“Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value.”
—Albert Einstein
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Written by Jimmie Burroughs ![]( "email_famfamfam")
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“Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value.”
—Albert Einstein
Most, who live in the United States, would be able to afford a great lifestyle if they were just content living the simple life. From time to time, the super rich person bears out the benefits of living simple. This week billionaire Charles F. Feeney Demonstrates what excessive amounts of money are for and it is not for hoarding, pouring on the luxury, living in multi-million dollar homes and driving expensive foreign cars. Mr. Feeney owns neither a home nor a car and flies coach. His watch is one of those $15 jobs that you can get at Target.
This week the New York Times has revealed that the 80-year-old Charles F. Feeney is the donor who gave his alum, Cornell University, a $350 million donation to build a new technology-based satellite campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Yahoo news says, “This donation is expected to generate an extra $1.4 billion in tax revenue for the city, plus 20,000 construction jobs and as many as 30,000 new jobs once the facility is up and running.”
It is widely known that Mr. Feeney is not impressed with all the things money can buy, but rather in what it can do to help those who need help. When asked why he decided to give so much money away, he replied, “I simply decided I had enough money.” It is his plan to be flat broke by the time he dies.
What many folks are yet to realize is that the simple life can release a lot of stress brought on by trying to live above their means and free up time to live rather than struggling trying to make more money buy more things. One of the problems is that too many think they have to have a home that is three times larger than they need and drive a new car, or perhaps two new cars.
Here are 5 easy ways you can learn how to live a stylish, simple life:
(1). Buy a house that just meets your needs and has a low monthly mortgage. Use simple techniques to make it stylish. For example, use today’s modern color schemes that you can create yourself. Furnish it with older, used, solid wood furniture, which is far better quality than today’s new furniture. Look for bargains on drapes and curtains. Some really good home decorator items can be found in garage sales. Don’t overdo it by decorating your house with a lot of un-needed junk; keep it simple and tasteful.
My home is around 3,000 square feet. It was a foreclosure when I bought it and needed some aesthetical repair. Over the years, it has been transformed into a gorgeous home, and the work was done by me. Even in a down market, it is still worth twice the original cost.
(2). Save your money and buy an older used car. If you shop wisely, you can get a good car with many miles left to serve you. Even if you do have to invest some in repair, it will be far less than the huge monthly payments on a new car. I bought and paid cash for a 5-year-old Jeep Wrangler with 68 thousand miles; it looked great. Five years later I’m still driving it, still looks great, and the retail price is near the same as when purchased. I hope that it will last another 5 years. There’s only been one small repair bill.
(3). Shop wisely for your clothes; the best time to buy is at the end of the season when you can buy clothes for up to 75% off the original price. Last year I bought a beautiful, unique sport shirt that originally listed for $98 for $12.99. I bought a leather dress sport coat in July for a $132 that originally listed for over $300.
There was a time when buying used clothes would have been out of the question, but now I frequent Goodwill. A pair of dress shoes that looked brand new that sold for around $350 on the internet, cost $7.99 at Goodwill. Levies jeans that look just the same as those that cost $50 new, cost $7.95. A brand new George Forman grill cost $2.99.
(4). Buy some of your groceries at a discount grocery. The brands are not ones you’re familiar with, but you will find that they are even better than known brands, and the savings are great. The only negative is that you will probably have to go to the regular super market also to fill all your needs. Another way to save is by using coupons. Usually the Sunday paper or mail outs will supply you with the coupons you need, or you can print them from the Internet. Read some of the informative articles on the Internet about using coupons.
(5). Today one of the big expenses is fuel for your car. You can save yourself a lot of time and money by planning your trips to make several stops with just one trip. Save energy at home by monitoring your thermostat closely. Keep doors closed, and lights and appliances turned off when not in use.
Conclusion:
This is by no means an exhaustive list of every way to simplify your life, but these mentioned are some of the major ones; this is a good start for you. When I was fed up with the rat race and decided to simplify my life, it took a couple of years to get the job done. It will probably take you some time also.
If you have credit card bills, or you are living in a home much above your means, and driving a car with high monthly payments, it will take time to downsize and pay off your bills, but it will be worth all your effort. The simple life is a great and rewarding way to live.
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who’s been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. He is a dedicated believer in Jesus Christ and considers helping others his calling in life. His websites contains over 600 articles on preparing yourself for success and better living through personal development.
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