A Simple Kind of Life

My friend has a blog and her latest update was about saving money which got me thinking.

I had a conversation recently with my husband that started with me saying, "Aren't you glad I'm not one of those women who has to have designer everything?". His response shocked me. He looked at me and said something along the lines of "I like that you're content to live a simple life. I don't think things would have worked out if it were any different". I never really thought of myself as a simple girl before. I enjoy a designer handbag as much as the next materialistic girl. The difference is that I don't buy it, no matter how cheap it is. And then I started thinking about how almost everything in my life has come about secondhand.

My house wasn't built for me. It's as old as I am and has had countless owners.
Our living room furniture is all secondhand. Except the tv. The very couch I'm sitting on was negotiated to be kept during the sale process of buying our house. Almost all of Ryan's clothes and toys are secondhand. Most of my clothing is not secondhand, nor is Paul's, but I do own a few pair of secondhand shoes and tops. I mostly shop secondhand because I like to save money, but there's more to it than just saving money. It's about living simplistically. Because even buying stuff that's less expensive than actual retail price is still buying stuff. And accumulating stuff. And spending ridiculous amounts of money on stuff. Just stuff.

To me, it's not just about buying used items, it's about not buying the item at all. There was a big toy consignment sale this weekend. I love consignment sales. I haven't missed one since I was pregnant. I didn't go to this one. Instead, I stayed home with my boys and played and saved my pocketbook some dollars. I understand why people fill their homes with things they love. I've lost my treasured items to fire. twice. So to me, it is what it is...just stuff. And not worth the money, no matter how great of a deal it is.

That being said, we are very fortunate to be able to afford the things we wish. I guess it's a trade off. Some people love to shop. I love to have my house cleaners come and scrub my toilets and baseboards so I don't have to!