Ditching the (American) Dream, Utahns choose the simple life

[Odysseusa]

Ditching the (American) Dream
Utahns choose the simple life
By Stephen Speckman


http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article- ... dream.html

[MediumTex]

That's a pretty good piece.

I lived in an RV for a while when I was younger and it was a great experience.

The hardest part was people simply not understanding WHY you would want to live more modestly than you could actually afford.  I was sometimes disappointed in how few people seemed to understand the joys of this kind of lifestyle.

This way of living (and the patterns of thought that go along with it) are certainly hostile to the mainstream consumer culture.  Perhaps that is why it strikes many people as either strange or based upon some kind of idealism completely divorced from reality.  There is certainly a measure of idealism embedded in it, but it's not an idealism that is divorced from reality; rather, after you live this way a while you begin to see that it is consumer culture and everything that goes with it that is divorced from reality, and living more simply is actually a way to get much more in touch with reality ("reality" being experiences that feel genuine and authentic as you are having them and which leave memories that are durable and meaningful).

[Jan Van]

Everything is geared towards "economic growth". I don't think I've read any article about the current recession and how to get back on our feet that even wonders if there is anything else than a perpetual strive for growth. Guess it's inevitable, a growing population needs a growing economy. Even though that can't be sustainable, not the way we're doing it now...

Oh, and, to consume is patriotic! Even if you're a communist, to get rich is glorious these days.

[MediumTex]

Guess it's inevitable, a growing population needs a growing economy.

Even a population that is NOT growing needs a growing economy to help liquidate all of the debt that accumulated while the population WAS growing at some earlier time.

[Odysseusa]

Oh, and, to consume is patriotic! Even if you're a communist, to get rich is glorious these days.

That's a pretty hilarious quote. Capitalism and communism have more in common than we think.

[Bob]

You know the definition of a "good American?". A good American goes out and spends $40,000.00 on a new car to stimulate the economy.  Then parks the new car in the garage to save gas and lower his carbon footprint!

[doodle]

"downsizing" is becoming a more and more popular word among my peers as well as my parents generation....at least I hear it popping up in conversations much more frequently. I think that overall there is a general exhaustion among many Americans from the excessive levels of consumption that  we have undertaken over the last 50-60 years. Many people are starting to realize that more stuff doesn't lead to more satisfaction....in general it just leads to more debt and more stress. Many younger Americans realize the benefits of a footloose and fancy free lifestyle.

This is a great blog that I follow that advocates the benefits of simplifying your life:

http://www.earlyretirementextreme.com

See his 21 day makeover to get a better idea of how to achieve his style of early retirement.

[Odysseusa]

You know the definition of a "good American?". A good American goes out and spends $40,000.00 on a new car to stimulate the economy.  Then parks the new car in the garage to save gas and lower his carbon footprint!

Several years ago during the real estate boom, Californians were expecting to get a home for $400,000 to $500,000 and paying it off as quickly as possible.

[Odysseusa]

Similar to the Permanent Portfolio concept, all Henry David Thoreau needs to live in "Walden; or Life in the Woods" are food, shelter, clothes, and fuel.

[doodle]

Besides downsizing, I predict that "buying American" is going to be another trend for a generation or two...more generally I guess you could call the trend "conscious consumption". Consumers want to know the impact of their purchase on the environment, their communities, and their nation.

Check out this company (with sexy models and all) using the American Made label to pull in customers. http://store.americanapparel.net/new.html