One of the main things for me is to lower stress, and a big part of stress for many people is money.
I have, for a long time, designed my life to be low-cost, and if there are times I have spent a bit more, they are one offs. The distinction I’m making here is that I haven’t committed to big recurring payments.
So, when we bought our first home, we’d saved a decent deposit and purposely purchased a house which was at the lower end of what we could potentially afford, and we worked hard to pay it off fast.
Our car was old and paid for in cash (a 2003 Toyota Camry bought three years old and kept until 2017). When we upgraded we paid cash for our next car (a one year old SUV). And when we upgraded again (my husband worked in the car business at that time so we were offered a good deal) (a 2021 SUV that was six months old) that was paid for in cash too. We still have that one.
I just always think, the less you spend, the less you have to earn. And debt is the devil’s work to me. Even good debt. I just want to get rid of it as soon as I can, even if financial gurus tell you to ‘always have debt’. I’m sure I would be wealthier but I’d also be more stressed if I had lots of investments and lots of debt. But that just comes down to my financially conservative nature. I want to be able to sleep at night!
This is why I write my books on various topics under the one main umbrella of ‘living well without spending a lot of money’. I want to be able to live a fabulous life, one I enjoy every day, but I’ve worked out ways to do that with my mindset, being creative and savvy, and enjoying the simple things rather than relying on money.
So those are my thoughts today. I hope you find something inspiring in them 😊 And please let me know, are you similar? Do you believe a low-cost life is the secret to serenity?
Isn’t it incredible how you take your health for granted until you become unwell, but then the minute you are feeling better you forget all about it 😂 Maybe that’s human nature, or maybe it’s just me.
I painted my nails too – my thumb nail in the photo 😊 – and love how cheery they make me feel – a red orange colour called She’s On Fire (Revlon Ultra HD Snap, although one coat is a total lie, I always do two plus a top coat).
Incredibly enough, I always seem to chip light colours sooner. Pretty soft pale pinks don’t last a minute on me, but bright or dark colours I can almost get to a week without touchups. I don’t see the logic in that but I don’t mind, I prefer the look of red or plum on my nails anyway.
(One theory I had is that I ‘know’ I have nail polish on when I wear a bright colour, but if it’s a pale colour I can ‘forget’ and use my nails more roughly, like tools.)
I’m excited for the spring-like weather we are having, and it’s only another month until the official start of spring here in New Zealand (I’m a equinox person rather than a 1st September person – how about you?)
But I’m also excited for all the lovely autumn/fall content coming – cozy vlogs on YouTube, fashion layouts on Instagram, and new autumn-themed novels too. I get to have the best of both worlds and it’s fun to see what’s fresh and happening. I browse the bookstore, see what’s on YouTube, and scroll my fashion Instagram feed 😊
Here’s what Karin has to say:
“I'm quite of fan of sunrises and sunsets. Every evening (weather permitting), my husband and I take our Siberian Husky, Koda for a walk around the pond. He has come to expect his evening walks and he definitely lets us know when it's time to go!
I'm always amazed at how different the sunsets can be from one evening to the next. Some nights they can be quite fiery with deep reds and oranges, while other nights they can have more subdued and pastel colors. On this particular evening, the sunset was what I call a watercolor sky with pastel colors that deepened as the sun continued to set. It reminded me of a watercolor painting with translucent washes of color.
I very much enjoy reading your books. One of your first books I read was Loving Your Epic Small Life and I've read most of your books since then. I think these photos also represent the ideas in that book as well about finding the beauty and joy in your everyday life.”
Thank you Karin for sharing your images, and also for suggesting the matching excerpt! I love that Koda nags you for a walk if you aren’t quick enough 😊
And, it’s my pleasure to share tip no 31 from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ with you:
:: Glory in all the beauty around you ::
“Wherever you are, take in what you see. Notice the details and pick out what delights you to focus on. It’s all too easy to see what must be done, imperfections, and things that could be better – but there will always be those things.
When you choose to bring your attention to what provides pleasure and a feeling of wellbeing, you will be a nicer person to be around, and happier within yourself. Train yourself to have this be a habit.
Practice being your own ray of sunshine and see how much better life can get.”
~ Audible
~ Spotify
(Where you can listen for free if you have Spotify Premium)
~ In my eStore
~ And anywhere else you get your audiobooks from
(Even your library if you get them to order it in!)
Wishing you a beautifully relaxing and calm weekend, whatever you are doing. Life is good!
I thoroughly agree with your ideas on financial well-being. To some extent, young people would have to avoid doing things their contemporaries do in order to build financial security, but oh, how good it feels to have some money tucked away.
ReplyDeleteI think that's the difficult thing for young people, they see their friends or even strangers on social media YOLOing and start out their financial lives on the back foot.
DeleteThere is nothing like the feeling of being secure financially, and it doesn't even have to take a lot either. It's not 'millionaire or you may as well not bother'.
Your financial outlook is spot on. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you :) And it's my pleasure!
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