Stop Spending

In my last post I suggested that stopping buying things was pretty simple. I realise that it is actually far from simple. It does take effort, but you will reap the rewards.

Why do you go to work? Do you love it? If you won the lottery would you continue to work? I've asked a few of my friends this question, and the answer is always no. No-one would work if they didn't have to. So why do you have to? Money. We all work because we get paid to do it. What do we need money for? To buy stuff that makes our lives better. Or so we've always been told. the truth is though, that happiness does not correspond to increased wealth or belongings. Several studies have highlighted this, have a read of this article to see what I mean.

So, you work for money to pay for stuff. What if you didn't need stuff? Then you wouldn't have to work right? Pretty much. If your outgoings are small, then you don't need much money coming in to fund yourself. Obviously your outgoings will never be zero. You will always have to buy food, and clothes, I'd say it was impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to be entirely self sufficient. That would involve going back to living in caves, and as I've said before, that's not what this blog is about.

Consider your outgoings. Gym membership? When was the last time you went? What did you do? Run on the treadmill? There's miles and miles of empty pavement out there for running on, and it won't cost you a penny. Like to read books? Don't buy them, join the local library. You'll have access to every book you could ever want, at a cost of zero pounds. Like clothes shopping? Try going to charity shops, you'll be amazed at what you can buy for £3. Travel pass? Get a bike. You'll get there quicker, your fitness levels will soar, and once you've bought the bike, it won't cost you anything ever again.

Cycling is a perfect example of the aim of this blog. Lean and Green lifestyle change isn't about never spending any money, it's about spending money in a way that means you have to spend less money in the future. Buy a bike today for £100, and stop paying for your bus pass at £50 a month. Within 2 months you've saved money, and then you have free transport for ever more (well the next couple of years anyway, until parts start to wear down!). And lo and behold, whilst saving money and your health, you've actually become more environmentally friendly!

I'll be posting more in the future about how you can incorporate this idea into every aspect of your life.