With raising gas prices, which have in turn, forced the increase on food and produce, we’ve been forced to re-evaluate. It’s so easy to be complacent when you’re not strapped for cash. Now I factor in how much money I’m spending in gas to get to the grocery store, to pick up my raw milk, to visit a friend. I’ve realized that my raw milk with is 10USD, turns into 16USD after I drive out there to pick it up. I found that my local organic chicken which is $15 turns into $20. I’m learning to combine trips, to make food stretch, to live without. I’m making my own baby wipes and taking old clothing and turning them into napkins, rags, and other household items. Being a very independent person, I’ve never felt the need to carpool or join community efforts like going in on a share of pasture fed beef, or purchasing a share of Community Supported Agriculture. I like to drive alone, go to Farmers Markets and do things myself. However, as the cost of living rises to the point that my little family feels it is stressed, I refuse to live off of Mac and Cheese and pancake mixes, so I must change. I have to be willing to get outside my bubble and enjoy things the way I think they were always meant to be. Living with Community. Learning to share and be responsible to do your part with in a group. These gas prices may be the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I will hopefully grow and learn to be kinder to the earth and to others through these hard times! It’s bittersweet I suppose.
About the Author...
I'm an incredibly blessed wife and mother of one. I live out in the great state of Oregon where it's okay to recycle and hug trees (if I were so inclined). I'm newly beginning my search to find better health and thus live life more abunduntly! I am a personal trainer and I love sharing my new found knowledge amoung my clients. I also enjoy gardening, cooking, painting, surfing, yoga, hiking, and I am always looking for new ways to connect with nature and simplify my life!
Jun 12th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Well your wish is to live more abundantly. Life is giving you this wish in a beautiful way. If wealth is not growing strong, lasting connections with people and nature, what is? My very, very wealthy friend says, “Wealth is what you have when the money’s gone.” Lovely post, thanks Lacey.
Jun 12th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
That quote will go with me for ever! Thanks
Jun 13th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I follow a really inspiring blog called ‘these days in french life’ by Riana Lagarde here: http://frenchtoastfrance.blogspot.com/
she has pledged to live a ’slow year’ with her husband and child in rural France, which is basically a life of near complete self-sufficiency.
On the left hand column you can read an overview her mission statement. She is so inspiring and has really brought home to me the idea that you CAN live with spending less money if you are inventive and are not afraid to have less than most people in the Western world have nowadays.
I don’t think that at this moment I could live totally off the land in the way that she does, but I really enjoy getting the odd snippet of advice about how to create and recycle things at home, things that I would automatically go out to the shops and buy such as washing powder and cleaning rags.
hope this helps,
Lune