Joshua Becker's Blog, page 30

80% Of Americans Believe More Money Will Make Them Happier. Here’s Why They’re Probably Wrong.

Does money make us happy? The debate has raged for as long as I can remember.

Some studies say no altogether.

Other studies put a specific number of when money no longer contributes to happiness. But even those vary greatly: $20,000, $50,000, $75,000.

To add more confusion, you can still find other studies that report there is, in fact, no limit to the amount of happiness money can bring you.

Confusing data to say the least.

Because regardless of which study you choose to believe (or want to believe), one thing is for sure:

Money might not make you happy, but as Zig Ziglar once said, “everybody wants to find out for themselves.”

And that is where the greatest distraction to our well-being lives—not in how much money we have, but in how much we desire it.

Regardless of how much money contributes to happiness (and the jury is apparently still out on that), the one thing we do know is this:

Prioritizing the pursuit of money NEVER contributes to overall happiness and life satisfaction.

In fact, those who prioritize money over the pursuit of more value-based goals end life with less satisfaction and fulfillment.

This ought to be a major personal concern to each of us considering how often we prioritize money over other things—often because we believe it will contribute to our happiness and life satisfaction.

According to one recent study, 79% of Americans believe they will be happier if they had more money.

As a result, as you might imagine, 69% of Americans also say their desire for money influences their daily decisions.

If our starting belief is that more money will increase our happiness, it makes perfect sense we will strategize our days and action on how to acquire more of it.

But in a recent study of 100,000 people published in the Harvard Business Review, Ashley Whillans points out that people who prioritize time over money have a better quality of life.

And this higher quality of life shows up in almost every regard: “more fulfilling social relationships, more satisfying careers, more joy, and higher rates of general satisfaction.”

Of course, there are many in the world who do need more money for legitimate survival. But most likely, if you are being honest, you already make enough to provide for your needs—probably even more than enough.

Certainly 79% of us don’t need more money for survival. We’re prioritizing it because we think it will make us happier.

But when it takes priority over other more life-giving pursuits, not only does it not contribute to our happiness—it distracts us from it.

And this is why the belief that more money will make us happier is so dangerous—it may be the very pursuit keeping us from happiness.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show.

The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. And I enjoy any opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less.

I invite you to fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today.

UK Wardrobes Stuffed with Unworn Clothes, Study Shows | BBC. The fashion industry is responsible for up to 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN.

When You’re Overwhelmed, Simplify | Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. The problem isn’t the abundance, but our fear and anxiety about all of it. Actually, for most of us, the fear is that we’ll let people down.

The Woman Who Travels the World with Only a Tiny Bag | CNN by Caroline Eubanks. My max bag is a 26-liter bag, which is about the size of a school backpack.

5 Gentle Reminders About Minimalism and the Minimalist Lifestyle | Balance Through Simplicity by Antonia Colins. Minimalism is for everyone who just wants better for themselves and their loved ones and is keen to explore a fresh perspective.

7 Things I Don’t Regret Spending Money on as a Minimalist | Rich in What Matters by Julia Ubbenga. The deeper I’ve journeyed into minimalism, the more purposeful my purchasing behavior has become. What I spend money on now communicates what I value and supports my life.

The Compliment I Most Want Said at my Funeral | Joshua Becker on YouTube. There is one compliment, maybe more than any of the others, I hope will be said of me. And I hope it is motivating to you.

The Two Keys You Need to Declutter Kid’s Stuff

Let’s start with a few presumptions:

1. Kids will always add extra stuff to our homes.

2. All kids are different.

3. Kids make minimalism more important.

4. Raising kids is a season of life.

By very definition, one child added to a family of two parents will always increase the amount of stuff required in the home. Two children will add more. And three will add more than that.

In fact, every individual in a home will add to the number of possessions in it. And every individual will add different things to that home.

Some kids love sports, books, nature, electronics, mechanics, or video games. Some are sentimental, others are not. Some personalities are prone to collecting things, others not so much.

Additionally, not only do different kids want or need different possessions. Each individual’s process of decluttering is going to take a different route with different obstacles and opportunities.

One might think with the two realities above that minimalism is impossible with kids at home. But that is certainly not the case. There are countless examples of people pursuing the lifestyle while parenting. I hope my wife and I are considered among them.

Just because minimalism might be more difficult with kids doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the effort. In fact, the opposite is true. Kids make minimalism more important as they learn from us the value we place on the pursuit and accumulation of physical possessions.

Finally, I always find it important to remember that in most cases, raising children is a season of life. Our kids will not be with us forever—for good or bad. While there may be 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or more individuals living under one roof today, that will not always be the case tomorrow.

It is perfectly understandable that there will be more things in my home during the season of life when there are more people living in it.

How then do we navigate minimalism successfully with kids at home?

It comes down to just two keys.

Not easy keys necessarily, but the problem of kid’s clutter can be solved when both are applied in your home:

1. Declutter your own stuff first.

If you want to get control of your kid’s clutter, you need to get control of yours. And not after you declutter their room, but before.

It is simply unfair for any parent to get motivated about decluttering their home—and then start by making their kids (or spouse) go first.

Besides, it is always easier to see everyone else’s clutter than it is to see your own.

Declutter your own bedroom, your own closet, your own kitchen, your own living room, and your own garage before making your child declutter their stuff.

Just think of the mixed signals we send to our kids when we force them to declutter their stuffed animals… but can’t park in our own garage. It’s important to have a moral ground to stand on when trying to convince other family members that they own too much.

Besides, when you go through the process first, your kids are going to notice. They are going to ask questions why you are making the changes you are making and you will be able to explain why.

You will learn the emotions they are going to feel, and you will discover solutions that work for you that you can share with them.

If you want to declutter your kid’s stuff, declutter your own.

Be the change you want to see in your home.

2. Set physical boundaries that both make sense and empower your children to make their own decisions.

The strategy of setting physical boundaries to help kids declutter works in countless scenarios: toys, stuffed animals, clothes, shoes, collections, arts & crafts, make-up, books, video games, board games, Legos, on and on the list goes.

If your child needs help decluttering, set a physical boundary to help them with the process.

For my son, when he was five and we made the become minimalist, we asked him to declutter his playroom of toys down to one wall worth of toys.

The instructions were simple, “You can keep whichever toys you want, they just need to fit against this wall.” With the boundary in place, Salem was able to pick and choose which toys he really wanted to keep and which he could donate to someone else.

The physical boundary you choose should make sense for your child. Select something reasonable that will push them to make decisions, but not so extreme that we set them up for failure. We chose one wall for my son’s toys… and would you believe he kept even less?

In other scenarios in our home, we chose one plastic bin under their beds for arts and crafts, one shelf in their closet for stuffed animals, one drawer for collections, one bookcase for books, one floor in the closet for shoes.

If you’re hoping to contain physical clutter, a physical boundary can be selected.

This process has the added benefit of teaching kids the importance of boundaries—and this life skill cannot be overstated.

All of life consists inside boundaries. We have limited space, money, time, energy, attention, even days that we are given. Life, essentially, is about choosing what goes inside those boundaries and what does not. In fact, when you think about it, adults who don’t live within boundaries are the ones who end up struggling the most.

So this process of teaching kids the value of boundaries is one we should be actively teaching any way—for both their good and ours. Empowering kids is to make decluttering decisions themselves is better in both the short-term and long-term for them and us.

Want to declutter your kids’ stuff?

Start with your own stuff. And then set physical boundaries for them.

Those two steps are not easy and will require constant readjustment.

But hey, that’s parenting, isn’t it?

Things That Matter is the Amazon Kindle Deal of Day

Amazon has just selected Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life as their Kindle Deal of Day.

And is offering the Kindle version for just $2.99 — today only.*

In fact, they have notified their customers about the price drop in a Kindle Goldbox Email Blast, which is the biggest merchandising vehicle Amazon has for eBook price drops.

$2.99 is the lowest price I’ve seen offered—so I also wanted to let you know right away.*

*Valid only for US-residents. The Kindle deal may be available in other geographic regions, but I was only notified of the US offer.

Today is a great day to get my book!

Special thanks to both Amazon and my publisher for making this discount happen.

—

Because of today’s special deal, I’ve also decided to re-open registration for Things That Matter Video Course that I created to accompany the release of the book back in April.

The Things That Matter Course is a six-week online course, hosted by me, to help you apply the principles of the book to your unique life. It includes videos, practical application challenges (daily, weekly, & monthly) and motivational emails to keep you focused on removing the distractions that keep us from our most meaningful life.

The course is not required to enjoy and be inspired by the book, but it’s a nice companion for just $7.

If you want extra inspiration to overcome the distractions in life that keep us from things that matter, this 6-week video course is designed to do just that.

Please note: You don’t need to buy the Kindle edition of the book to sign up for the course. If you previously purchased the book or prefer the audio/physical copy of the book, no problem. The course presupposes you have the book in-hand, but if you read it any time over the last 6 months, I’d love for you to join us.

You can sign up for the 6-week course today.

The deadline to sign-up for the course is Wednesday, October 26—and it will begin on Monday, October 31.

—

Things That Matter released just six months ago. So it’s really exciting to see Amazon offer it as their Kindle Deal of the Day! Available at $2.99 for one day only.

Is Success Closer than You Think? Or Farther?

How do you define success in life?

Do you give much thought to the question?

By definition, the word success means: favorable or desired outcome.

Other dictionary definitions of the word include phrases such as: the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

Too often, we conflate phrases like “desired outcome” with “attainment of wealth or honor.” In that case, or in other definitions, we measure success in life in terms of favorable, external outcomes.

But this is not always the best way to define success. External outcomes may be appropriate measures at times, but not always.

For example, most of the people in my life want to be successful parents. In fact, a good percentage of them might even define raising good kids as more important than attaining wealth or power.

If those parents were to define success in terms of favorable, external outcomes, “good kids” would be the attainment of their goal and an indication of their success.

On the surface, that might make perfect sense. Parenting success results in good kids, right? How else are we going to measure a favorable outcome?

But hold on a second.

Some of the most loving, patient, wise, intentional parents I know don’t have kids that turned out well. No doubt you know faithful parents as well whose children didn’t turn out as one would hope.

A parent can do everything right, but every human being is going to make their own choices about how to live.

In fact, to take it a step further, I know some families where one child turned out to be a loving, high-contributing member of society and a second child, with the exact same parents in the exact same family, turned out completely different.

If those parents (or any parent reading this article) define success by the external outcome of “good kids,” they might think they are far from it. Even though they did everything right—or at least to the best of their ability.

See where I’m going with this?

At many points in life, defining success as an external, desired outcome is an incorrect measure.

We can run into this faulty equation in other scenarios as well:

1. A businessman who runs his business with character and integrity and generosity may end up with a company far smaller than someone who runs theirs with greed.

2. A highly talented and hard-working individual may choose a career of service in the nonprofit industry and end with far less financial wealth than a similarly talented and motivated individual who chose a career for individual profit.

3. A mother may dedicate her days to raising her children because she feels called to do so and end with far fewer honors and awards than a mother who stayed in the public eye.

4. A politician may choose integrity and still lose an election to a corrupt opponent.

In each case, the outcomes do not do justice to the lives lived. Success must be measured differently than favorable, external outcomes alone.

So how do we define success in life?

We can define success differently when we stop looking to external “outcomes” as the only definition of it.

Success in life is living true to your values and passions—regardless of the outcome.

There is certainly a conversation to be had over the question, “Are some values and passions better than others?” But I’m not here to define those for you today.

Instead, I want to just encourage you that a life lived aligned with your values, lived to the fullest of your abilities, is the only definition of success you need.

A focused and intentional life is a favorable outcome—in and of itself.

For some of you, though the externals may paint a different picture, success is closer than you think.

And for others, though the externals may paint a positive picture, success is farther away than you think—especially if your values and passions have been sacrificed to achieve those outcomes.

Present Bias: How It Affects Us and How to Overcome It

When I was in Middle School, my twin brother bought a stereo. Not a portable Boombox, but an entire component system on shelves that took up a large corner of his bedroom.

I remember, to this day, being outside when he arrived home with his purchase. I was shocked.

I wasn’t surprised necessarily that he had bought such an impressive stereo system. I was shocked he had enough money to buy it.

We received the same allowance from mom and dad. We worked the same amount of odd jobs (mowing lawns, etc.). And yet, I had nowhere near the amount of money required for such a purchase.

Looking back, it might have been a foolish question, but I remember asking him directly, “How in the world did you have enough money to buy that?” I must have been expecting to hear that he had picked up a second job without me noticing.

But instead, he simply said, “I’ve been saving up my money for quite awhile to buy this stereo.”

In my head, I quickly recounted the amount of money I had spent on baseball cards and candy over the previous months and figured the amount in my head. The Math added up.

Had I not spent money on candy could I have bought something bigger and cooler? Is it really that simple? Just decide to spend less and save more?

Maybe it is that easy, maybe it isn’t.

Enter “present bias.”

Present bias is the tendency for humans to settle for a smaller reward in the present rather than wait for a larger reward in the future, in a trade-off situation. It describes the trend of overvaluing immediate rewards, while putting less worth in long-term consequences.

For example, would you prefer $100 today or $110 in one week?

The wise decision is to wait a week. But a large percentage of us tend to choose the smaller amount today. That tendency is called “present bias.”

Brain scans have been done to figure out why so many of us choose the smaller reward in the present moment, rather than waiting for the bigger pay-off. And the science tells us one of the reasons is because the idea of a “present award” activates the reward center of our brain to make the decision rather than the areas of our brain that might be better at decision-making.

Of course, the example of present bias above doesn’t have too many real-world implications. Very rarely will a stranger approach us on the street offering $100 today or $110 tomorrow.

But the implications of present bias can be seen in countless situations:

Would I rather hit snooze to sleep-in this morning… or get up and exercise?Would I rather spend money on a concert tonight… or pay down extra on my credit card debt next month?Would I rather stay up late and watch another episode of this Netflix series… or feel rested in the morning?Would I rather stay home this afternoon… or make an appointment for my health screening?Would I rather enjoy this ice cream right now… or keep the pounds off tomorrow?Would I rather do the work today… or put it off until tomorrow?Would I rather accept a new job today with a higher paycheck… or keep one that allows me longer-term work/life balance?

In each case we can see how the promise of an immediate reward overtakes our thinking and moves us away from longer-term, wiser decisions.

These effects can be seen in our finances, our health, our habits, our homes, our families, and our opportunities in life.

We would be wise to not allow present bias to keep us from better, healthier, more life-fulfilling decisions. But how?

How do we overcome present bias?

Here are seven ideas:

1. Become aware of it.

Some people are more susceptible to present bias than others. If you are, become aware of the pattern in society and yourself.

At the very least, starting today, you have a word for it and know that you are not alone.

2. Work to notice when it is happening to you.

It is one thing to understand the principle. It is something entirely different to recognize when it is affecting your decisions.

To begin noticing it more, make it a specific point in your life over the course of a few days (including a weekend) to think a lot about the principles of present bias and look for as many examples in your life as you possibly can. You’ll likely see the principle at play far more than ever realized.

3. Access the long-range decision-making portion of your brain by considering your long-term goals.

One of the first steps I encourage people to take in their decluttering journey during the Uncluttered Course is to write out why they want to own less.

“I desire to own less so that I can ________.” And I ask them to tape that sentence to their mirror or refrigerator—somewhere they will see it often.

This serves to keep us focused on our longer-range goals and keeps us motivated in the present to make wise choices about our time, money, and even decluttering efforts.

The same principle can be used to overcome present bias. The clearer we get on our long-range goals and priorities, the quicker we can access them when they come up against immediate gratification.

4. Focus on the immediate satisfaction of delayed gratification.

One strategy discovered by researchers and published in the Harvard Business Review focuses on our potential to better accomplish long-term goals when we consider the immediate gratification of them.

For example, people who say they have fun while exercising are more likely to exercise. Those who enjoy their field of academics, study more. Those who enjoy the taste of healthy food, eat healthier.

This may seem like common sense, but it can have a profound impact on us. If we focus on the positives of wise decisions and the immediate gratification that we get from the behavior, we can move that action into our present bias.

Choose exercises you enjoy. Think of how good it feels to go to bed each night. Consider the positive aspect of putting in the work today. Notice the specific enjoyment of seeing your savings account grow.

Focus on the immediate enjoyment that you can find in even delayed gratification.

5. See if you can remove the decision altogether.

In a fascinating study, researchers discovered how automatic enrollment in a retirement program changed people’s behavior. When employees were asked if they wanted to opt-in to a 401k retirement policy, only 40% took the opportunity (present bias). But when employees were automatically enrolled in the program, only 10% opted-out, leaving 90% participation.

Lesson learned? When the opportunity for present bias is removed, we tend to make wiser decisions. See if you can remove the opportunity for present bias in your life. For example: automatically deduct for savings/investment, use an app to limit your phone use after 10pm, keep healthier food in your home.

6. Place a waiting period on tempting decisions.

Do you often find yourself overspending your budget or buying things you don’t need? Maybe sales or discounts or weekends become triggers to overshop?

Create a 48-hour waiting period on your shopping decisions (especially in areas you are prone to make bad decisions). This waiting period will counter the immediate reward center of your brain dictating your present bias.

7. Work to imagine how Future You would decide.

Present bias is strong and ingrained or it wouldn’t be an issue.

The steps above can help us to overcome it and lead to wiser decisions. No doubt you’ll find some strategies more helpful than others.

But one closing strategy is to picture how Future You would decide the decision in front of you.

Would future you, tired in the morning, choose to binge-watch another episode? Would future you, struggling to pay the credit card bill, get take-out food again?Would future you have saved more for retirement?Would future you have exercised more, eaten healthier, or spent more time in solitude?

If the answer is yes, do him or her a favor today and choose wisely.

12 Simple Ways to Save Some Money

If there was ever a time to be vigilant saving money, this appears to be the time.

I’m not an expert in Personal Finance and there are countless books and websites that could offer more detailed steps to get ahead financially, but I learned from a young age the importance of living within my means.

As a result, my entire life, I’ve worked hard to keep my tastes simple and my income larger than my expenses.

Given the economic period we are in, I want to share twelve simple ways we keep our personal expenses low. Here they are:

12 Simple Ways to Save Money

1. Order water at restaurants.

The first time I wanted to shed a few pounds, one of my first actions was to cut soda from my diet—even ordering water at restaurants. I was immediately surprised to notice how much that small change lowered the cost of eating out.

Now, whenever we eat out, I think to myself, “Why would I spend more money just to drink something that also makes me less healthy? It’s a lose-lose situation.”

*Note, when I leave a tip, I add the imaginary cost of soda to the bill before figuring the percent tip to leave. I don’t feel like the server should receive less just because I’m content with water.

2. Take your lunch to work.

I learned it from my dad. And other than specific meetings or a Friday lunch date with my wife, I always take my lunch to work. Sometimes it is leftovers, but usually I eat rotisserie chicken and salad.

3. Brew your own coffee.

Six days per week, I drink coffee. And six days per week, I’m brewing my own in a simple 5-cup Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker.

It’s cheaper. It’s more convenient. It’s warm whenever I want it. And I don’t have to sit in a Drive-Thru line on my way to work.

4. Give up alcohol.

This isn’t a financial decision for me primarily, it’s a personal decision. But given that some generations spend, on average, $300/month on alcohol, it’s a personal decision with significant financial implications.

5. Order off the value menu at fast food restaurants.

The value menu is less expensive and usually just as good as the more expensive options at fast food restaurants. It’s pretty much the only way I do fast food.

If I’m eating fast food (which I do like), I’m not looking for the culinary experience of a lifetime anyway. I’m just looking for something quick and enjoyable.

6. Wear the same style of clothing every day.

I’ve written before on the benefits of wearing the same thing every day. Not only is it easier to get ready and feel more confident, but the cost savings are also unbelievable.

Clothes still need to be purchased and replaced, but if you know exactly what you need and where to get it, you’ll save thousands of dollars in experimental clothing purchases.

7. Don’t buy expensive meats.

The other day my wife asked if I’d ever want a smoker. I said, “No, I’m pretty content with my gas grill in the backyard.” I continued, “I’m not really the type of guy spending tons of money on meat anyway. I’d have a hard time spending that much money on the types of meats you’d want to prepare in it anyway.”

I could live every day on chicken thighs, chicken breasts, and ground beef… heck, I practically do already. I don’t need to buy expensive cuts of meat if I’m content eating other things.

8. Don’t use expensive razors.

I’ve tried all sorts of different razors during my life and for a while, I thought I really liked the super-fancy Titanium, Pro-glide, Mach Fusion razors. But then one day, I went to replace the cartridges and they cost almost $40 for one package of blades. It just seemed ridiculous.

So I switched to a less expensive razor and blade that cost $2 per replacement cartridge rather than over $4. And I’ve never gone back—my shave is just as close and comfortable as the more expensive razors anyway.

9.  Conserve home energy use.

Energy prices are increasing rapidly. Fortunately, I grew up in a home where we were always encouraged to put on a sweater rather than turn up the thermostat. :)

Now that I live in Phoenix, the focus is more on turning on a fan rather than the air conditioner, but the principle remains the same. There are cheaper ways to control your body temperature than turning up the heat or cranking the A/C.

And nowadays, programmable thermostats make climate control savings even easier.

10. Use the library.

There are a lot of books that I read and want to read—both fiction and nonfiction. And my wife reads even more than I do.

Every time, the first thing we do is check our local library. If they don’t have it, they can usually get it. On the off-chance they can’t get it quickly (I’m way more impatient than Kim), I’ll purchase the book. But the library is always the first place we check.

It helps that the local library is less than three blocks from where I work. But if you have a library close in any way, it’s a great way to save money and continue growing as a person.

11. Own less stuff.

Clothes, mugs, pillows, towels, decorations, furniture, Tupperware, linens, pots and pans. In almost any and every scenario, the fewer items you buy, the more money you will save.

We made the intentional change to own less years ago and were shocked to discover how much of our money was simply being wasted on things we didn’t need. In fact, according to the Math in this Reader’s Digest article, we’ve saved $15,000/year by owning less stuff.

12. Throw extra cash at debt.

The only way to save money by spending it is to spend it on paying down existing debt.

There are different strategies to accomplish this. Some say, “pay down your smallest debts first” because of the psychological momentum. Others say, “pay down your highest interest rate debt” because of the mathematical savings. Whatever works best for you is my recommendation.

I’ve never carried any debt other than a small student loan from Graduate school (that we paid off quickly) and a home mortgage. We’ve always made a habit of paying extra on our mortgage every month—and it should be paid off entirely next year.

Any extra dollars paid toward debt are fewer dollars that can be wasted. That’s how I see it.

There are big ways to save money, but there are also small, simple steps that we can take. If you’re looking for ways to save some these days (and who isn’t), I’d recommend any of the twelve above. Every single one has worked for us.

12 Simple Ways to Save Money

If there was ever a time to be vigilant saving money, this appears to be the time.

I’m not an expert in Personal Finance and there are countless books and websites that could offer more detailed steps to get ahead financially, but I learned from a young age the importance of living within my means.

As a result, my entire life, I’ve worked hard to keep my tastes simple and my income larger than my expenses.

Given the economic period we are in, I want to share twelve simple ways we keep our personal expenses low. Here they are:

12 Simple Ways to Save Money

1. Order water at restaurants.

The first time I wanted to shed a few pounds, one of my first actions was to cut soda from my diet—even ordering water at restaurants. I was immediately surprised to notice how much that small change lowered the cost of eating out.

Now, whenever we eat out, I think to myself, “Why would I spend more money just to drink something that also makes me less healthy? It’s a lose-lose situation.”

*Note, when I leave a tip, I add the imaginary cost of soda to the bill before figuring the percent tip to leave. I don’t feel like the server should receive less just because I’m content with water.

2. Take your lunch to work.

I learned it from my dad. And other than specific meetings or a Friday lunch date with my wife, I always take my lunch to work. Sometimes it is leftovers, but usually I eat rotisserie chicken and salad.

3. Brew your own coffee.

Six days per week, I drink coffee. And six days per week, I’m brewing my own in a simple 5-cup Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker.

It’s cheaper. It’s more convenient. It’s warm whenever I want it. And I don’t have to sit in a Drive-Thru line on my way to work.

4. Give up alcohol.

This isn’t a financial decision for me primarily, it’s a personal decision. But given that some generations spend, on average, $300/month on alcohol, it’s a personal decision with significant financial implications.

5. Order off the value menu at fast food restaurants.

The value menu is less expensive and usually just as good as the more expensive options at fast food restaurants. It’s pretty much the only way I do fast food.

If I’m eating fast food (which I do like), I’m not looking for the culinary experience of a lifetime anyway. I’m just looking for something quick and enjoyable.

6. Wear the same style of clothing every day.

I’ve written before on the benefits of wearing the same thing every day. Not only is it easier to get ready and feel more confident, but the cost savings are also unbelievable.

Clothes still need to be purchased and replaced, but if you know exactly what you need and where to get it, you’ll save thousands of dollars in experimental clothing purchases.

7. Don’t buy expensive meats.

The other day my wife asked if I’d ever want a smoker. I said, “No, I’m pretty content with my gas grill in the backyard.” I continued, “I’m not really the type of guy spending tons of money on meat anyway. I’d have a hard time spending that much money on the types of meats you’d want to prepare in it anyway.”

I could live every day on chicken thighs, chicken breasts, and ground beef… heck, I practically do already. I don’t need to buy expensive cuts of meat if I’m content eating other things.

8. Don’t use expensive razors.

I’ve tried all sorts of different razors during my life and for a while, I thought I really liked the super-fancy Titanium, Pro-glide, Mach Fusion razors. But then one day, I went to replace the cartridges and they cost almost $40 for one package of blades. It just seemed ridiculous.

So I switched to a less expensive razor and blade that cost $2 per replacement cartridge rather than over $4. And I’ve never gone back—my shave is just as close and comfortable as the more expensive razors anyway.

9.  Conserve home energy use.

Energy prices are increasing rapidly. Fortunately, I grew up in a home where we were always encouraged to put on a sweater rather than turn up the thermostat. :)

Now that I live in Phoenix, the focus is more on turning on a fan rather than the air conditioner, but the principle remains the same. There are cheaper ways to control your body temperature than turning up the heat or cranking the A/C.

And nowadays, programmable thermostats make climate control savings even easier.

10. Use the library.

There are a lot of books that I read and want to read—both fiction and nonfiction. And my wife reads even more than I do.

Every time, the first thing we do is check our local library. If they don’t have it, they can usually get it. On the off-chance they can’t get it quickly (I’m way more impatient than Kim), I’ll purchase the book. But the library is always the first place we check.

It helps that the local library is less than three blocks from where I work. But if you have a library close in any way, it’s a great way to save money and continue growing as a person.

11. Own less stuff.

Clothes, mugs, pillows, towels, decorations, furniture, Tupperware, linens, pots and pans. In almost any and every scenario, the fewer items you buy, the more money you will save.

We made the intentional change to own less years ago and were shocked to discover how much of our money was simply being wasted on things we didn’t need. In fact, according to the Math in this Reader’s Digest article, we’ve saved $15,000/year by owning less stuff.

12. Throw extra cash at debt.

The only way to save money by spending it is to spend it on paying down existing debt.

There are different strategies to accomplish this. Some say, “pay down your smallest debts first” because of the psychological momentum. Others say, “pay down your highest interest rate debt” because of the mathematical savings. Whatever works best for you is my recommendation.

I’ve never carried any debt other than a small student loan from Graduate school (that we paid off quickly) and a home mortgage. We’ve always made a habit of paying extra on our mortgage every month—and it should be paid off entirely next year.

Any extra dollars paid toward debt are fewer dollars that can be wasted. That’s how I see it.

There are big ways to save money, but there are also small, simple steps that we can take. If you’re looking for ways to save some these days (and who isn’t), I’d recommend any of the twelve above. Every single one has worked for us.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

For the last nine years, I have been compiling and publishing curated articles that inspire simplicity. At first, it was an exercise in communicating to Becoming Minimalist readers the most popular articles I sent out on Twitter.

But over the years, it has become more than that. It has become a place where people (every other week) come for a dose of inspiration. And it has become a place to promote and encourage writers around the world who are publishing content about minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living.

I think you will enjoy this collection of articles hand-selected for you this weekend. Grab some coffee, tea, or lemonade and be inspired to live a simpler life today.

Young Chinese are in Love With “Frugal Living” | Yahoo! by Yvonne Lau. On Douban, a Chinese website that provides information related to current events, music, and more, young Chinese are flocking to groups that offer money-saving tips.

Minimalist Woman Gets Rid of Plates, Her Children’s Toys and Sentimental Wedding Day Decor | Metro by Aidan Milan. A mum who’s adopted a minimalist lifestyle has gotten rid of a whopping 3,500 items from her family’s home.

9 Lessons Minimalist Living Will Teach Your Children | No Sidebar by Julia Ubbenga. I’ve unquestionably seen positive changes in our daughters since transitioning to a minimalist lifestyle a year and half ago.

How Many Pants Should I Own & Other Weird Minimalism Questions | The Fun Sized Life by Renee Benes. While this question makes me smile a little, the truth is, I had similar questions when I was first starting minimalism which is why I thought it might be time to drop some straight forward answers to some of the weirdest questions I have been asked as a minimalist.

10 Choices You Will Regret in 10 Years | Marc and Angel Hack Life by Marc Chernoff. “If only…” These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language.

8 Reasons Successful People Wear the Same Thing Every Day | Joshua Becker on YouTube. If you have ever wondered why some successful people choose to wear the same outfit everyday, or better yet, if you are considering adopting a more streamlined wardrobe yourself, here are 8 convincing reasons.

Why Work

To me, one of the sad truths about the world today is that most people look upon work as something to escape from. To them, this major part of life is a necessary evil, even an obstacle to the life they dream about.

Want proof?

67% of Americans are disengaged at their work.The 4-Hour Workweek is one of the top-selling books of the last decade.People are beginning to define early retirement as their dream.Given the option between “work a long time at a fulfilling job” or “retire early,” only 34% of Americans would choose to work a long time at a fulfilling job.At least half of the U.S. workforce is quiet quitting.

I could add, from plenty of personal conversations, that there are some people who choose simplicity as a means to escape work. I don’t think that’s what the simple life is for.

There’s not a doubt in my mind that some of the discontent we feel about work comes from our faulty thinking on the reason for it. In our desire to get out of work, we are missing the point of it.

Dorothy Sayers, in her famous essay Why Work? begs us to see work anew. She seeks nothing less than “a thoroughgoing revolution in our whole attitude to work.”

Sayers believes we should look upon work, “not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money, but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself.”

Work, in this regard, is not something to be avoided. It is something to be pursued and enjoyed.

Your work contributes to the good of society and moves us ahead. We need your talents and abilities. We need you to work hard and do it well. It makes us better as people and it enriches our lives.

I enjoy hard work. I work 50 hours most weeks because I find happiness and joy in it. And I believe that those who feel the most fulfilled at the end of their lives are those who have chosen to work hard on the right things during it.

Now, just to be clear, I am not advocating to be busy just to be busy. And I am not advocating working hard for wrong, selfish reasons (i.e., getting rich). I am advocating for the importance of doing your work (whether paid or unpaid) in a focused and deliberate way and putting your whole self into it.

I am advocating for doing the best you can, to accomplish the most you can, with the one life you have to live.

Reasons for Work in the Simple Life

If one has chosen simplicity as a lifestyle, where do we find the motivation to learn how to work hard? If we are content to own less (even prefer it), what is the point of hard work and striving for success?

Let me offer a few reasons:

1. Work forces personal development.

Work, by its very nature, presents challenges and growth opportunities. It requires us to improve and develop and become better versions of ourselves. The more we grow, the better at work we get… and the greater the challenges become.

We learn important life lessons when we give ourselves over to hard work: determination, attentiveness, responsibility, problem solving, and self-control. These lessons, in turn, serve us in other areas (health, relationships, hobbies, etc.).

2. Our work brings benefit to society.

Like I mentioned earlier, our work contributes to the good of society. It serves others, it enriches people’s lives, and it moves everyone forward. Whether we are bagging groceries, delivering mail, analyzing stocks, curing cancer, or managing other workers, we can view our work as an act of love to the people we serve.

3. Hard work is an example to our kids.

When we strive to do our best work each day, our kids take notice. And among the greatest lessons I hope to pass on to my children is the importance of working hard on things that matter.

4. The hours will pass anyway. It makes sense to try to make the most of them.

Each new day brings with it an important choice: either we fill it with our best or we allow it to slip away. There is no other option—the hours are going to pass anyway. Choosing to work hard makes the most of them. (Please note: I am not discounting the importance of rest or balance. I have written about both extensively.)

5. Work is fulfilling in and of itself.

In my opinion, there are few joys in life more satisfying than lying down at night with tired legs attached to a tired body. To know I gave my full energy to something important is an amazing feeling and fulfilling in itself.

6. Working hard keeps our lives occupied with important matters.

Living an unoccupied life is a recipe for disaster. Choosing to fill our time and energy with things that bring value to others helps keep us from selfish and foolish decisions with idle time.

There is value in hard work—both for ourselves and others.

How to Enjoy Work More

I have known countless people who are happy with their work. They find meaning, significance, and joy in it. Additionally, I have met many people who are unhappy with their work and choose to spend an additional percentage of their life complaining about it.

Changing our attitude toward work isn’t always easy, but it’s possible. And I would argue, important. As I’ve stated above, there is joy and fulfillment to be found in it.

Sometimes, learning to love work can come from a simple change in our thinking—rather than the much more drastic change in jobs, which doesn’t usually solve the problem anyway.

So let me end with a few thoughts on how to think differently about work and find more fulfillment in it:

1. Realize that you were designed to work.

Whether by creation or evolution, humans are designed to work. This is an important part of our nature. It explains our drive to grow as individuals and as a society. It explains the internal satisfaction we experience when completing a task. It makes sense of the positive emotions we experience when resting after a hard day of work.

2. Understand that work always takes place in an imperfect world.

Our world is imperfect because we exist in a universe full of people who often fall short. Though we each have an ingrained desire to accomplish good for the sake of others, in reality, we often function with selfish desires and intentions. These imperfections always lead to less-than-ideal working conditions.

As a result, work includes overbearing bosses, deadlines, stress, under-resourced projects, tasks we do not enjoy, and often anxiety.

The realization that these imperfections are always going to be present in our workplace allows us to accept them and move forward.

3. Notice how your work contributes to the common good.

If the goal of our work is to contribute good to society in exchange for provision, then our work ought to benefit society. We should spend 40 or more hours per week producing a benefit for others—notice how your specific work accomplishes that.

Whether you grow healthy food, produce quality clothing, intentionally parent children, create beautiful art, build strong shelter, develop new life-enhancing technology, do taxes, research medicine to prolong life, educate others, govern society honestly, or operate in any other of countless opportunities, you contribute to the common good of our neighbors and our society.

4. Do your work ethically.

Work done ethically and honestly with proper balance will always result in more enjoyment than the alternative. Your motivation for work is also a part of your ethic.

These same principles of life hold true to every aspect, including the 20% we spent working.

5. Stop trying to get rich.

While fair compensation is always appropriate, the pursuit of riches and wealth as an end goal is a losing battle. Riches will never fully satisfy. We will always be left searching for more.

People who view their work as a means to get rich often fall into temptation, harmful behavior, and foolish desires.

When we replace the desire to get rich with a more life-fulfilling desire to receive honest compensation, we open our hearts to find peace in our paychecks and greater value in our work.

The Value of Work

Please don’t view your work as something only to be endured or avoided. Rethink the value of it—whether you are 18 or 80.

Regain focus and motivation to use your passions and abilities to contribute good to a society in need of them. Utilize your strengths. Develop your talents. Study your craft. And encourage others.

Work hard. Enjoy it. And at the end of the day, we will all be better because of it.