to catch),

Beans,

Spinach,

Yucca (leaves and roots can be used for lather, leaves can also be used as sewing needles and for Flossing your Teeth, and many other uses for Yucca plants including clothing and building materials),

California Buckeye (do not eat unless cooked with the aid of a professional as it is poisonous to eat raw),

Buffalo Gourd (use the leaves, not the gourd, as the leaves make the best lather, gourds can be used for many things),

Soapwort,

Soapbark Tree,

Soapnut,

and Soapberry.~
 
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Wow! You are definitely going what I would consider primitive. I think it is wise to educate yourself about how to live off the earth with the minimal amount of damage.

I hope you find what you are looking for in that life and enjoy it to the fullest!
 
Wow! You are definitely going what I would consider primitive. I think it is wise to educate yourself about how to live off the earth with the minimal amount of damage.

I hope you find what you are looking for in that life and enjoy it to the fullest!

Thank you so much! ^_^

What you call 'primitive', I think of as 'simple' and 'natural'.~ ^_^

'Advanced modern' living can be extremely useful and wonderful, but I want to know how to survive when I don't have the luxury of 'modern conveniences', most Humans don't realize this but 'modern things' like 'phones', 'clothing stores', 'grocery stores', 'convenience stores', 'building material stores like Home Depot',

'temperature control', 'electricity', 'running water', 'cars and vehicles like them', and 'money' are in fact 'luxuries' provided for you by the society you live in exchange for 'money' that is given to you in exchange for 'work', but what happens when you are unable to 'get work'? You don't 'get money', if you don't have 'money' then you don't get 'luxuries'.~


Most Humans take the lives most of them are born into for granted and they don't realize how fast every thing they have and use could be gone just as fast as a *snap* of your fingers.~

Many do not *plan* for these kinds of things to happen, they just do.~

Are you ('you' to every one in general) going to be prepared if it happens to you?~


I'm glad you seem prepared for those kinds of things RiverDwellers.~ ^_^

I'm going to just throw myself into it and learn every thing I can about every thing.~
 
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I am prepared to an extent. While I can't say I would go as natural as you, I do think it is a good idea to be as self-sufficient as possible. If everything went to the wayside, we are probably in a better position than those in cities. Gardening, hunting and living by a river all would play to our advantage.
 
I am prepared to an extent. While I can't say I would go as natural as you, I do think it is a good idea to be as self-sufficient as possible. If everything went to the wayside, we are probably in a better position than those in cities. Gardening, hunting and living by a river all would play to our advantage.

Glad to hear it, if you learn any thing that could be useful to some one with zero money trying to survive, please go ahead share it!~ ^_^
 
We were talking about living on the road and such and it occurred to me to ask you if you ever considered doing something like hiking the Pacific Crest or Appalachian Trails?
 
We were talking about living on the road and such and it occurred to me to ask you if you ever considered doing something like hiking the Pacific Crest or Appalachian Trails?

Let me put it this way, I plan on not being limited to any one place, with that in mind I am carrying every thing that I own and need on my back.~

As some great survivors once said, "The more you know, the less you carry." and the less you carry, the less you have to worry about.~ ^_^

My job in the U.S.A. Navy as an Aerographer's Mate allows me some more freedom with my travel choices than other Navy jobs as my Rating (Navy job) is limited in number and needed by every one in the Navy.~

So I hope I get to volunteer for many small deployments to many different countries and I hope to learn some thing from every place I go!~ ^_^

Maybe one day I shall travel across or up the Pacific Crest or Appalachian Trails, but I am committed towards my job so I may not have as much time to do some things as I would like.~

On the bright side this encourages me to focus on improving my speed and efficiency.~ ^_^

What ever happens, happens, I'll adapt as I go!~ ^_^

After all, survival is adaptability.~ :)
 
I think about it..
It becomes.. a dream..

Then I realize how absolutely bored I would be.

I had the pleasure of having a cottage, in the 80s and 90s that was so far off the beaten path that we didn't have access to a phone for miles, no tv, no toilet.. nice and remote, even on its own lake. I felt so badly disconnected even at that early stage of the internet (pre html) that I could never really go back. 3 days in and I was dying to leave.. 1 week and I was ready to run back to the city.. 2 weeks in and I felt comatose...

I enjoy being connected, thrive on a high octane career, love being in touch withanyone at the touch of my many devices.

Then again maybe I am lucky, I don't have debt, I don't have those stressors. I am cash flow heavy, investment strong and own everything outright, except the house.

That said, I have my own garden, I live near enough the mountains that I can escape at will and spend my time grounding myself when needed, I enjoy both that immediate escape and the return to civilization. I can't live without either.. but I couldn't exclusively do one. I suppose I am lucky that I live in a place like Vancouver where I have that privilege.

I get to travel for work, so that bug gets fullfilled. I am minimalist in the way that I am not attached to objects. I can cut and run without regret, or debt, to individual objects. I enjoy that strength.
 
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Then again maybe I am lucky, I don't have debt, I don't have those stressors. I am cash flow heavy, investment strong and own everything outright, except the house.

That said, I have my own garden, I live near enough the mountains that I can escape at will and spend my time grounding myself when needed, I enjoy both that immediate escape and the return to civilization. I can't live without either.. but I couldn't exclusively do one. I suppose I am lucky that I live in a place like Vancouver where I have that privilege.

Ditto this (minus the Vancouver part lol).
I enjoy going off the grid for hunting camp (10 days).
I enjoy not carrying debt.

But-I also enjoy having reliable transportation when I need to get to medical care. I enjoy having access to the college to work on my degree. I enjoy having medical coverage, which requires my partners work, which also requires they own the tools to do their jobs.

I GREATLY enjoy my photos of family over the last 25 years. They are the heart and soul of my memories. So I can't imagine giving those up.
 
Glad to hear people being happy with their lives no matter where they live or how they live.~

I think there is one thing I love to teach people or to remind people: have no regrets.~

These few words mean so much.~

Sure strive for your goals, give it all you got if you want, but be happy in the moment: if you delay your happiness for the completion of a future goal, you may very likely never be happy.~
 
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