Living Small

I mentioned in my previous phlog some of the challenges of trying to lead a minimalist lifestyle. Today, I feel like talking a bit about what kind of existence I'm currently leading and if there's anything that I'd change voluntarily.

The first thing to get out of the way is that I do not have a job, and have not for the last two years. This is by choice, and is my little way to protest against the unfairness of capitalism. My ability to do so is a clear privelege which I have "earned" through that very unfairness, as I was being paid quite well before I walked away from the system. Obviously, everyone can't do what I'm doing, but I wish that they could. Working in our modern world should be a choice, not a requirement for survival.

Another part of living small for me is having as few expenses as possible. Everything which I purchase contributes to the system that I'm trying to avoid, and I try to be aware of that fact when making choices. I have to eat. I try to grow what food I can for myself and my partner, but we only have about 10m2 of land so there are limits to what I can do. We try to purchase most of our food from our city's weekly market, and make up the rest through the grocery store.

Other things: I need health insurance in the country where we reside, it's required. Living without joy is not really living, so I do spend some money on "fun" things: books, video games, camping, my bouldering membership. Public transportation is a needed expense because I do not have a car, which is a real blessing after a lifetime of living somewhere where that is simply not possible.

And...that's about it! I try very hard to keep other discretionary spending to a minimum. I'm even working on sewing a bit to mend old clothing and make new items every now and then. Is this way of living perfect? No, of course not, but real life never is. If I had a choice I would live on a larger plot of land and grow more food. I'd like to find a few more ways to give back to the community through my labor as well. There are charity opportunities around and I should take part in more of them.

I'm trying my best.

=> Mirrored from my Phlog

=> 🍄 Ruby_Witch

2023-08-01 · 2 years ago · 👍 drh3xx, stack, norayr, mike, ahappydeath

3 Comments ↓

=> 🚀 stack · 2023-08-01 at 13:16:

Cool. I'd made a choice to not 'extract value' from my life by having a job. A friend tried to explain to me the millions I missing out on, with my skills, with compound interest and all. I replied that on the contrary, I get to own my time and deprive the government I despise of millions of tax revenue. No cluster bombs built with my hard-earned money. And my family needs surprisingly little.

=> 🐙 norayr · 2023-08-01 at 17:14:

for now i'd like to comment that if you and others get more land, then living without a car and walkable spaces are not feasible. we need dense population for good cities.

=> 🍄 Ruby_Witch [OP] · 2023-08-01 at 18:45:

@norayr You're right, that's actually a good point. High density cities are actually more sustainable for the overall population. It's difficult to resist that urge to completely disconnect from a system that seems to be broken, but if the goal is to actually improve the overall society rather than my own personal feelings then disconnecting isn't really the answer.