Six Reasons to NOT Live a Simple Life

I’ve been dreaming about homestead living (and living a simpler life) for a long time now.  I’ve even taken tangible steps in that direction and have gotten my feet wet to get a feel for what it’s like.

One thing I have discovered about simple living is there is nothing simple about it!  There’s a lot of hard work, manual labor, and sweating involved – not to mention the realignment of priorities. 

Here are a few reasons to NOT live a simple lifestyle:

1.  I won’t be “connected” as much.  Less TV.  Less internet.  Little or no Facebook.  Less cell phone.  And God forbid, I won’t know what happened to those celebrities in LA or the Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Good Morning America is out too.

If you will miss “being in the loop” to this kind of information, then sitting on the back porch sipping on a glass of tea watching the sunset will have little appeal.

2.  It’s just too much work.  Baking from scratch?  Cooking fresh vegetables?  Whatever happened to picking up those nice greasy pizzas at the local take out joint?  And what’s up with “real food?”  I’m pretty sure the Hamburger Helper I served last night was real… it came out of a real box!

3.  Raising animals?  Sounds stinky.  Cleaning out pens, buying feed, and collecting my own eggs.  What’s wrong with paying .99 cents for those white colored eggs from Wal-Mart?  Besides, farm-fresh eggs with brown shells look so funny when your crack them open – the yolk is not yellow, it’s orange!  And seriously, why would you want to raise chickens?  Don’t you know they make chicken nuggets in factories and put them in packages for sale?

4.  What’s wrong with mainstream goodies?  If over-consumerism is your path to pleasure, don't get out into nature and don't let your kids play outdoors.  You’ll be miserable listening to birds and watching them build nests.

5.  And seriously, who needs to be organized?  If you are a hoarder you might get yourself on TV.  To be organized, however, means you would have to downsize and clean out all the time.  It would mean getting rid of that closet full of clothes and shoes that you haven’t worn in the last 2-3 years, the stack of papers in the corner, and all the junk in your attic.  If you would rather look for the TV remote under that pile of debris, instead of living in an uncluttered house, then a simple life is not for you.

And for a bonus….

6.  Why would anyone want to be debt free?  If you believe life is not worth living unless you can indulge in every want and whim – the nicest automobiles, clothes, restaurants, movies, entertainment, clothes, and the biggest house on the block – then simple living will be a bummer for you.  A simple lifestyle means to be free from those fleeting pleasures (and the anxiety the accompanying debt brings). 

Plus, being debt free will mean having to come up with  a budget and doing super-boring things like balancing your checkbook, putting some money in savings for the future, and paying your bills on time instead of picking up Chinese takeout on your credit card.  Where’s the fun in that?

On the other hand, if things like independence, self-sufficiency, breaking free from consumerism, being the head and not the tail, saving money, having freedom, being outdoors, being with family and pursuing the simple pleasures of life are appealing to you, then it’s worth the effort.