Someone recently asked why we have chosen this simple living
lifestyle. It’s a fair question, and one that I feel took me too long to
answer. But that’s how I am. Snappy comebacks come to me four hours too late –
and I usually never have a chance to use them again.
The essence of the answer is this: we want to be as healthy
as possible, and we want the planet to be as healthy as possible. For us to be
as healthy as possible, we need to reduce stress. For the planet to be as
healthy as possible, we need to reduce our consumption footprint.
How our move has reduced our stress levels
- The air is much cleaner here. Inhaling pollution is stressful to the body.
- We don’t have to listen to gas lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, and (evil) leaf blowers all week long.
- B has a lot of space to go wild in. He still somehow manages us to drive us crazy, but it’s not as bad as it was in the city. And I don’t have to spend ninety minutes a day taking him to a park to play. Having more time in a day does wonders to alleviate stress.
- I was getting frustrated with the limited space I had to garden in, which was causing me stress. Tons of space equals less stress for me.
- J didn’t like his job; he is now fulfilling one of his dream of writing a novel. Doing what you love might perhaps take most of the stress out of your life.
- We no longer have a Property Standards department breathing down our necks and measuring the height of the weeds in the alley.
- J and I were tired of the stinky, noisy, closed-in city. We’re quiet people and we wanted to live in a quieter place. Living a lifestyle that fits your temperament reduces stress.
How our unconventional home choices are reducing/going to reduce stress
- Having indoor plumbing was a major cause of both maintenance expense and stress several times when we lived in Plano. We will never have to hire a plumber to fix a toilet, tear apart a shower, or break a hole in the ceiling to repair a leaky pipe.
- Small/tiny houses equal minimized heating and cooling bills. The less money you need, the less stressful life is.
- They also equal a lot less time cleaning.
- And a lot less money and time to maintain.
- They leave a lot more money in the bank account, which means you don’t have to work as much to live in it.
- An earth-sheltered house (even a large one) is extremely low-maintenance.
- There’s a lot less damage B can do in a small house that isn’t plumbed. Seriously. Some of you think I’m kidding.
How our choices are helping the planet
- We don’t waste water flushing a toilet.
- The contents of the composting toilet are used as fertilizer.
- An earth-sheltered home doesn’t take up land space, because it is buried and you can plant stuff on top of it.
- A tiny/small house reduces pollution by reducing energy needs.
- It also reduces the amount of stuff you can have, which automatically reduces the amount of garbage you ultimately produce.
I could think of more, but…
That’s enough to answer the question, “Why have you chosen
this simple lifestyle?”
Oh, I forgot the most important reason: God has called us to
it.
Happy reading!
Emily Josephine
