Much has happened this past year in my life and I am bound and determined to make the other experiment~early retirement~ work also. This whole past year has been about simplifying life so we can enjoy it more. My quest has been to answer the following:
•What truly matters to me?
•How is my life too complex and cluttered?
•What do I want in my home life that I don't now have?
•How can I live more simply and meaningfully?
Some travel definitely matters to me... not so much to Gerard. I think I can find a happy medium for visiting friends and exploring and being home and living life with Gerard and the animals. One of the enormous benefits that has come my way is flying Delta airlines for free and without my income, I can get almost anywhere in the world, but don't have the dollars once I get there. I am intending that my experiment will lead me to stashing away travel money.
We had no debt, but some unexpected things happened with the house and Chaz needed our help and a wee bit of debt crept back in. So over the next year, I expect to become debt free again. I expect build back our emergency fund and have discretionary money without going back to work full-time or even part-time for that matter. I love being retired. I love, love, love it. I want to feel the financial abundance that comes with my abundance of time.
This past year, I learned when enough was enough. I jumped off the treadmill. I am now spending time doing the things I love and this coming year I can learn how to feel more in control of my life and take better care of the planet.
We agreed to work on the details of our compact. I expect it to evolve as we realize how we can become ever more efficient. This is where we are starting: We are committing to buying nothing new for one year. We do need to buy a privacy fence so that is our exception; however, we are open to trying to find one used or salvage as long we can make it work with the house. Our allowances are socks, underwear and running shoes for new purchases. So glad this past fall, Gerard got his skis and we both got snowshoes. We are set to keep ourselves active through this long northern winter.
As we look at reducing spending, I feel I have a good start. I am making most foods from scratch and gave up buying packaged foods earlier this summer. I was a regular at the farmer's market. I started making bread and maybe I can learn how to do some vegetables in containers on the deck. My neighbor and I are going to buy chickens this spring (she use to raise them) for fresh eggs. I found a market that has cage free eggs for $2.50 for now. I was impressed. I have been making my own doggie meat loafs for Sitka. Gerard still has a lot of cleaning supplies from before I met him (he use to buy in bulk even as one guy!) I don't think we will need to buy anything in that department for more than a year! When we do need to replenish, I will explore more natural way of cleaning that will work for us. I make my own soap. I create drift wood hangings and make jewelry and I am going to to commit to using what I find in nature first before buying any supplies.
We just gave up our blockbuster account. We can't give up our cable as we are in a contract and we do vacation rental out of our home also... an amenity vacationers expect. I am relieved I can still get my HGTV fix and now watch OWN. I only fill my gas tank about once a month! We have changed cell phone companies and reduced our bill 63%! I am unplugging almost everything when we go to bed at night, no ghost usage of electricity here. I am a book addict, no new books this year; however, I am now using the library regularly. I am going to try and start my annuals from seeds which means I will explore where I can get those and buy dirt without going to Home Depot for bags of the stuff.
As I type this, I am feeling lighter, less encumbered. With the challenge so will come the joy. I am more present to what I already have and my environment all around me. Simplicity opens me up spiritually. I am beginning to live from the center of my soul.
Wine still tops my necessity list. I am off to look for a local winery in the Duluth, Minnesota area. Wish me luck.
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