Monday 5 January 2015

My Musings ...... and this Years Subtitle


I said at the end of the last post that I would share my 'musings' with you.  Well I've been missing an extra day purely because apart from being very busy, I've been doing lots of thinking about the coming year.

Every year I give the Blog a subtitle, the previous ones are always on the sidebar but as a refresher this is what they are -

2009 - From Townies to Country Folk
2010 - Pigs and Chickens
2011 - Our Year of Living Simply
2012 - From Simple to Frugal ... and Beyond
2013 - The Year of Less
2014 - Back to Basics

I was racking my brain to think of this years subtitle, and if truth be known I'm still not entirely sure.  We are still at heart townies on our way to becoming country folk although we have learnt so much over the last few years.  We still have our chickens, although there won't be any pigs joining us for the next couple of years.  We are still living simply, not as simply as I would like but we are working on that and the journey is ongoing.  

We do live simply and in some ways frugally but not entirely so, enough however for us. We do own less, less than we have for a long time, but this is still a work in progress, on a daily basis in fact.  Although last year was subtitled 'Back to Basics' we didn't entirely get there due to the planning permission taking so long to enable us to get the polytunnel and net tunnel erected.  They will be completed in the next few weeks thank goodness and this year we will be growing and eating our own food at last.  But I won't be repeating a sub heading.

So what to aim for this year?

My mind has been all over the place, my first idea was a year of not spending,  but Lovely Hubby pointed out we will be having the garage and workshop built and things are bound to be needed, and not spending in the house but spending on other things would make things 'bitty' and complicated.

I had other ideas, lots of them but one by one they were disregarded as too extreme, to time consuming or just two wacky.  What I have decided on after much deliberation is something that has been rolling around in my head for a long time, in fact since I put this on my sidebar!!

..

I don't need lots of things anymore, I don't need excess of anything.  I know what's important in my life and that is the people and the animals, and then much further down the list .... the things that I do truly need, the food, the clothes, the day to day household things etc.

So this year is going to be all about 'needs not wants'.


The picture at the top of the post and shown again here, taken from Google Images, sums it up simply and beautifully.  If you buy what you do not need you are stealing from yourself.  

If you go out and buy that lovely handbag whether it be with cash or on a credit card because you want it and not because you need it as you have no other, you are stealing money from yourself that could most likely be better used elsewhere.  Maybe an emergency will crop up and the money would have helped, or maybe you are plunging yourself just that little bit deeper into debt .... or in our case if we buy something that we truly do not need we are delaying by the hour, day, week or month the day our mortgage will be paid off and we will own our home and little slice of Welsh hillside lock, stock and barrel.

So for this year the subtitle of the Blog will be 'Needs not Wants' a reminder to me when I come on here to post each day that if I need it I can have it, but if I want it I have to think about it just a little bit more.

And in the time honoured tradition of me, this Blog and the new year I have already started a little Challenge linked to the Sealed Pot.  I've rambled on quite enough for today so I'll be back in the morning with my plan .... although I'm sure a lot of you will guess .... and it links quite nicely with the whole 'needs not wants' ethos.

Sue xx


16 comments:

  1. I totally agree, needs not wants is the way to go x

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  2. I've finally got myself to a point where i can walk away from desirables in shops and get just as good a buzz as buying them used to bring. This is indeed progress for me. Your blog and others have helped me with this mind set.
    Not acquiring is empowering.

    Jean
    x

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  3. I just dont leave the house now! lol it saves me a fortune. There isnt anything I need or want other than a pair of shoes I have seen in Russell and Bromley and they are staying in the shop as they are £165! no no no.

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  4. There's so much more pleasure to be gained when you buy needs not wants - I enjoy shopping for basics but don't like the feelings I get when I imagine I want something. Good luck with this!

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  5. Great idea, just take the time to consider what you really need as opposed to just want.

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  6. Very nicely put. I think a lot of us are feeling like this.

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  7. That sounds great Sue a good plan. I am trying to do something similar although it is more out of necessity as I have to move house (and workshop) soon so the less I have to move the better! It has highlighted just how much I have accumulated over the past few years here. I was thinking of doing the 365 de-cluttering which you did before, do I need to link in with anyone for that if I do?
    Sal x

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  8. My shopping list tells me what I need & the wants stay put!
    Good plan, Sue.

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  9. I steal money from myself frequently it seems. I do think long and hard before I buy myself something though to the extreme that Mike would buy me said item. I do try & buy useful stuff though & haven't bought a new handbag in three years.

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  10. Just beautiful, Sue and so true. I must remember this whenever I feel like buying something I don't need. Must admit, I HATE buying new clothing now (the price makes my eyes water) but do splurge on good quality, 2nd hand clothing (I have a corporate job so must look good).

    I printed out your "the most important things ..." when I first saw it, framed it (2nd hand shop) and got a beautiful stand for it (2nd hand again) and it sits on my kitchen mantle piece for all to see - that has been my mantra for many years.

    Up and onwards for another greater year!

    Love
    DeeJay from New Zealand

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  11. Hi, Sue...I like this theme. I also don't want anymore things. If it is practical, that's one thing, but nothing else to sit around and collect dust.

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  12. What a great post, Sue! When I first started to live more simple, I thought it would be hard not to buy things. Now I don't actually want these things anymore. It's a fantastic transformation!
    Wishing you all the best for 2015!
    Frances

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  13. I'm having a major clear out at the moment and it's shocked me how much money we used to waste buying rubbish. These days, we only buy what we really need. I can't bear being surrounded by clutter and just want to have what we need and a few favourites around us. It's a good feeling taking things we no longer use or want to the charity shop so that hopefully, someone else will be able to use them. Also, decluttering should cut down on the time it takes to clean and tidy the house.

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  14. I love your idea of a subheadings. And your choice this year is great, I often say that phrase. I think mine this year will be the year of getting organised! I'm so disorganised its embarrassing!

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