Hanging out in Solvang CA with a Dutch Shoe

Summer’s here! This laid back season brings warmer weather, longer days, and of course vacations. I love to travel. Whether it’s a destination a few hours away from home or a locale on the other side of the globe, I love to get out and see the world.

Travel can be expensive if you’re not mindful of where your pennies are going. Many expenses such as transportation and lodging can’t be avoided. And of course we all have to eat and when in a new place, you of course want to sample the local cuisine. Checking out the local sights can also add up. What’s the point of traveling somewhere if you don’t pay to see what only that part of the world can offer?

Lots of good information can be found on the web about getting good deals on travel and how to see some really great places for as little money as possible. But what about souvenirs?

This is definitely one area that can either be completely avoided or where as little money as possible can be spent. Souvenirs are completely optional of course. No one is going to throw you out of the Louvre because you don’t buy anything from their souvenir shop.

Just to clarify, I don’t think of souvenirs as that gorgeous painting from a local artist that you decide to have shipped back home or the purchase of local wines, coffee, or chocolate. I don’t put those purchases in the same category as those useless little figurines, picture brochures, key chains, salt and pepper shakers, etc… we think we have to buy so we can remember our trip to Tokyo. These types of souvenirs add up and contribute to the clutter most of us constantly fight in our homes. We also have to lug souvenirs around in our luggage which can slow us down if you’re trying to travel light and free.

When I was in high school, I went to England shortly after Princess Diana got married. London was full of all things “Diana” and I did my part in contributing to the mania by buying Princess Diana picture books, dolls, plates and anything else I could get my hands on to commemorate my trip to London. Years later, I found all these items stored away in a chest. What was I thinking? I realized that any time I thought of my trip to England, I thought about the grandeur of Stonehenge, listening to the political debate in the Speaker’s Corner at Hyde Park, and touring Westminster Abbey. I thought of the picturesque little town of Bath, England and visiting the area of London where the Beatles once played. Never once did I reminisce about the Royal Wedding souvenirs I purchased with my hard earned babysitting money.

In my travels today, I no longer even waste my time going into those shops with all the little doo dads. No matter what part of the world you are visiting, most are made in China anyway. My digital camera creates my souvenirs. I take tons of pictures of places and things that I want to remember. The memories and experiences are more important to me and isn’t that why we travel in the first place? I know it’s why I love to travel.

As cold as it may seem, I very rarely shop for gifts for others when I visit a new place. I also don’t expect friends or family to bring me a souvenir spoon back from Bangkok or wherever it was they went. I would rather see pictures and hear about their trip because maybe one day I would like to visit there as well.

Of course, old habits do die hard for some people so if you are trying to get off the souvenir bandwagon, why not start slowly and collect matchbooks from the places you visit? If you go to a foreign country, why not bring back some postage stamps or save a few pieces of the local currency or coins? If you are used to collecting something from each trip at first it may seem strange to not come back with a bagful of useless novelties. I guarantee however that you’ll have a wonderful trip anyway. Your memories will be just as vivid without all the useless trinkets. You may even find that you have an even richer experience because you ‘re out there taking in more of your surroundings and not wasting precious time in the souvenir shop.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

Rorschach trying to figure out if these flowers are food

Why do the corporate mainstream media constantly refer to the American populace as consumers? It’s rather insulting. The implication is that our only purpose is to gobble up as many goods and services as our already over-extended credit cards will allow. What little doo-dad can I buy next to display on my shelf? What cheap piece of clothing can I buy to stuff into my already over- bulging closet? My car is over three years old so I must replace it with the newest most hip model! Before we know it, we have more crap than we know what to do with and a large chunk of our income is used to pay for things we never would have wanted had it now been for clever advertising!

Aw advertising! Yes, advertising is one of the key reasons people consume so much. Think about it. Would you have ever bought half the stuff you currently own had it not been advertised to you as a way to enhance your life and make it more complete? Most news outlets depend on advertising from their major corporate sponsors so it is in their best interest to keep us tied to the consumer bandwagon.

We are also told to be good Americans and buy lots of stuff so we can keep the economy going. It is after all our patriotic duty to spend because when we spend everyone benefits, right? Using this logic, we should all be sitting pretty because people have spent themselves silly yet still we have a huge gap between the rich and poor. Unemployment remains high and wages are stagnant. This is sort of like the “more tax cuts for corporations and the super wealthy” argument because doing so will create jobs. You know a rising tide lifts all boats, right? Well many boats are sinking. If these tax cuts are suppose to benefit us all then the last ten years should have brought us more jobs than we have people to fill them. But we all know that’s not the case.

It’s time to shift our thinking and start thinking of ourselves as citizens. The next time you hear some cable show talking head or some financial publication refer to you as a consumer, remind yourself that first and foremost you are a citizen. What’s the difference? Citizens are active participants who are mindful of the common good. They take an active role as opposed to a passive role. Consuming is passive. Being involved in our communities, questioning the way things are and coming up with solutions to make things better is active.

This shift in thinking from consumer to citizen is a huge step. After we make the transition from consumer to citizen, we can become more active in our communities and in the political process. All over the world, people are beginning to question their governments, corporations, and other societal institutions that hold way too much power. Consuming less and more mindfully gives us more time to be involved in work that benefits us all. It’s hard to work for social change when we are constantly at the mall or flipping through mail order catalogs.

I choose to be a citizen, how about you? Imagine the difference if the media started to refer to refer to us as citizens. Would we all start to take our roles much more seriously? Would we work more for change that benefited us all instead of constantly slapping down our credit cards for the latest gadget? Let’s rid ourselves of the consumer label once and for all and find out.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

My very tech savvy kitty on a stack of computer books

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Clothes, shoes, and electronic gadgets of all kinds are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the things we are constantly accumulating. My intention is not to knock any of these things as right or wrong because I have become one of the world’s worst when it comes to electronic gadgets. I have two laptops, a state of the art android cellular phone, an iPod, an iPod docking station, a Nikon Coolpix camera, a printer, a scanner, and I won’t embarrass myself further by naming all the other tech gadgets in my household.

I can try and excuse my gluttony by letting you know that I’m a great bargain shopper and have gotten very good deals on all I own. Some of it has even been free or found its way to me as gifts. Oh, and did I mention that my husband is a major techie and it’s rubbed off on me?  Not buying it huh? Neither am I. The truth is I have gleefully and willingly went along with each and every purchase and enthusiastically accepted each and every gift.

Assessing all of my geeky toys has however made me ponder the following question. How much is enough? Unless some invention like the Transporter on Star Trek suddenly comes to market and it can beam me to Bali and other exotic locales around the world in a matter of seconds, I think I just may have enough electronics for the time being. Side Note: I’m one of those people who are seriously waiting for the Transporter device and I would throw all my frugal skills out the door and go into massive debt to buy one. I currently carry no consumer debt but a Star Trek Transporter! Now that might be worth maxing out the credit card! You think I’m being funny but I’m not! I really really want a Transporter.

Over the last few years I’ve cut back drastically on clothes, make-up, and household décor items. It’s a good thing too because I’ve been busy buying tech gadgets! I have no idea what the runways of Milan and Paris are showcasing this fall. I have no idea about the latest eye shadow and lip glosses (and I’m sure it shows if you look at me) but I do know that e-book readers are going down in price. An electronic reader would be just the gadget to complement my minimalist identity. No more excess books lying around cluttering up my home because they would be neatly stored in my new e-book reader.

So what is the point of this post? The point is we live in a culture obsessed with having things and there is always some new thing vying for our attention. If not careful, we can spend all our time wanting and not appreciating what we already have. I went from giving up one category of things to collecting a brand new category of things. I love technology and I love my electronic gadgets. Technology has created some pretty cool products and they have made my life much easier and fun. I have connected with people around the globe thanks to technological advancements and the nifty little items that have come with them.

I’m realizing though that I’m on the brink right now. If I don’t’ stop and appreciate what I already have I run the risk of having so much that I can’t fully enjoy any of it. Years ago I realized that my life was so much easier when I had only a few clothing pieces that I adored. As a result I can now open my closet and anything I grab is a piece of clothing I’m crazy about and feel great in. I then began to downsize my kitchenware, my linen closet, and got rid of all those little tsotchkes I had setting around. I went from owning over a hundred books to about thirty. I began to feel lighter and not so overwhelmed.

As I travel down my minimalist path and seek to further downsize my possessions, it’s easy to substitute one consumerist habit for another. It’s easy to be judgmental of those at the mall buying what I may feel is useless paraphernalia. Are humans hardwired to always crave things or are our wants the result of advertising and societal pressure? I’m not an expert but it’s probably a combination of all of these things. I do know that I’m cultivating more awareness.  I’m learning how to better evaluate my material aspirations. I’m learning how to put the brakes on before I end up with too much and no time to enjoy any of it. I’m always searching for balance and just when I think I’m holding steady I tip over and have to get back up again.

For the time being I have more than my fair share of electronic gadgets. The time is ripe to start enjoying what I have and quit yearning for more. Unless of course that Star Trek Transporter becomes available. I’ll be the first in line!

Rorschach The Tiny Titan of Terror does not own a car. Thank Goodness!

The LA Times published an article this past Sunday on our nation’s growing unemployment rate.  Several people were interviewed about the hardships of long term unemployment. Most of these people talked about how they had depleted their savings and were worried about paying their bills and having access to affordable healthcare. Age worries were also of great concern since so many younger and older workers are having an especially difficult time in the current job market.

On the other end of the spectrum, a 33-year old man who had lost his $140,000 a year job in a Manhattan investment bank was profiled. He talked about how despite his MBA and law degree he was still unemployed. His situation had forced him to move back in with his parents in Malibu and trade commodities online from his home computer. Hey, if you’ve got to move back in with your parents, Malibu is not a bad place to be in my opinion. He stated this was not where he thought he would be at this time in his life. As I’m reading I’m thinking, yeah, I can relate because I’m not exactly where I envisioned myself being either. He then went on to say “I live with my parents and I drive a Saturn.” My first reaction after reading this was: “Are you kidding me? What’s wrong with driving a Saturn? And shouldn’t you have more pressing worries than the kind of car you are driving, like maybe getting a job?

After coming down from my high horse I began to put my judgment of him aside. He was only being honest about how he felt. However I still thought it sad that so many of us think our cars define us. Why is that? Well for starters, the car industry has done a big-time number on Americans. In addition to successfully making a large majority of our population dependent on cars for getting around, they have also talked us into the idea that our cars send out a signal to the world about what kind of people we are. If you buy (or in most cases go into major debt) for such and such vehicle, the car advertisers promise us we will be seen as successful or cool or sophisticated.

We have all at one time or another fallen prey to the “our car defines us” mentality. I admit that I have.  I’ve never been one to get overly enthused over cars and have been known to confuse a BMW with a Honda Accord.  However, in 2003, I purchased a used 2001 Toyota Hybrid Prius and boy was I excited! Not because I thought my car made me look cool or wealthy but because I thought it sent out a signal that I cared about the environment. Yes, I wanted to support this new green technology but I also wanted people to know I was a forward progressive thinker and doing my part to burn fewer fossil fuels. Ego is ego! I was still communicating some type of message about who I was and what I believed. So I really can’t fault Mr. Saturn Car Driver for wanting to send a message as well. His message may be different than mine but it’s all ego and if we’re really honest with ourselves-very silly!

I believe we are moving into an era where we are all going to be forced to lessen our consumption drastically. From the top down, downsizing and conserving will be the new norm.  We may not own as much and our possessions will be more of the practical kind and not for showing off.  When I lived in Manhattan in my younger years I did not own a car.  There were definitely times when I missed having one but looking back those years were pure freedom.  In many ways material possessions weigh us down and we miss out on life.

We are not our cars nor are we any of our other material possessions. Who we are has nothing to do with what we own but everything to do with what’s inside us. Are we compassionate people? Do we have love for our fellow human beings even when they are different from us? What we do defines us and I’m not talking about our jobs and careers either. Do we treat others with compassion? Do we help out others when they need us? What is our value system?

The next time you get into your car and start to feel either a bit cocky or “less than” because of what you drive remember your car has nothing to do with who you are as a person. Maybe you can let someone in front of you who is having a hard time merging into traffic. If someone does something really stupid that ticks you off give them a break. We all do stupid things from time to time when we are behind the wheel. Say a silent prayer that all those driving around you get to their destination safe and sound. Remind yourself that these kinds of acts of kindness define you a whole lot more than the big metal frame that surrounds you.

“Less is more.” - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

If there is a legal limit as to how many books on simplifying and de-cluttering that one can read, I have probably exceeded it. I’ve been “simplifying” for over a decade now and I’m always on the prowl for some new information that will finally turn me into that streamlined, simplified, minimalist person that I’ve always dreamed of becoming. It’s no wonder Francine Jay’s new book The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life is right up my alley!

I want to be that girl who can pack her bag for a trip overseas in 15 minutes because I have so few items in my boudoir. When people visit my home nothing would stroke my ego more than to have someone say “gee you own so little!” After reading this book and putting her practical yet inspiring advice into play, I may just become the person I have always fantasized about being. Yes, I know most normal people fantasize about lean bodies, lots of money, and satisfying careers. I admit it! I’m weird! But that’s a different topic and probably a different blog.

There are lots of books out there on living the minimalist life, but this book is different. It makes you want to run to your kitchen and start throwing out all those silver party trays you’ve had since you got married but never use. You suddenly feel inspired to get rid of your skinny clothes because the chances of fitting into a size 4 again are pretty slim (yes, pun intended!) I for one could not wait to hit my make-up drawer. I thought I was down-sized with my eleven compacts of eye make-up, five mascaras, 6 tubes of lipstick and various odds n ends that I haven’t touched in years much less put on my face. It was so liberating to throw out all those beauty supplies that I will never get around to using. And of course as the author reminds us, most make-up is not very sanitary after a year as it’s a cesspool for bacteria. Yuk!

The whole premise of this book is that having less stuff is the key to happiness. I couldn’t agree more. The thing I like most about this book is it doesn’t just tell you to start purging your possessions willy-nilly but it poses questions to ask yourself about everything that you own. The reader decides what gives their life value not the author. She guides you through the process and you come up with the answers.

Contrary to what the status quo would have us believe, having a lot of material possessions does not make us rich. Most of us have way too much stuff but not enough time to enjoy it all. This book is about the power of minimalist living. It’s about getting rid of the excess so we can make room for new experiences and the things we truly love. I told you it was right up my alley! Her musings on how to handle gifts and sentimental items is especially valuable. She reminds us that gifts are symbols of the giver’s love. It’s the intention of the giver that matters not the gift. Relish the intention and if you don’t need it or want it, pass that gift along to someone else who can use it.

I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was about this book that inspired me to go even deeper in my simplifying journey, but it did. Maybe it’s the fact that the author takes the subject seriously but not in a judgmental way. We’ve all read those books that make you feel like a loser because you can’t just tear through your house like a Kansas tornado and rid yourself of all the excess in one quick swoop. This book is supportive and kind. Francine Jay is likeable and you wish she could personally visit your home and help you go through all your junk. But since she probably can’t visit each of us personally, her book is the next best thing.

Her book is on Amazon and you can even download it on Kindle. For those of you who don’t know, Amazon has a free Kindle you can download onto your computer. It’s pretty nifty. Also, check out Francine’s blog Miss Minimalist by clicking here.

Beautiful Joshua Tree, California

Could having fewer possessions make us wealthier people? Having less may seem counter intuitive to how we are accustomed to defining wealth, but I would like to make the argument that owning less may actually make us richer. I have so much “stuff” I literally don’t have time to use or enjoy it all. As I sit here writing this entry, I’m surrounded by beautiful furniture, books, the latest electronic gadgets, and every kitchen convenience you can imagine. Although thankful for all I have, I’m finding the cost of many (not all) of my belongings is often more than what the original price tag designated.

Material possessions have to be cleaned, maintained, and organized – in some cases even insured. If you’re not careful, your possessions can end up owning you instead of you owning them. I adore books but I recently came to the conclusion that I had way too many. My bookshelf was overflowing and I was beginning to resent the time spent dusting around them. Taking books down from a shelf and putting them back up again was not my idea of productive time management. I finally donated a huge portion of my collection to the local library. I now only have the books I refer to the most and someone else gets to enjoy those I no longer need.  Then there was my red old fashioned movie theatre air popcorn popper. It was darling to look at but taking up more than its fair share of space on my kitchen counter.  The other day I decided to quit admiring it and use it for what it was intended to do. Because it was cheap, the contraption almost caught fire and the popcorn making turned into a fiasco. The house smelled like burnt popcorn for the next 12 hours. Although still adorable to look at, I decided it served no useful purpose so out the door it went.

Wouldn’t it be great to have only the possessions around you that you needed and loved? The popcorn popper was cute, but I didn’t love it love it! The books were nice but I could live without them. I still have a ways to go but I’m on a mission to only surround myself with what I cherish and need. I love the idea of owning as little as possible. I want my life to be about experiences, spending time with people and doing what I love. Possessions will be part of the equation not but all of it. Most of us Americans have too much anyway. I don’t need another cheap knickknack or gadget. What I need is a roof over my head, healthcare, financial security, transportation, and nutritious food to eat. I want my material possessions few and I want them to enhance my life, not hinder it.

The more I declutter and pass on things I no longer need or use, the wealthier I feel. I feel better because I feel lighter and less distracted. I’m more open to learning and experiencing new things. I leave you today with a great quote about minimalism.

“It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else that prevents us from living freely.” Bertrand Russell