Hello all, have any of you ever felt lonely in your simple life? Sometimes I have a hard time relating to the other moms in my playgroup, etc. From the outside, we don't appear any different (besides driving older cars), but when I talk about my weekend activities, there is no one like me. All the other moms go to the mall, drive to shop at the outlets, eat out all weekend, basically are on the go buying, buying, buying. Their eyes glaze over when I talk about working in the yard, playing at the beach and taking walks as a family.
Also, if I ever talk about cooking from scratch and my shopping/food habits, they look at me like I have two heads. How could I possibly not need to go to Target 2 times each week?? This is partly the area I live in, the SF Bay Area is kind if a rat race and a lot of folks are focused on making and spending money.
How do you find like minded folks to hang out with? Sometimes I get lonely and would love to have a friend in the "real" world to share ideas with and be simple together. (of course, I appreciate you ladies every day, thank goodness I have a "virtual" world to come to )

I know exactly how you feel! Sometimes I wonder if those moms wish they could live more simply, but are afraid to be different. When I was younger, I used to feel like that, but these days, I've given up caring what other people think. I have to do what's right for me and my family.

Not really where I live there are a lot of people who go to garage sales and try to save money and live simply. Yes, there are also those who shop all the time and spend like their is no tomorrow. I don't hang out with folks like that.

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If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

C.S. Lewis

Yes, definitely agree with how you're feeling.
I live in a high cola area and it makes it even tougher.

I usually get people who say, "I wish I could be like you, but I don't have time/it's easier to buy things/etc." It's their perrogative. My priorities are different. I've always been the oddball compared to other people I know, so this is nothing new to me.

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton

I had to laugh at your "two head" comment because I have gotten it from people. Especially when I explained at play group that we don't use chemicals on the lawn -- of course the person there that I was discussing this with had her yard featured in a magazine ... so what do I know.

Truthfully I don't know how people can remain with the simple life in your area - it is a completely anti-simple down there. Liamsmom, no offense to where you live - there is a lot of good too! But after being in L.A. back in March, I came home and bought an expensive (for me) pair of sunglasses! I was sitting in with my husband's co-workers for breakfast one morning and felt completely over my crappy $5.00 WalMart sunglasses. You would of thought I had a giant wart on my nose! Of course I didn't replace those sunglasses until my daughter broke there after we had returned -- I also no longer let her play with my new ones either. I just don't think I could pull off the simple lifestyle where you lived! And I suspect it is really hard to find others that are like minded!

Maybe I just don't pay alot of attention or something, but I have not really encountered that. Everyone I know likes to save money. Everyone one has their own comfort zone on spending, but eating healthy and inexpensively and shopping for bargins seems to be pretty universal. I don't know, maybe it is a California thing!

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~Happiness is a large family~

I live in an area where people have the spend, spend, spend mentality too. There are so many people my age that have insane amounts of disposable income that sometimes it starts to freak me out. Unfortunately my dh works in a very specialized field that requires us to be in a big city so here we are. I have ONE friend that thinks like me that I can talk to about all of the frustrations that surround us every day. ONE. All the others would think I am crazy. And our life isn't really very simple! But compared to everyone around us it is. My one friend and I just shake our heads at all the other moms and wonder how the heck they keep up the pace.

I used to live in the SF Bay Area so I know what you mean. However, I also know there is a huge community of simple-living folk in that area, too.

I recommend that you do a search, on-line or through community magazines, for a simple living class. While these groups tend to focus on the first steps toward simple living, they also act much like support groups and can be on-going for years. If you can't find one convenient for you, consider starting one!

Also, keep in mind that somethings are all about 'spin'. Instead of letting it sound like you don't eat out because of some limitation in your life, let it sound like cooking at home is so much better than what they are doing. Hey, it is a competitive environment where you live. Spin to compete! You just might have a positive influence on their home life and community. You don't go shopping on the weekends because you're too busy with other adventures. Shopping is boring. You don't want your child to grow up drawing pictures of mommy that is nothing more than the back of her head! (As seen from a toddler's perspective from their carseat.)

A little story ... When my husband joined the American Legion we were the youngest couple - by far - in the group. I'd go to their get togethers and see that half the old farts were smoking, 3/4 of the group were drinking hard liquor, and all the food that was served was ladened with fat and salt. At the first meeting where I was expected to bring aside dish, I brought a veggie tray. By the time we left the group because we were relocating out of state, only one smoker remained, almost no one was drinking hard liquor anymore, and I had to become more creative with the dishes I brought because other women had become the veggie tray or fruit tray queens. We didn't influence those changes all by ourselves, but we were apart of the message.

Be proud of your simple living lifestyle! You just might be the wonderful influence those women need.

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

I've felt like that, but now I try to get my live to be interesting.