Maslow's Hierachy of Needs
Where to begin?
Frugal living is an artform, if approached the right way. By doing without, you can begin to glimpse within.
So many people in america have forgotten what it means. We all get caught in the hype of the next new thing, "oh- I HAVE to have THAT! It will make my life so much easier!! How did I ever live without it?!" While this is true for a very few things(running water, toilets, etc.), most of what we buy as essentials really aren't.
But of course we are bombarded by advertisement constantly and from all sides. It is hard to go through even one day without thinking 'I wish I had ___.' And the stores make it easy. You go to Wal-mart (or whatever store you care to name) to buy one thing and end up at home with several bags of things you just HAD to have.
This, in itself. is not really the root of the problem, just a side branch. I think the trouble lies more in our definitions of want and need. Too often a thing will seem like a 'need', when it is no more than a fleeting 'want'. The trick is knowing the difference BEFORE buying.
So how do we do this? I found inspiration in a book called The encyclopedia of country living by carla emory. She suggests making a list, needs and wants, side by side. Any time you think of something, you put it on the list, then wait for a week (I think she waits a month, ...) If you still feel like it is a need after this long, then it might be and you should go get it, but if you have not really been hurt by its absence, it should probably go to the want side. Then, after moving it to the want side, wait another week, to see if you really want it, or if it was a passing fancy.
I have to be honest... I have not physically written such a list, but I do use this constantly in my head, like a mental want/need list. I find that most things I want one day have been completely forgotten about in a week, while the few things that I need I think about every day. (Damn! We need more laundry powder!!)
And no, my house does not look remotely like the ones in Better Homes and Gardens, my dishes dont match, and my clothes are faded, but I am happy, I appreciate very much the things I DO have, and do not live in debt.
I will end this for now, although I could write disjointedly for hours more on the subject. Please give your ideas, how do you decide between needs and wants?
