Voluntary Simplicity: A Lifestyle of Less

Several years ago I read a book about animal tracking skills called “Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking,” as part of my quest to learn how to indentify wild animal footprints and other signs of animal activity.

While reading this book, I found that the author had lived in the wilderness for a year with nothing more than a knife using wilderness survival skills taught to him by an Apache elder named Stalking Wolf. Brown later established a wilderness survival school in Asbury, New Jersey called “The Tracker School.”

After experiencing a profound sense of peace during my wildlife observation sessions, I yearned to live in the wilderness so that I could spend a lot of time observing wild animals. What appealed to me most was the idea of living a simple, self-reliant lifestyle free from the stress associated with fast-paced modern civilization.

I began to reflect on the fact that we who live in modern civilization have an awful lot of needs and the needs of our needs are often more costly than the needs themselves. More education, more training, more necessities and the ever-increasing obligations and costs associated with them.

Eventually I began to realize that my plan to live alone in the wilderness was not a practical option. Besides, living in civilization does come with its benefits.

While searching through catalogs for books and videos about stone-age survival skills, I discovered a book called “Tom Elpels Field Guide to Money.” This book contains information that can help people with low income meet their needs.

At last, I found a happy medium between the extremes of living a hand-to-mouth existence and the modern lifestyle of forced hyper-consumption. Elpels’ book explains that when taxes and inflation are taken into account, a penny saved amounts to at least three pennies made.

That is the exact strategy involved with voluntary simplicity. People who follow this lifestyle strive to reduce their cost of living and actually make money by saving money.

Another book I strongly recommend is “How to Survive Without a Salary,” by Charles Long. This book defines those who seek a simpler lifestyle as “conservers.” The book states that conservers know what their needs are and willing to live without some modern conveniences. They reject the idea that low consumption isn’t compatible with a happy life.

Conservers know how to deal with the marketplace. They also know how to work around it when they need to. They are smart consumers who know how to get the “biggest bang for their buck.”

Some of the strategies are quite simple: buying items in large containers to decrease its cost. Less packaging material means a lower cost and it’s also better for the environment.

Elpels notes that even grocery coupons may not always be a good deal. Because the coupons entice consumers to buy smaller packages of items, they may be paying more per pound than if they bought in bulk, without the coupons.

Conservers are not specialists. They possess a variety of skills that help them adapt to changing economic conditions. A good place to keep track of those changes is at the local public library. They contain a wealth of information and it’s free.

Conservers also embrace the “do-it-yourself” trend by repairing their own possessions. I particularly admire those who have the skill to repair old, damaged items, make them work like new, and keep them out of landfills.

Voluntary simplicity is an extensive topic. Becoming a conserver is a process that requires a lifetime of learning. We are all able to apply some of these suggestions to our lifestyle, regardless of our educations, employment or socioeconomic status.

For obvious reasons, simplifying our lifestyles and reducing our consumption is good for the environment, but it also is great for our wallets.

Editor's note: Eric Nelson is  Cheshire native who is a self-taught naturalist, barber and clothing repairman. He is teaching himself to be an author.