Don't Just Do Something; Sit There!

Sometimes the best pro-active approach is an inactive one, especially when it comes to saving money and/or leading a life of simplicity.

It seems we've been trained by the media and our culture, here in the U.S. anyway, to always be on the go. Go shopping. Go to the movies. Go out to dinner.

Or we're expected to do. Take a look at magazine ads and billboards and you'll see that most of them center around a verbal command -- they literally command us to do something. Try this new restaurant. Experience that new shopping center. Fly ABC airline or drive XYZ car.

I think it's time we slow down a little. Instead of going out to a movie, why not stay home and play cards? Instead of checking out the new shopping center, why not check out a library book? Instead of trying the new restaurant, why not ... oh, who am I kidding? I'm all for trying a new restaurant.

But my point is this: Go and do when it's a true need or desire, but don't fall into the trap of always looking outside your home, or yourself, to make your life more fulfilling, more exciting, more interesting or more anything. Learn to enjoy the pleasure of just sitting around "doing nothin'".

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A Little Thing To Save Money: Actually the inspiration for today's post, I knew I'd have about 35 minutes between dropping Kat off at daycare and my appointment to have the van inspected. I wouldn't have time to go home, and the first thought that crossed my mind was that I could go shopping for a short while. Then it hit me: shopping to kill time would be a waste of time and quite possibly, a waste of money. I grabbed a book and spent my free minutes reading.

A Little Thing To Simplify Our Lives: Try taking the evening off. Forget Christmas shopping, say no to the kids' activities, and forgo doing any extra chores. Relax and enjoy yourself for a few hours; the hustle and bustle will still be there tomorrow.