Affordable Living Can be Rich Living
Call it the affordable living philosophy. It’s not called cheap living, for a reason. Cheap implies that I’m going to have to eat plain white rice and wear last decade’s clothing for years to come. Not so.
Affordable living can be rich living, in a number of ways.
Material things become less important and more accessible, when you’re living affordably. When you’re in the mindset of shopping less, buying less, making considered purchases, you have an opportunity to reflect before you buy. “Do I really need this?” “Could I get it less expensively and more affordably if I waited?” If so, usually by the time I wait to buy it, I no longer want it. And considering purchases carefully, I leave more available dollars for those items I really do need, or want. This enriches my life, to spend less on and care less about materials things, and really savor those things I DO buy.
Good stewardship becomes easier to achieve. Having less means I have less to take care of and keep up. I am enriched by the joy of taking better care of what I have so that it lasts longer and stays in good repair. As I come to view my possessions as ones I’ll need to live with for awhile, I’m encouraged to take better care of them, and appreciate them more. Spending less also means I have more to give to others in need, or to save for the future. That’s good stewardship.
Admitting to others that I’m into affordable living gives them permission to live affordably, too. I’m sick of keeping up with the Joneses. I gave it up long ago. Come to find out, as Dave Ramsey says, “Forget about keeping up with the Joneses. They’re broke!” One thing this down economy has blessed us with is the chance to “get real” with friends, family and neighbors. And authenticity, for me, has led to greater intimacy. I surround myself with people who share a common appreciation for living affordably, or at least, I’ve become more comfortable with being honest about being budget-conscious. Usually I find that instead of turning people off, it helps them relax around me and feel like they, too, can ‘be real’. No one has it all. The ones who seem to, often have all the worry, debt and angst that goes along with trying to seem like they have it all. Being real and open about living affordably has enriched my friendships because we’re honest with one another, and our friendship isn’t about stuff. It’s about people.
Living affordably means living with greater peace. When I live within my means, I don’t have to lie awake at night thinking of the credit card interest growing, or the purchase I just made that I can’t afford, or the gift I just bought that’s too lavish and too expensive to make either me or the recipient comfortable. I am making time to notice the simple things in life, enjoy them more and worry less. And greater peace is a good thing.