Frugal Living Today

When it comes to frugality and simple living I have come a long way this past year but I’m not there yet.  There, in my case, is the realization of my dream to live a self-sufficient lifestyle on a large piece of land that is secluded from the so-called civilized world.  I want a buffer zone between my life and the nearest city or town because I don’t want to have to deal with zoning and building codes when it comes time to build my chicken coop or a new barn.  I realize that before that dream can actually happen I need to be not only financially ready but also emotionally ready.

Giving up cigarettes last week was a step in that direction, as are my efforts to improve my overall health and fitness level.  I’m working hard to streamline my life and to better organize my life and my work to make them both more efficient, effective and productive.  Doing more in less time is the goal, but only when I don’t have to sacrifice quality for speed.

I have been spending the last few days updating my address book and filling in my day planner for 2009 with all of those dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) that you shouldn’t forget but always do.  One of my resolutions for this new year is to do better about staying in touch with people in my life.  If that means I send an email, make a phone call or actually sit down and hand write a letter, I’ll do it because people are important to me and I haven’t done a good enough job in 2008 of showing them.