Is it easier to simplify if you live in a more rural area?

Living in the suburbs, with Target just minutes away, there is always that temptation to run out to a store. Living so near a big city, there is always a ton of stuff going on.... more temptation to fill up my calendar. Also, being surrounded in a neighborhood of people who definitely believe that more is better, there is that "Joneses" thing going on. I may not be trying to keep up, but I do have to witness what they are up to.

If I lived in a more rural area, I wonder wonder what my house would look like today.

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I truly think it is temperment, not place. I have lived many different places and know people who move around often. It is definately easy to bring your busy-ness and clutter with you. There are people in rural areas who over-buy because when they do go shopping they will say, "No telling when we'll be able to return." There are people in rural areas who will save clutter to an extreme degree because "you never know when we'll need it."

And we can all fill up our lives with trying to do too much. I know someone who lives in a very rural area and is constantly saying she is simplifying yet her life seems to get ever more complicated. She insists she has to homeschool, cook organic by scratch (to the point of even grinding her own wheat), taking on new animals for their farm even though they can barely feed and care for the ones they already have, saying yes to participating in fundraising events, etc. Now trust me, I'm all for homeschooling, cooking from scratch, going organic (even grinding my own wheat), volunteering and running a farm. My point is, if someone is always complaining that they are too busy then perhaps it is time to give up trying to do so much.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

I found living in a rural area to be busier since to go to the kids activities, we had to drive an hour to get there!! In order to go shopping, it was at least a half hour hike to the store!!

I think it is not where you live, but your personality. There is no way I would not have my kids in various activities no matter where we live, so it is easier to live in a town then rural for us, less driving!! I still do not shop that often even though we now live in town, but it is a heck of a lot easier for me when I do shop!

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~Happiness is a large family~

It certainly can be done anywhere. I think that a daily pause for reflection helps a lot. It might be with a daily planner; not to fill it up with activity, but to be sure you are doing what is important to your sense of peace and simplicity. It might be real meditation to clear the mind and get centered. I like the quiet and peacefulness of the country and use nature to help.

Cathleen

Funny I am the opposite. I need noise so I can concentrate on getting it out of my head. Quiet and me do not do well together. I even needed music on when I was studying/reading/whatever. Which is why I hate camping b/c nobody wasnts to turn on the radio. I can't use an MP3 b/c I need to be able to hear kids.

I also think it has to do with each person's individual personality.
allgirls

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I might not hit the stores as often but trust me I am capable of making up for it when I do!

I lived about an hour away from all shopping for about 15 yrs, nothing like wasting a quarter tank of gas to go to the store.. I now live about 10 minutes from all the shopping but I still don't go unless I absolutely HAVE to.

I have counteless shopping opportunites around me, less than a mile in any direction I could be at swanky retail districts, target, or thrift stores. Likewise I could do a dozen or more thing every weekend, keepingmyself busy, busy, busy.

However, I am not tempted in the least to indulge. This is now, but in the past I wasn't as focused on my goals for my life, so I spent money and time with reckless abandon. If I ever think about signing up for a commitment or finding some excuse to buy this or buy that, I just foucs again on my life goals and the desire slips away.

It's all about attitude

At least that's my .02 cents

I am in a rural area. I have observed that there are fewer people around us, so there are fewer people to influence us with their lifestyles or spending habits . . . . However, there are fewer opportunities for kids -- driving distances are prohibitive. We get the paper from the town 45 miles away, and there are always free activities every weekend. I think we could live in town, take advantage of many activities, and still stay true to our budget.

This summer, I babysat three days a week in a suburb. One of the neighbors constantly wanted our kids to play together and offered to take my DS all over town for fun activities. All of her fun activities involved spending money -- Cracker Barrel for breakfast, the fair, etc. I always had to say no to DS, and I can see that if this were our permanent home, I might feel pressured to give in. (Note: If we lived in this situation, I would be having a real heart-to-heart with this neighbor about our boundaries. I just chose not to since I was not in my own home . . . .).

So, I would say that we are able to live a bit more independently in the country, but I think I could stick to my own values anywhere.

Marlene

I live in a rural area and I feel there is less pressure to "keep up". Also, it takes me an hour to get to anywhere worth shopping, so that puts my brakes on!
My mother-in-law and sister-in-law taught me something a few years ago that has been crazy helpful when it comes to this subject.......If you don't use it, you don't need it.
It keeps me from buying unnecessary "stuff".

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