Yes, we all know what the simple life is. It is that goofy show with those two under-fed, over-sexed girls wreaking havoc on a small town. Oh wait, no, it is that show where they have a bunch of daughters and move from the east to Minnesota and brave the harsh weather living in a log cabin. Um, well no, I would say neither of these shows is a true depiction of a simple life, but it may be a place to start.

I suppose I live what could be called a simple life. I think of it more as frugal and practical, but to me that is the definition of a simple life. Spending as much time as possible with my family while keeping a healthy lid on my budget is what makes me happy.

I recently read most of a really great book called The Simple Living Guide, by Janet Luhrs. I will quickly admit I skipped at least 1/3 of the book, as not everything was interesting to me. The parts I did zero in on, though, included the different lifestyles where families seek to simplify their lives and the travel section.

One family was living in their three-story house. They were only living in the basement while renting out the upper floors to other families. They had their mortgage paid by the other families and kept their space very small and with few possessions. This enabled them to travel much and truly enjoy each other’s company within the family. They often had visitors from around the world. Another family lived the “big life” of big house, multiple vehicles, boat, second home, and expensive lifestyle. They traded it all in for a small home and traveling. Hmmmm, anything that involves more money and time for travel excites me.

Our lifestyle is pretty simple. We have many friends and a fairly large family, and we want to see them as much as possible. When it comes time to have a party everyone brings something, so we can spend our time and money with each other. During the summer the parties are at my house. I have a pool and lots of chairs to lounge around. My children are active in after school activities, but are only allowed one activity at a time and they need to take place in our very small town. My girls have discovered dance. My son is an avid baseball player. Because their activities are here in town we have dinner together almost every night. My daughters spend much of their time together. I am a substitute teacher because this is what works best for our family right now. One day I may return to work full time, but it will be a job here in town where I can keep track of my children and community. On Sundays, after church you can often find me hanging out in my kitchen preparing foods my family will eat for the rest of the week. I make pancakes, scrambled eggs, cookies, soup, stir-fry, banana bread and more. There is very little food ever wasted in my house. It must taste pretty good as we often have drop-ins for dinner.

My husband is not as excited about the simple life as I am, though he does understand it and participates as much as possible within his comfort zone. He loves traveling as much as I do and helping others, but convincing him we could live with one vehicle for three drivers is not something he is ready to embrace yet. He has good-naturedly given up most eating out and our big camper for a small pop up, but if I suggest we give up renting movies he will flip. We all find our balance.

I have a good friend who has three children. She works two days per week, but spends seven days per week running around in a frenzy. Her children are each in multiple sports and activities. She volunteers for every committee and accomplishes nothing well. Consequently everyone is upset with her all the time. Whenever she is invited for coffee or out to dinner she is never able to go because she has several other commitments. Her husband works full time, coaches three sports, plays golf and is active in a civic organization. He also gives my friend a long list of items each day he wants her to accomplish. Guess how well they get along?

Everyone must find their own balance to create a simple life. No matter what your simple life looks like I can guarantee it involves appreciating what you currently have and not constantly acquiring the latest gadget. Everyone has seen the bumper sticker that says “Whoever Dies with the Most Toys Wins!” This is definitely not the lifestyle of someone living the simple life. Thinking about each purchase AND how it truly will fit into your life is really what a simple life is all about.

There are many great resources in books and on the Internet to help you think about all of this. I have learned to try to live as close to my budget as possible, though I certainly make mistakes. Our goal is family vacations. We take them as often as possible. We have found ways to travel inexpensively and that makes us able to vacation even more. Each day I try to find a way to make our lives a bit more settled or less expensive. I consider it a challenge and fun.

I will skip those television shows and try my own way at making things peaceful and simple. Having two young women in my house would hardly be a good idea with a senior boy and his many friends hanging around.

I would love to hear your ideas. Please join us on the Getting Out of Debt board and tell us all about your simple life.

Deanna, a/k/a Host Deek, is the mother of four (sometimes more) children and lives in Michigan. She loves finding new ways of saving money for family vacations and other activities her family can enjoy together. Living simply is a way of life in her home.