You may have heard of the acronym of K.I.S.S.—Keep it simple, stupid. While not wanting to call anybody stupid, it is fairly easy to see the wisdom of the KISS theory towards living your life. Here is a short list of some of the many benefits:
Finding pleasure
How many times have you heard the expression “it’s the little things that mean the most”? What could be simpler than a walk in the country for some fresh air? Living simpler means you don’t need a convertible with all the associated costs and maintenance to essentially get the same pleasure and benefit?
Enjoyment is easier to find.
Eating out or eating in. This one decision has a dramatic impact on so many households. If you can be content to cook at home and have leftovers for a meal, it does make life much simpler and affordable than choosing a place to eat every single night. And if you want to enjoy a night out at fine restaurant, you actually have the resources to do so and not worry about the check.
Living within your means.
When you choose to live more simply, you tend to stay within your means. Let’s face it, that’s where people run into the most difficulty. A great case in point is the above example of a walk in the woods versus a convertible. The walk in the woods won’t put anybody over budget. The convertible, with its initial price, insurance, maintenance, etc. just might.
Lifestyle inflation
One of the many benefits of living within your means is you are less susceptible to lifestyle inflation and your budget can remain fairly stable. You won’t feel the need to get a new automobile every other year. You are content with the dependable vehicle you have that gets you from Point A to Point B efficiently. As long as the upkeep doesn’t seriously impact your budget, why change for the sake of changing?
Reduce the influence of trends and advertising
Let’s be honest. Many people make purchases based on advertising we see or trend we read about. By not trying to keep up with the Joneses, these campaigns have minimal impact on your buying decisions. You buy to make you happy, not impress others.
Living life with more gratitude.
Now, you might be thinking you can have gratitude and expensive tastes. Perhaps. Yet how grateful can you be for a non-essential item you know you will replace within a year or two? Living simpler as a lifestyle choice tends to make us more grateful for what we have rather than thinking about the next thing we want.
You would like to live simpler and aren’t sure how to get started, give me a call at 508-246-6120.
