I'm FRUGAL, not cheap...

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone." - Henry David Thoreau 

I am often regarded as cheap. I don't go out to eat a lot (hello free samples and work party leftovers for lunch), I walk whenever I can, I get the bulk of my groceries at bargain warehouses, and I haven't had a TV since I moved to Philadelphia about two years ago. I enjoy living with this (modest) level of simplicity that includes not relying on ludicrously expensive city parking garages when I know that Septa will suffice, and not needing to be in first class when coach will get me there in the same amount of time. And I like knowing that my paycheck is going to buying stamps to send homemade cards to my family abroad instead of feeding my old addiction of frequenting Starbucks once (okay fine, sometimes twice) a day. (This article on how to crack the specialty beverage habit was key.)

Here are some super easy, incredibly basic ways to add frugality to your life while ALSO adding significant value to your routine:

1. Get rid of your TV - I promise, between Hulu and the abundance of ways to stream shows off the web you will save money AND have the added incentive of not wasting an afternoon on mind-numbing reality shows
2. Instead of going out to eat, allow each of your friends $5 to spend on groceries and then prepare a meal with only what you guys purchased and what you have in your kitchen already
3. Instead of going to the movies rent one instead and then post about it on an online movie-rating forum (like Rotten Tomatoes)
4. Don't just "go to the mall" - the temptation to make unnecessary purchases will go through the roof, instead go to a free museum
5. Ride your bike instead of driving (extra points if you wear a helmet and smile at old people as you go by)

These are just a few ideas. Come up with five of your own and share them below if you'd like.

The value is tremendous, the cost is nothing.

So often we focus on the cost of what we want that we lose sight of the value. 

But how remarkable is it that you can walk outside, look at the clouds, and actively recognize that you are a part of the universe. You are one of billions, true, but here's an idea to put you at home in your body when you feel like you're just a hamster on a wheel.

1. Do as the picture above says, go outside

2. Squeeze your shoulders up to your ears and then release (repeat five times - or hey, go nuts, it's surprisingly soothing, so keep going if you want to)

3. Take fifteen deep breaths 

4. Rub your ear lobes and smile

5. Go back inside and call or text or email someone who you haven't spoken to in a while just to say hi, how are you, I don't want you to forget that I'm here for you

This is one (entirely free) way to feel more connected to the universe. 

The value is tremendous, the cost is nothing.

20 Ideas to Simplify NOW

1. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
2. Get enough sleep.
3. Fill up your gas tank when you are in the moment and thinking about it.
4. Smile at people as they drive by.
5. Say thank you.
6. Make a point of getting up just 10 minutes earlier
7. Call your mom, dad, sister, or brother to say "I love you" as often as possible.
8. Clean off your plate when you're done eating and put it away.
9. Give someone a (genuine) compliment.
10. Be polite. Always respect your elders.
11. Let people help you when you need it.
12. Take ten minutes at the end of each day to organize your workspace.
13. Keep a record of your usernames and passwords.
14. Don't eat when you're bored.
15. Don't drink alcohol to appease others.
16. Write thank you cards. They mean more.
17. Take notes when important people are talking.
18. Hug it out.
19. Drink water if you're thirsty.
20. Apologize when you're in the wrong.

Simplicity: the plain and simple definition

Great concept, but what IS simplicity anyway?

I wanted to start with an introduction on what I mean when I use the word "simplicity," as there are many different definitions.

My version of simplicity is not the first or even the second, but the third definition down as it appears on dictionary.com. 

sim·plic·i·ty

  [sim-plis-i-tee]  Show IPA

noun, plural sim·plic·i·ties.

3.

absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament, etc.; plainness:a life of simplicity.

It represents a lack of excess or pretense. I believe that this is the most accurate way of describing it because it implies a state of being whereby we do not strive for the ornate because we are content with the modest belongings that we have. Complexity arises when we forget that what we have is good enough and we force ourselves to tirelessly strive for more.

This blog is therefore dedicated to grounding us with reminders that we create the majority of our suffering by not appreciating the simple pleasures that exist in abundance. Everyday joyful moments so frequently are left unrecognized as the tiny miracles they are.