How To Keep Life Simple

I read this article at Yahoo!Finance...and nearly fell over laughing. I've been doing some of these things for years, and I can't believe people are only figuring this out now:

Daily Commute - I ride my bike to work here and walked to work when I lived in Wildwood. Why take a car when you live less than 10 minutes from your job?

No Cable - When I moved out on my own in 2002, I knew I wasn't going to have the money to pay both the cable bills and the Internet bills. Guess which one gives you more options...and has a lot more fun and useful stuff to do?

Fancy Coffee - Yuck! I don't even like coffee, much less the huge ones from Starbucks. Yes, I sometimes treat myself to a large tea from a coffee shop, but not all the time, and certainly not one for $5. Got a coffee habit? Make your own or buy it from a much cheaper convenience store like WaWa.

Privacy - The only reason I live alone is I can't find anyone willing to move in with me, or I would have taken on a roommate years ago. My three closest girlfriends all live with their parents. Two of them are close to their families and very content with that arrangement; the third doesn't have the money to move on her own.

Prepared Food - The only prepared foods I buy for myself are granola bars and yogurt, and I've been seriously considering getting a yogurt maker. I do eat out from time to time, but it's usually at the cheapest local restaurant I can find, like Tu Se Bella's, and maybe once a week. Twice, if I'm out on a long errands and can't get home in time for a meal. It's not only cheaper, but better for you.

Cigarettes - Don't smoke. Never have. I got enough smoke from my own family growing up, and it didn't make sense to spend what amounted to anything from $5 to $8 per pack on something that could kill me.

Clutter - Ok, so I'm a bit of pack rat...but I've been better about it in the past few years. I still have more junk than I should, but I tend to weed things out more often than I used to.

Bells and Whistles - I am not a computer geek. I buy whatever's simple and works. I wouldn't even own a cell phone if Dad hadn't insist I keep it on me in case I needed a ride. I don't own a microwave, either. What's wrong with an ordinary stove?

Comfort - Miss Ellie asked me to turn the thermostat down to 68 this winter...and I actually turned it to 67. What's wrong with piling on a few extra blankets? I like the coziness.

Debt - I neither like nor trust credit cards. I don't own a credit card that isn't attached to a debit card. If you don't have the money for something and really don't need it, don't buy it. This is related to monthly payments. I hate doing them. I'm doing it with my dental care right now, but that's it. My monthly bills consist of Weight Watchers Online, college payments, phone/internet payments, and my rent.

Health Care - Ok, this probably isn't a good thing. In fact, holding off on eye and dental exams for seven years was likely stupid...but I just didn't have the money to cover them when I lived in Wildwood.

Extra Calories - While I still need to work on buying the right things, I know how to buy the cheap things. I rarely eat dinner out (in fact, the only time I do is after work when I'm too tired to cook, like tonight). And even better than skipping appetizers, you can make them your meal, which is especially useful at a place like Olive Garden that fills your plate. And I love restaurant food the day after. Olive Garden pasta can make a great breakfast.

New Cars - I don't own a car at all. Considering how close everything is here, I don't see the point. But if you must have a new car, what's wrong with used? My parents bought great used cars for years in the 80s and 90s.

Dates - I haven't gone on one of these in five years, but when I was dating, we mostly walked around malls or bookstores, the campus when we were both still in school, and on the boardwalk when I lived in Wildwood.

Window Shopping - Sure, I still do it...but I often don't walk out with anything, like the other day when I was at FYE. I'll sometimes just walk around a store and not end up buying anything. It's probably leftover from my childhood, when that 20 bucks I earned babysitting or clearing weeds would be the only money of my own I'd have for several weeks, and I'd need to spend it wisely.

While I'm not going to give up magazines and newspapers just because teenagers don't think they're cool, I do know cheaper ways to get them...like your local library.