Jealousy and Simple Living

There is no room for jealousy in the simple life. And yet jealousy reigns supreme in our world of bigger homes, monster SUV's, and wide screen TV's. The news reports are full of stories about people who have maxed out their credit cards to buy these types of things. And why? Mainly, it's to keep up with the Jones's. I am ashamed to admit that there was a time not that long ago when I too fell victim to this "sickness." Getting out of debt was painful, and I do not recommend that path if you can avoid it.

My adventures in materialism ended when I lost my job, fell ill, and subsequently became disabled. Amazingly, losing my job was not the end of the world. The earth didn't stop spinning when I could no longer trade my car in for a new one every two years. The sun didn't stop shining when I had to move into a tiny house to save money. And guess what? The Jones's didn't seem to care, either. In fact, I apparently dropped off their radar screen and rarely hear from them anymore.

Although I started out being frugal because I had to, it has since become a way of life for me. Always checking and comparing prices, even for small items at the supermarket. Now I buy generic most of the time. The products are often just as good as the name brands. I'm gearing up to make a spring wardrobe and realize that it probably won't look store bought, but that's good, right? Who wants to walk around looking like everyone else in their designer duds? Not me. Not anymore.

Now I use my money much more wisely, although I do allow myself the occasional modest transgression. Not only am I careful about what I buy, but I'm also mindful of what I don't buy. For instance, recently I chose to take a stand against the trash on television by canceling my cable service. Gasp! That's right, our home is a TV-free zone. And you know what? I feel all the better for it.

The greatest irony is that now the Jones's are jealous of me because I have a tremendous amount of "free" time on my hands. For the first time in my life, I'm not frazzled from working 60+ hour weeks in a stressful environment. Instead, I do things like cook, read, sew, make jewelry, and take walks in the desert. Few people have the freedom to do what they want, when they want. I am eternally grateful for that gift, and thank God every day for giving me the knowledge, strength, and opportunity to turn my life around.