Granola is not my preferred food, I never eat it, nor do I like the taste of Kefir. I don’t take vitamins, probiotics, algae or ground sharks fins into a healthy morning smoothie. But if you do that’s fine. I drink coffee and eat a homemade cookie. This slow year is just me learning how to get close to nature—mother earth—by not abusing her (not shopping and thus not throwing trash into her soil, not furthering farmers to destroy the land with pesticides, nor the unfair treatment of people all over this globe).
I don’t have the answers. Everyday I learn something new and I pass it on. One thing is for sure, anyone can do this. If I: a total shopping whore who drove an SUV, worked in a business that involved shipping alcohol containers into the states on major polluting cargo ships(2000 times more polluting than a big diesel truck), flew to Europe and beyond ten or more times a year- hell, I flew to Paris for the weekend from the West Coast to see my boyfriend (now my husband), then so can you.
Where to start? Stop shopping. That’s it, plain and simple. Stop the influx of “stuff” into your household. For one thing, it will cut down on the trash significantly and you will start to think outside of your norm in an easy non confronting way. Think of it as a game, as I do when thinking of things to make for dinner using what I have on hand. In March, we will start to buy food again, but I have learned yet again, that we had more than we needed to not grocery shop even for 2 months. But start slow, stop buying clothes first, make some or refashion clothes into works of art and see how great you feel about yourself. Then cut out all shopping except food and see how much better you feel. The albatross lifted from your neck!
Once a month or so, I will do a post like this for anyone out there that wants to start a slow year or even a slow life with advice on how to get there. If you have subjects that you want me to touch on, let me know in the comments section. I’ll try to be your catalyst to jumpstart your slow year.
17 Comments:
With the U.S. economy on the skids to recession and unemployment rising every American will willing or unwilling put on the brakes for shopping. And that's a fact.
This is exciting. I am glad you are helping us. Taking it one step at a time makes sense. It's a bit overwhelming to stop shopping "cold turkey" but this is a more realistic approach.
I agree that we in the U.S. had better learn to deal with living more simply. With things going the way they are, we may have no choice.
I think that personally I would have to learn how to cook before I could stop shopping. I buy almost all of my food prepared, so I would be in a lot of trouble with out it. But this is a good idea!
Thank you, Riana! Your blog really is an inspriration.
I guess I am living a slow year to some extent -- and I happened upon it by accident. It came as a surprise to me that I could not produce as much breast milk as I needed when Kate was only 4 months old. I hated the idea of supplementing with commercial formula but I didn't know of any other alternatives (I didn't like the idea of breast milk banks either since you don't really know where it's coming from).
Then my Great Uncle Roy in Ohio (in his 80s, he reads me blog daily) emailed me a link to the Weston A. Price website. I learned how to make homemade formula from raw milk and all natural organic ingredients.
I joined a couple of Weston A. Price Foundation mailing lists online to help me with the formula making. As I read others' posts, I learned all kinds of things. I switched to cloth diapers, started learning how to make homemade cleaners, etc. etc. The next thing I knew I was making kefir and kombucha and planning to quadruple the size of my vegetable garden.
I find that I no longer have a need to go to the mall. Shopping seems ridiculous to me now. And the only things I buy from the grocery store are white vinegar, Borax, and washing soda (for homemade cleaning supplies).
I think one thing leads to another. You do one little thing, then another, then another. It's all so exciting to me.
And I also think that when we share our ideas online, we help each other.
So thank you thank you thank you for your wonderful blog. I read it every day now. :-) Keep up the good work!
This is exactly what is needed! Hopefully this will help lots of people feel less overwhelmed and ready to take the first step, or the second, or third...
I always find your blog so inspiring. I think I'm doing pretty well with not shopping a lot, recycling what we have, and in general living within our means but you have often pointed out new ideas that I haven't thought of and generally kept me on track!
-Dana
Hi Riana,
I would love a post once in awhile with ideas on how to take baby steps to help those of us who might be struggling to get into a slow year. My main downfalls are:
1/ Even though I can go without buying clothes because I don't like shopping in itself, I do like to feel like I look put together at work and always feel like I have to update my wardrobe once or twice a year. I have been better about this, especially with shoes (haven't bought a pair of shoes since last summer) and have tried putting together different outfits with what I already have. Hopefully, when the sewing machine is repaired, I'll be able to make more clothes and dresses and such for work. As for the kids, they are good through this summer and next winter and luckily E could care less about clothes. We recently had to buy him a suit for 2 weddings this summer but he hasn't bought clothes in years.
2/ Groceries: I know we could save on groceries, big time. Our problem is that we don't really calculate what we need during the week. I try to make menus, but even if I do, we end up going 3 or 4 times to make little trips and during each trip, we end up buying random stuff we don't need. Right now, we are really focusing on trying to only buy what we need. I am tempted to just use what we have in the freezer and in the pantry for the next month and see where it will get us. My husband also has an evil Diet Coke addiction. And, it is seriously an addiction. We spend probably 50 euros a month on that. He is conscious of this and said he might be willing to maybe cut down (if he can!).
Besides that, we rarely take the car, we never go out to eat or do any type of social activity that would require us to spend and every month we see how much in debt we are and ask ourselves, where did we spend our money? Well, our car is a big chunk of that and it will be paid off in September. Anyway, we need to cut down expenses majorly so that we can afford to do the one thing we love: travel. I have started making our own toothpaste and cleaning products, we cloth diaper, so we are on our way... But some of our ideas could help us, I think.
I feel so guilty now every time I take my garbage down to the garbage can. How do we make so much is such a short time? There are only two of us. I'm going to plant a huge vegetable garden this year-that will surely help.
i really love reading your posts. they give me lots to think about and ideas to use in my own home. i have a different lifestyle than many. we are military. and we live in military housing. planting an actual garden isn't something i can do. i have thought about getting pots, but i'm not a big gardener person, and i know i would kill it. we move frequently and so it isn't the easiest thing to find local farmers markets, if there are any. i can't build a fire, and i can't really barter. what i do do, is i recycle like crazy. i buy organic at the commissary and recycle recycle. our bin is always overflowing. i've thought about other things i might be able to do, but i'm not coming up with anything. if you come across anything or you have any idea's of things that i might be able to do regardless of where i live, that would be awesome. oh, and i do try to buy more from ebay rather than go to stores. and etsy. i pass along my kids clothes to those that need them and i love handmedowns. i'm not a sewer, but i can do a straight stitch if i had a machine. this is getting long....so, if there is something that you can suggest that i can do, i would love it!
Really looking forward to receiving snippets on how to start the slow life ... we're heading off on our travels in just over two months and we are going to have to be really thinking about everything we buy, eat and do. Your advice would be appreciated!
I've been inspired to do a lot of things by your blog -- the latest is joining a local community supported agriculture organic farm. In exchange for a small fee and working on the farm one day per month in the summer I get weekly allotments of fresh, organic food. I feel good supporting sustainable agriculture and strengthening the local food supply and farmers. I personally like your posts like the one on Feb. 1st (Is That Really Organic?) Please do more of those!
However, one thing I'm dying to know ... I want a play by play of what you cook every night! When I try to "waste not" I get sick of my recycled leftovers. I know your skills are way over my head in the cooking department but I've gleaned some great ideas from you. I can't bake so I'm looking forward to making the no fuss bread recipe that you linked to a few days ago (I'm obviously behind in reading because I like to follow most of the links in your posts)...
Mimi
mimi-- that is so awesome! what a great opportunity. ohh, you have to check out my flickr photo page, i have been posting the food that i have been making almost nightly! a lot of creativity going on.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81951381@N00/2243645785/
thanks for the sweet comment!
best,
riana
Hi Riana,
I just found your blog via google while looking for a link to the original 'pledge' you refer to in your Aug 3, 07 post. We've just taken it too, more or less (not being so strict as you about thrift shopping, I really need to learn to sew... but happily I was just gifted a *stack* of lovely hand-me-downs from a friend, so I'm set for years!)(and I hate clothes shopping anyway, so that part's easy for me).
Anyway, I love this post on how to start. I am desperately trying to simplify our lives (for reasons of the environmental, ethics, and economics), but mostly I am only doing it in my head so far...
I just love this post! What an amazing challenge!! One way I serve my family is I have a 100% chemical free home! I do not use chemicals to clean with. First I get super ill and have major allergies, but second all the research I have done and educated myself on has been priceless and convinced me of the change. We are so much healthier! I have always been a perfectionist so my house is most always spotless, even with kids (mental I know!) but there is this light step feeling and a crisp smell in the air that I get loads of compliments on and happily I educate others about. Even my 90 year old Grandmother who is a hortoculturalist and into all natural things grown has converted. She actually has a cleaning lady as she is not as mobile to do it on her own, but even the cleaning lady does it in her home now. I feel this was the first step for me to convert my family to be more "Slow". I will have to take notes and do what I feel I can in honoring the earth more. Thank you for the inspiration!
Warmly,
Molly
This is so great. If everyone would just cut back a little (or a lot) or even just make one simple change, together we can all make an impact.
First off, unplug the t.v. for anything other than video games and movies. Broadcast t.v. is THE TOOL that "they" use to make you the dirty consumer that you are. Without unplugging the t.v., it will be impossible to change your lifestyle. Planting a garden isn't as easy as just throwing seeds in some dirt... if you want good results that is. It takes years of practice, study, and, *gulp* HARD WORK. The fruits of your labor are quite worth it though! Most people don't even KNOW what a fresh tomato tastes like! I sure didn't! As for buying stuff, if you followed my first bit of advice, then you should be fine. Clothes last a long time if you take care of them. That means no driers. Bikes and feet work wonders for short trips. Most people could live perfectly acceptable lives with houses that are a third to a quarter of the size of those that they currently live in. Efficient appliances, or no appliances at all, will make a huge difference in things. Finally, the truth of the matter is, contrary to what green-washing companies would have you believe, is that sometimes having less is better. Look at what you REALLY need to survive, and then draw your lines as to how far you are willing to cut back in luxuries. To one person a swimming pool could be a luxury, where the next guy sees a bathtub as a luxury. Good luck.
I've got so much to learn, and I welcome that challenge. I'm so ready for the school year to be over. I look forward to slowly working in the garden and really teaching-teaching my boys how to think, learn, explore, and live. We have so much to do, but I really believe it's possible. It has to be possible, or we're in big trouble. Thanks so much for starting the blog. I look forward to reading what you share.
~Shannon
Post a Comment
<< Home