January 10th, 2008 was the day we took a huge step on our road toward simplicity. We didn't know it at the time; we were driving a car loaded full of our belongings up the West Coast from Southern California, destination: the promised land of Portland, Oregon.
After serving our country for ten years, my husband, Nathan, decided it was time for a change. We had met and married while both in the military and stationed in Japan. He didn't like where things had headed politically, and his long absences were taking a toll on our relationship as well as the relationship with our son, Seth. He was also doing something he was good at, but was not his passion.
We were scared to death of this step. We had a bit money, a load of debt, and no job or house lined up. Fortunately, I have a cousin who was willing to put up with us for a few weeks while we figured all that out. After three weeks, we had a well-paying job and an apartment. Fortune favors the brave, indeed.
It was during this time that I attended a workshop through a meetup group. It was about living sustainably on a budget (Monique, the instructor, has gained quite of bit of notoriety since!). I had little idea about sustainability, and even less about what it meant to live on a budget. You'd think I'd know, given the paltry military pay, however, we never paid rent or utilities. And, of course, we were very unconscious about our financial situation.
So I started a blog. A blog about being frugal, getting out of debt, living sustainably, and in the end, as it turns out, living simply. "Living [Frugally] Well" is an attempt to experiment with extreme frugality, but maintaining a feeling of well-being as well. It also chronicles our journey out of the debt hole we were in (and still are). Some experiments failed, like my attempt to use baking soda for shampoo that left my head irritated and with several sores. Others were successful, like our small patio garden that yielded enough tomatoes to make spaghetti.
Our most recent experiment is one with simplicity: a 747 sq. ft. one-bedroom apartment, squeezing in two adults and a rapidly growing three-year-old. The biggest lesson so far has been letting go of my attachment to "stuff", the rush I get when I see that the new used book I ordered from Amazon has arrived, the desire to add more yarn to my stash so I can start yet another knitting project.
I'm excited about being a part of these journals, I know that I can only learn more, and be encouraged more.
Maria
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I love your story! I haven't tried baking soda on my hair yet, but I use diluted apple cider vinegar and so far it works well! (Honey for conditioner if needed).
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible journey. Thank you for sharing that with us. I haven't tried using baking soda or apple cider vinegar...but I do use honey to wash my face. I love it and can tell the difference when I don't use it.
ReplyDeleteHi Maria, have to say I visited your blog and loved your collection of books (some I've read and some not yet!)
ReplyDeleteI, too, took Monique's class and I've gone no poo for a few months here and there over the last few years ;) I started making my own soap and toothpaste last year and hope to add lotion, shampoo and deodorant--would love to hear about others attempts at these things!
I am curious about the no poo thing as well. Does anyone know how it does on curly hair?
ReplyDeleteI took Monique's class too. Half way through the class I after watching The Story of Stuff, I looked at my plastic water bottle and slinked down in my chair and realized I'm a part of the problem. LOL It was eye opening for sure.
ReplyDeleteI think what was most inspiring was how simple her diet was. I think I tend to overcomplicate meals WAY too much.
Anyway, I am stoked to check out your blog! Woohooo!
Thanks for sharing Monique's link... I'm looking forward to hearing more about her classes and ideas. I think you hit on one of the struggles many of us face as we try to downsize while also living in this culture. There is so much available and of interest! I'm looking forward to checking out your blog!
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