Simple Inspiration & Frugal Encouragement -1: Thoreau

Times are tough and lots of people are scared. Some of them will just sit and stay that way; however, others -- like you, dear reader -- may be seeking inspiration to commit to a simple life and a frugal future, or you're already committed and maybe needing a little encouragement along the way.

So, during 2009 here at Everyday Simplicity, you will find weekly posts dedicated solely to encouragement and inspiration.

Like this one, bringing you some words from Henry David Thoreau. Now, if you want to read the entirety of Walden, you can, for free. It's on the web (the copyright has long since vanished), and it's broken down into chapters so you can take it in spurts if you'd like.

Sure, you may have studied it in college as an example of transcendentalism - but Thoreau's writing really does read as a concrete, comforting example of choosing to live a simple life.

In Walden, he begins with the first two chapters giving you, the reader, concrete information on his daily activities, like how he built his sturdy little cabin all by himself; how he tried to get going to beat the sunrise; what he ate and how he kept his perishables safe from spoilage. And, while he is journaling his progress in making a home for himself out in the wild, he shares his thoughts with you -- and it's here that you will hopefully find encouragement.

From chapter 1:

...But men labor under a mistake. The better part of the man is soon plowed into the soil for compost. By a seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed, as it says in an old book, laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal. It is a fool's life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before....

Actually, the laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day; he cannot afford to sustain the manliest relations to men; his labor would be depreciated in the market. He has no time to be anything but a machine. How can he remember well his ignorance- which his growth requires - who has so often to use his knowledge? We should feed and clothe him gratuitously sometimes, and recruit him with our cordials, before we judge of him. The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly....

Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate....

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. ...

When we consider what, to use the words of the catechism, is the chief end of man, and what are the true necessaries and means of life, it appears as if men had deliberately chosen the common mode of living because they preferred it to any other. Yet they honestly think there is no choice left. But alert and healthy natures remember that the sun rose clear. It is never too late to give up our
prejudices. No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof. ....

I don't know about you, but I love this stuff. Reading these words strengthens me, reminds me about what's important and what's not.

And, silly as it may sound, it makes me feel proud of my lifestyle choice.

Every morning, I awake to hear the boom! of the cannon over at Fort Sam Houston, awakening the soldiers at exactly 5:30 a.m. Every night, at 11 p.m., I stand outside and hear taps being played. And between those two bookends of my day, I try very hard to live a rich, peaceful, simple and rewarding life without that hamster on a wheel feeling I used to experience in my Suit and Heels past.

Living a simple (frugal) life really is just a better way to live. It's work to choose this route, and work to stay on track in this American culture we have today (I was just called "crazy" by an old friend last week at lunch) but it's so, so worth it.

Go read Thoreau. I'm really hopeful that you'll share that Attaboy feeling that I found there.

Free Shipping and Clearance Sales from Overstock.Com

I love a bargain, and I routinely stop by HalfPrice Books and the Ross Dress for Less next door to check out their clearance shelves. It's amazing some of the great stuff I've found this way ....

Well, shopping online has some great bargains, too -- but there's that shipping cost problem. (And, yes, the inability to physically check out the product -- I find it hard to buy shoes, for example, online if I haven't already tried on the same pair in a local store.)

Overstock.Com is addressing that problem, here's what is on its site today:

$1 shipping offer applies to U.S. orders with standard shipping only. For expedited shipping, additional charges apply. This offer applies to the lower U.S. 48 states and APO/FPO destinations only. This offer excludes orders comprised solely of products from the "Books, Music, Movies & Games", "Gift Cards", and "Auctions" categories. Offer ends January 5, 2009 @ 11:59 PM MST.

Looks like there are some good finds at the clearance section of the site, too, in case you're interested in buying anything. (That, of course, is an entirely different question ....)

Expatriates: Are You Considering Moving Overseas Because of the Economy?

There's more and more talk about Americans relocating to other countries as the American economy continues its downslide -- there's a lower cost of living, there's less stress, there are already established expatriate communities to consider.

If you're one of those Americans considering a move to another country, there's lots to ponder. First, there is a lot of information about cost of living, jobs, and culture for a variety of destinations over at the ExpatForum -- here you can read about living in Australia or Malaysia or elsewhere, and there are lots of forums set up so you can communicate directly with expatriates who are already living in your target location. Other informative sites are Expat Exchange and Expat Essentials.

It's fun and exciting to surf through these sites, and ponder your new, simple life in a beautiful, tranquil, and inexpensive location. However, there's a lot of investigation to be done.

You're considering a new daily life, not an extended vacation. For instance:

1. Consider Taxation - How Much Will You Have to Pay Now and in the Near Future?

There's some reporting that expats will be facing increasing taxation in the future. The National reports (12/29/08):

The United States is not most countries, however. Citizens living abroad must continue to file returns and pay tax on their worldwide income, although the first US$82,400 (Dh302,655) in foreign employment or business earnings is excluded, plus a bit more, sometimes, for housing expenses.

With one hand in their wallet already, are Americans more at risk of a tax hike than other expats? Could they be asked to pay more?

“It would be a fairly easy to thing to do,” said Patrick Stevens, a tax partner in London for Ernst & Young. “All they would have to do is reduce or wipe out the excluded amount.”

He is not betting on it, but something that produced the same result occurred just two years ago. While the earned-income exclusion was raised from $80,000, tinkering in the formula for the housing allowance led to sharp increases in tax liability for some overseas Americans.

J.D. Foster, a researcher in tax and entitlement policy at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank, does not expect any similar move – yet. His somewhat paradoxical reasoning is that the US treasury needs too much revenue.

“I don’t think it’s all that probable simply because deficits will be so large for the next couple of years and the amounts raised would be so small that it’s not worth it,” he explained. He warned, though, that it may become worth it later.

“There’s a legitimate concern for two or three years from now,” Mr. Foster said, “as Obama will have to demonstrate to the markets that after these unprecedented deficits he’s concerned about fiscal discipline.”

2. Consider Crime - Kidnapping of Americans Is a Risk in Some Areas
Kidnapping Americans for ransom is considered a business enterprise in some parts of the world, and while this may be more of a risk for the overseas American businessman and his family, it's a risk to be considered by retirees and other "rich Americans" in many regions.