Simple Living in a Cost of Living Crisis
If you are struggling right now, you're not alone
Goodness, what an incredible first month I have had on Substack!
This week a couple of my Substack Notes took off. One in particular really, really took off, and as a result, there are now a lot more of you reading these words. Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed this week. Your support means more to me than you will ever know.
The Note that went gangbusters, was this one:
And it prompted some really great conversations. I did receive a few unpleasant remarks about communism and some patronising comments mansplaining the concept of capitalism, but the overwhelming majority understood what I was saying.
My point was merely that while our capitalist culture measures success via the acquisition of financial wealth, for me, true wealth lies in different ideals. It is unlikely I will ever be rich monetarily, but I already feel rich in many ways.
The Note also started some important conversations about the struggles many of us are experiencing due to the current cost of living crisis. As mortgages, rents, the cost of utilities and the price of groceries continue to rise, it is getting harder and harder to get by. Many families are finding themselves having to cut back and simplify, in order just to survive.
Those of us already living simply have a bit of a head start here. I’m grateful every day that we bought a small house in a regional area and did not borrow anywhere near the maximum amount of money the bank was willing to lend us. I’m grateful too that I know how to cook delicious meals using affordable ingredients, that I have a veggie patch with space to grow some of our own food and that I am well versed at having to save and wait for nonessential purchases… But even still, we are feeling the pinch.
We’ve worked hard to simplify our lives and minimise our expenses so that we can afford for me to work part-time, allowing me to be available for school runs, to have flexibility during the school holidays and to have more time to keep our home life in order… But as our mortgage and bills grow, and our margins shrink, I find myself wondering how long we might have before I have to go back to full time work.
I often think back to my childhood, growing up in a rural community where none of my friend’s mums worked outside their homes. None of them were wealthy but in the 90s the cost of living was so much lower, many families could afford to live on a single income. Today, the cost of living is so prohibitively high in Australia, it is very difficult to support a family without two full time pay cheques.
The more we have to work, the more complicated our lives become, and the less time we have to pursue personal fulfillment activities.
Most of us seeking a simpler, slower life would like to be less reliant on financial wealth, in order to have more bandwidth for the things that make our lives feel meaningful. But that’s almost impossible when the cost of living is so high you need a full time job and two side hustles just to pay for groceries.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any simple solutions to offer, and I worry that things are actually going to get worse, rather than better… But I do know that living simply puts us in the best position possible to withstand financial hardship.
All any of us can do is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. For my little family that means continuing what we have always done; cooking almost all our meals and making our coffee at home, avoiding debt, driving older cars and being really, really mindful of our consumption and discretionary spending.
If you are struggling, please know that you aren’t alone. I have had conversations with so many people who are are doing it tough.
And just in case you need reminding, please also know that your financial position is no reflection of your worth as a human being. You are important, valuable and worthy, and you deserve a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling.
It’s the system that sucks, not you.
Katie xx
Great post. I think one of the more valid criticisms of 'slow living' is that it is often portrayed in a way that is completely inaccessible to people who have no choice but to work long hours just to stay afloat, and therefore a luxury only available to those who are better off. So acknowledging this struggle is really important, even if in reality living simply has many different dimensions to it.
The simple, boring life is a good one. Thanks for sharing!