Simplify Life.
"Do nothing which is of no use." — Miyamoto Musashi
You are not what you own or do or what you achieved in life, learn to love yourself and be content where you are now. Embrace life for where you are and be happy with now. You do not have to be consumed with everything, if you are not happy with nothing then stuff will not bring you joy.
1. We do not own any books, CD's or any DVD's. With every book etc, on a digital platform no one needs to own these things between streaming, spotify and all the other services it gives you the freedom not to own these stuff. We also make use of public libraries, having less does not mean you have to not read.
2. We do not have a stove, oven or a microwave. We have one induction plate and it serves us well. I hate cooking so we try and keep cooking to a minimum. We do not waste food as too many people go hungry every day. When we eat out we share a meal and we never waste.
3. We own a small bar fridge as we prefer to buy fresh food daily.
4. We do not own a iron and an ironing board, who has time just hang your stuff nicely.
5. We have no T.V. We can stream anything from our laptop and in our free time we rather do things that enrich our lives.
6. We don't own a braai as we prefer Indian food and hate smelling like smoke.
7. We don't own any couches as we visit around our dining room table. The few art pieces we have bring us joy and for the rest remember you cannot take anything to your grave.
8. We believe that if you have not used something in 6 months it must go and if something new comes in something old must go.
9. My hubby is a firm believer to only have stuff that has a purpose and brings joy. If you have no use something thank it for the purpose it served and let go. Live in the moment not the past or future.
10. Remember to declutter your digital space, clearing your inbox, removing unused apps and spending less time on social media.
11. We only have one car, one bank account, one computer as we can share these things. We also do not own lots of tools etc. because if you need a drill you can just hire it.
12. We owe no money to no one, if we cannot pay cash for it we do not buy it. We do not want to be slaves to no one. We do not want to waste money in buying stuff just so that we can impress people. There is more to life than working, buying, consuming and then dying.
13. We do not spend money on expensive jewellery, I have my wedding ring and that is all. I am also a firm believer in fixing things and getting the most out of the things I own, for example I have a dress I wear at least twice a month and it is 20 years old, I still have the same running pack as 13 years ago, my Doc Martins are twenty years old and I use something till it is really finished.
14. The most important lesson is to give because it is only by giving that we become who we meant to be. Give freely of your time, talents, passion and your money.
We should be people that consume less and are less wasteful.
We're wasteful in many interconnected ways, often without even realizing it. Here’s a breakdown of some major areas where waste happens:
1. Food Waste
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Scale: Roughly one-third of all food produced globally is wasted—around 1.3 billion tons per year.
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Where it happens:
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Production: Crops left unharvested, animals slaughtered but not sold.
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Retail: Perfectly edible food discarded due to appearance or expiration dates or stocking your shelves with rubbish that will only clutter peoples life's.
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Households: People buying more than they need, or letting food spoil. We have become a world filled with consumerism and wastefulness.
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2. Energy Waste
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Fossil fuels: Burned inefficiently in outdated vehicles, power plants, and homes. Instead of driving a fuel efficient car people want the best a biggest car even when they cannot really afford it.
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Electricity: A large portion is lost during transmission or through inefficient appliances.
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Lights and devices: Left on when not needed, consuming electricity for no benefit.
3. Material Waste
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Plastics: Single-use packaging is a massive contributor to pollution—often used for minutes, then discarded for centuries.
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Fast fashion: Clothes are produced cheaply, worn a few times, then thrown away.
- Electronics: Devices designed to be hard to repair or upgrade become e-waste quickly.
- Paper: Paper waste is generated in high volumes through daily, often unnecessary usage at homes, schools, and offices, totalling over 50 million tons annually. Major culprits include printing unused documents, high-volume junk mail, packaging, and improper recycling, such as tossing contaminated, greasy, or coated items into recycling bins.
- Office and School Waste: Printing documents that are never read, using single-sided printing, excessive photocopying, and disposing of confidential documents instead of recycling them.
- Packaging: Excessive use of cardboard boxes, paper wrappers, and shipping materials, much of which is immediately discarded.
- Disposable Products: Using paper towels, paper napkins, paper cups, and paper plates instead of reusable alternatives.
- Unwanted Mail/Publications: Unread newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and junk mail that go directly into the trash.
- Improper Recycling: Mixing non-recyclable materials (greasy pizza boxes, plastic-coated paper, stickers) with clean paper, which spoils entire batches.
4. Water Waste
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Agriculture: Over-irrigation, inefficient watering techniques.
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Urban areas: Leaky infrastructure, overuse in homes and businesses.
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Consumer behavior: Long showers, watering lawns in drought-prone areas.
5. Waste of Human Potential
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Education: Millions never receive basic schooling.
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Inequality: Structural issues prevent people from contributing meaningfully to society.
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Underemployment: Talented individuals stuck in jobs far below their potential.
6. Built Environment
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Urban sprawl: Low-density development leads to more car use, longer commutes, and resource-hungry infrastructure.
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Vacant properties: Thousands of buildings sit empty while others go homeless.
7. Economic and Policy Waste
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Subsidies: Billions go to industries that harm the planet (e.g., fossil fuels).
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Military spending: Some argue vast military budgets divert resources from social and environmental needs.
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