Justin Wright » Minimalism

Changes – My Decision To Live In A Cave

Justin Wright — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:55:45 +0000

Home Sweet Home

I’m writing this article in response to Justin’s blog just to show that what he is talking about can and does work in practice. My name is Carl and I’m 56, born and raised in the UK although I have lived in Spain and Holland before. I had been living in the north of England and working for the Council in a dead-end office job along with 200 co-workers and hating every minute of it. Working for the Council only to pay back half my wages in Council Tax and rent for a Council flat. I lost both of my best friends to early heart attacks, I lost my mother, my dog died, I lost my father. I began to suffer from depression and ended up on medication.

I decided a couple of years ago that when I received the cheque from the sale of my parents’ house I would move back to Spain. I realised there was no way I could afford a big place or anywhere at all fancy and I didn’t want a flat in a town. I knew I wouldn’t be able to find a job with a Spanish company as there was widespread unemployment and the start of “The Crisis” was upon us. I had a few ideas for selling my own database software (opendatasoftware.net) and that was about it.

I decided eventually to look for a cave in the South of Spain and eventually settled on one in a small town of 20,000 inhabitants in the middle of nowhere. It’s a cave in that all of the rooms are built into a mountain side. Not a cave house where some of the rooms are extended outwards. This was an important choice of dwelling as a cave hardly needs any cooling in summer and very little heating in winter due to heat being conserved by the sheer thermal mass of a 3-metre thick roof, solid stone floor and metre thick walls throughout. The caves were previously used to house livestock but are perfectly habitable and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And prices – this was a very cheap one at 25,000 Euros.

Typical Cave (Before)

The Cave (After)

The cave is halfway up a mountain and is subject to extreme heat and full sun exposure in summer and torrential rain and gales in winter. The only heating is a small wood stove and there is only one window and one entrance door. There is a small entrance room with a small kitchen and small bathroom off to one side. Behind that is the living room with the wood stove. Behind that is the bedroom and behind that is a storage room. The garden is on top of the cave and the chimney protrudes up into the garden. When I moved in the garden was completely overrun with fearsome weeds.

The Garden (Before)

The Garden (After)

I decided that the only way I could survive was to live on approximately a quarter of what I was used to getting for a living wage – a drastic cut and one that would involve a complete change of lifestyle. I don’t smoke or drink any more so that helped. I’m a vegetarian and thought I would be able to grow most of my own food.

I don’t go out much at all except for walks and bike rides which don’t cost anything. The nature walk I use for a daily bike ride is just stunningly beautiful and I never tire of it. I realised that the lifestyle I was planning on living would be quite hard work physically and so decided to get fit as soon as possible. I started off just walking every day and now I jog 5 kilometres every day, bike 20 kilometres, train with weights and do Tai Chi, sit-ups and press-ups. I feel so much better for it and I think I will have a six-pack by the time I hit 60! Quite astonishing for someone who spent 8 hours a day sat in a chair in an office and never exercised apart from walking to work. The thing is, it is vitally important to be fit for this kind of lifestyle. I live on my own and if I cannot look after myself then I will have a serious problem. Apart from which, this lifestyle requires commitment and stamina. It is in no way an easy option or a cop-out.

I decided early on to dispose of most of the clutter that I had in my life and in the words of Thoreau “Simplify, simplify”. I have no TV. I sometimes watch Spanish television on my Eee laptop. I have no fridge and haven’t had for a year although I will be building a small Peltier cooler as I like yoghurt and it goes off too quickly in summer. I have a mountain bike – no car – I’ve never owned a car and I’m very proud to be able to say that. I have a wide assortment of clothes as I have to do manual work in all temperatures so anything from padded lumberjack shirts and work boots to sleeveless T-shirts and jeans to shorts and sandals, really. Lots of books, CDs and DVDs as I’m an avid reader.

I have no expensive hobbies. Most of them are free or cost very little – walking, running, cycling, playing guitar, gardening and reading. Watching the occasional DVD or documentary.

I try to do everything for myself as much as possible. I wash clothes by hand unless they are very dirty or very large items in which case I use the Eco setting on the washing machine about once a month. I use home made cleaning materials mainly made of either dilute vinegar or sodium bicarbonate solution. I always cook for myself using home-grown or locally bought vegetables. I use a home-made solar oven in summer and a home-made updated version of the old-time hay box or the wood stove in winter. I have an electric cooker but I don’t use it.

I boil water in a Kelly Kettle (check their website) and keep it in Thermos flasks and in the summer I use camp showers to heat water. I’ve learned how to sew, how to tie knots (a forgotten art), basic woodwork, electrical work and DIY. I make bricks out of old cardboard and paper to supplement my wood supply. All of this keeps my bills down to next-to-nothing.

I grow a small quantity of vegetables and herbs in the garden above the cave and on the metre-thick windowsill but I’m planning on setting up some square-foot gardens and potato-barrels this coming Spring. It’s early days yet. I use a (self-installed) 120-watt solar panel for some of my power and I’m going to build a couple of small home-made VAWTs as there is a huge amount of wind power available in winter. Half of the mains power in this area is from windmills. I only use mains power for power tools and the washing machine. Most of my equipment is 12-volt or was deliberately chosen for low consumption (like the Eee laptop). I use a Vodafone dongle for the Internet which costs about 4 Euros a week and the same kind of package for a mobile phone although I’m planning on switching the phone to Skype soon.

I have started a local magazine with its own website, I’m making and selling solar ovens and I’m planning on going in for producing Biodiesel for sale once I can find a cheap source of used vegetable oil. I don’t have time for anything else as this is a full-time 24/7 365-days-a-year commitment.

What I would like to say is this. I’m not by any means an expert on anything and I don’t claim to have all or even most of the answers. I have found out how to do these things by researching on the Internet – something anyone can do. And by trial and error in many cases. When I came out here a year ago I struggled to wire a plug. Now I’m installing solar panels!

Most of my ideas came from adapting old 1970s Mother Earth News articles to this century and checking out YouTube. I won’t lie – the learning curve is pretty steep and many times I have had to start projects again from scratch. Anyone who thinks that this is early retirement and an easy option is way off the mark. Anyone who enjoys a challenge and really believes in Learning For Life will love every minute of it. It’s an awesome, inspiring rebirth and a path to self-discovery and I would heartily recommend it to anyone. And as for depression – sorry, I haven’t got the time …

The Story of Stuff

Justin Wright — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:25:36 +0000

Have you ever wondered where stuff comes from and where it all ends up? The video below takes a very interesting look at the story of stuff and why we need to change the way we think, shop, and consume.

The Art of Voluntary Simplicity

Justin Wright — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:51:15 +0000

As many of you know, ever since I hit my tipping point with office jobs I decided to live a life of voluntary simplicity. This lifestyle change is the main reason why I was able to leave that job and pursue my passions.

However, a lot of people who I talk to are curious to know what simplicity means in terms of a lifestyle. So here is an in-depth look at the lifestyle and how you can start living it yourself.

What Is Voluntary Simplicity?

From my experience, voluntary simplicity means different things to different people. For the most part, choosing a life of simplicity means that you stop living the “modern-day lifestyle” that many of us have grown accustomed to. You stop focusing on accumulating possessions and whatnot and start focusing on getting as much value out of your time as possible. You remove the things you do not need in your life, whether they be physical or mental.

By removing the clutter from your life, you can spend your time pursuing your passions, hanging out with your friends and family, and doing the things that make you happy. You clear out all the junk for good and live a life of passion, freedom, and happiness.

Living a life of simplicity also helps you focus on living in the moment, rather than the past or future. None of us can travel in time as of date, so the only real time we have is now. This very second is your life as you read this sentence. By living in the moment, you can truly experience everything you do in your life.

Want a good example? The next time you sit down to eat, make it a goal to focus on what you are eating. Taste the food and actually enjoy the different flavors that each food has. It’s pretty amazing if I must say so myself.

Last but not least, a life of simplicity usually involves frugality. You start to focus only on the things you need (roof, clothes, food) and not on the things your television tells you to buy. By spending less money, you also open yourself up a lot more possibilities since you no longer need as much money to live from.

Where Should You Start?

Since voluntary simplicity is a personal choice, the best place to start is by deciding whether or not the lifestyle is for you. If it is, you should know that it does take time to transition into the lifestyle. It’s very difficult to make the switch overnight since you most likely have a lot of different things you will need to change in your life.

Here are a few things you can do to start implementing the lifestyle:

Reduce Expenses

A great place to start is by doing an in-depth look at your expenses. Take the time to figure out where your money goes and see if you can reduce any of the expenses. If you have cable, think about ditching it. If you have a cellphone, think about getting the cheapest plan possible.

Reduce Clutter

Have a ton of stuff lying around? If so, you might want to consider decluttering. Go through everything you own and decide what things you need and what things you could live without. Then make a plan to get rid of everything you do not need. You could try selling it on Craigslist or donate to a local charity.

Organize

Once you remove all the clutter, it is time to organize everything you have left. An organized home is an important aspect of simple living and makes it easier to keep your mind at ease.

Go Green

Believe it or not, going green is a great way to save money and reduce the amount of things you need and use. For a list of things you can do, check out my post on going green and saving money.

Automate

A great way to free up more time in your life is by automating various tasks and chores. For example, sign up for automatic billing on any of your recurring expenses. This cuts down on the amount of time you have to spend paying them every month.

Consolidate

Just like automating, consolidating your tasks and chores can free up a lot of time. For example, instead of running to the grocery store on Tuesday and the laundromat on Wednesday, do them both on the same day. Start planning ahead so you can take care of all your errands at one time.

Cut Back on Email

Not only is email a time killer, but it is also a productivity killer. Try cutting back as much as you can and close your inbox if you need to.

Focus on What Works

I highly recommend taking some time to analyze your entire life at this exact moment. Figure out what is working in your life and what isn’t. Then make a plan to remove all the things that are not working so you can focus all your energy on what works for you.

Eat Real Food

One of the things I started doing a few months ago is eating real foods. By focusing on eating natural foods instead of highly processed foods (canned, boxed, etc.), you not only make yourself healthier but also reduce the waste you go through since most processed foods are heavy on the packaging.

By no means are these all the things you can do. These are just a good place to start, especially if you are new to the idea of living a simple life.

I must say that I truly enjoy this lifestyle. By no means do I feel like I am missing out on anything nor do I feel poor. Matter of fact, I feel rich since I actually have time to enjoy myself and spend time with the people I care about.

Do you live a life of simplicity?

Photo Credit: Katie@!

A Simple & Easy Wallet Solution

Justin Wright — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:45:42 +0000

A few weeks ago, my dog ate up (destroyed) my wallet. That’s when I decided I needed to find an easier and cheaper solution.

I’ve always been a fan of carrying my stuff in my front pocket but a lot of times wallets are just too thick. I’ve also used a money clip but I did not like the fact that all my cards would not fit in it.

There has to be a better solution…

Introducing The Money Band

So I started surfing the web looking for interesting yet simple wallet ideas and came across the Money-band. At first I figured they were just selling rubber bands for a few bucks but then I decided to give it a shot anyway. I figured it was far less than the $20+ I’ve spent on decent leather wallets over the years. Plus I really liked their slogan:

As simple as possible, but not any simpler.”

A few days ago I received it in the mail and it turns out it really is just a rubber band. But it’s a custom sizeed one that makes carrying your cash and cards really easy. I know this because I tried using other rubber bands and none of them fit the way I wanted them to.

What Does It Hold?

As you can see in the picture above, I’ve managed to fit everything I need inside the band. I currently carry the following items:

Debit Card (Personal)
Debit Card (Business)
Drivers License
Health Insurance Card
3 Business Cards
Cash
Apartment Key
Mail Key

I managed to put the two keys on a very small key ring and then put it around the rubber band. That way I never leave home without my keys or my wallet since they are connected.

So far, I’m loving the simplicity and really love the fact that it’s waterproof. It’s sort of dog proof as well, though I’m sure my dog could eat the rubber band if she wanted to.

Update: My dog did in fact destroy my Money-band, but I loved it so much I went ahead and ordered another one.

You can order your own by heading over to the Money-band website.

What’s your favorite type of wallet?

Create A Minimalist Home Office

Justin Wright — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:34:53 +0000

If you work from home, there’s a good chance that you spend a fair share of your time in your home office. I know I do. But is it too cluttered?

If you missed my post yesterday, I already talked about the art of decluttering and how nice it feels. Along with getting rid of everything I didn’t need, I also spent time making my home office as minimalist as possible.

What Is A Minimalist Home Office?

I think this varies depending on who you ask. For me, it’s all about having the things I need to do my job and nothing else. Others might find that they need more or less things depending on your profession. I’ve seen some awesome offices before where people had nothing but a desk, a pad of paper, and a pencil.

However, not all of us can get by without a computer and other technology related items. So that’s why it’s important to decide what you NEED to get your work done.

Determine What You Need

The most important step of this whole operation is going through everything and determining what you need to get your work done. It’s easy to start with the basic items like your computer, something to write with, and so on. However, don’t overlook the small things like pens and pencils.

Prior to going through everything, I had about 40 pens and pencils stashed around my desk. Half of them didn’t even work. So I took the time to go through all of them and tossed the ones that didn’t work and kept a few of the good ones. I also moved them to my drawer instead of keeping them on my desk. When I need one, I grab it out of the drawer.

Once I finished that, I went through my tiny hidden drawer and removed everything I didn’t need. Man is it amazing to have a drawer that has more room than you need. I remember when I had stuff piled up in them and couldn’t find a damn thing when I needed it.

Don’t Forget The Computer Itself

Of all the items in most peoples offices, the one they often overlook when cleaning up is the computer itself. Is your computer organized? Do you keep it updated? Do you have applications and files lying around that you don’t use?

Going through my computer took the most time because I had a lot of stuff to clean up. For the past few weeks I’ve had issues with my user account, so I ended up creating a brand new one. It felt like a fresh start and ended up being a life saver as I managed to remove a lot of stuff I no longer needed.

Here’s a quick look at my current desktop:

If you didn’t notice, I stopped using desktop icons and set my dock to hide automatically. Instead, I’ve opted for a clean and simple setup.

I also added the large clock to my desktop because it helps me stay focused. I tend to waste far less time when I’m staring at a clock that’s ticking away. It reminds me that time is precious and that it shouldn’t be wasted.

I’m also a big fan of positive quotes on my wallpapers. I created a bunch of them and set it to automatically change every hour. Seems to keep me in a great mood

A Few Tips To Help You Out

In the process of simplifying my home office (and my life), I’ve noticed a few things that can make it easier. Here’s what I recommend:

Learn To Let Go – The hardest thing for me was learning to let go of some of the stuff I had. Even getting rid of unused pens and pencils can be tough. It must be the pack rat in all of us.
Keep Your Desk Simple (and clean) – The less stuff you keep on your desk, the better you’ll feel. The things we collect and set up around our desks distract us, even if we don’t notice.
Don’t Be A Collector – In other words, don’t keep multiple copies of the same items. Do you have two printers? More than one stapler? Three pairs of headphones? Try your best to buy (or keep) the nice things and remove the rest. I’d take one nice pen over 10 dead ones any day.
Take An Inventory Of Your Work Tools – Then remove the ones you don’t need. I used to have a stapler, a cork-board, a scanner, and tons of other stuff that I used once or twice and never touched again.
Use Less Paper – I must admit that I love to jot notes down and keep papers lying around. However, I’ve taught myself to use the computer for the majority of my note taking. When I still feel the need to write stuff down, I use a designated notebook. It’s so much nicer having a nice notebook that you can use for all your note taking, ideas, and other items you might want to write down. Then you can tuck it away in your drawer and know where it is.

Good luck. if you have any tips and tricks on simplifying your workspace, I’d love to hear them!

The Art of Decluttering

Justin Wright — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:39:25 +0000

Does your place look like similar to the picture? If so, it’s time to start decluttering.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been busy decluttering my life and all I can say is wow does it feel great! It is amazing how much clutter we accumulate in our lives, both physical and mental. And it’s a safe assumption that a lot of our mental clutter is the result of all the physical clutter we surround ourselves with.

So What Is Clutter?

When I use the term clutter, I’m referring to anything that is unnecessary. We do need certain things to be happy, but most of us need far less than we think. For example, when’s the last time you took a good look in one of your closets? My guess is there is a ton of stuff in them that you haven’t used in a long, long time.

What about your computer? I’m sure you have tons of files, folders, and random desktop icons that you don’t use.

My rule of thumb was that if I hadn’t used it in the past year, I no longer needed it. And don’t forget the things that you have multiples of. My girlfriend and I went through our kitchen cupboards and noticed we had about 20 glasses or cups, 7 or 8 plates, and a whole bunch of bowls. But did we really need that many for two people?

Sure, we might have people over that want to eat but that’s the only reason we would ever need more than two of each. So we went ahead and donated all the extras to Goodwill.

How Do You Free Yourself?

So now that we know everyone has clutter, how do you get rid of it? For me, the easiest way was to go through every room in my apartment. I made sure to check all my backpacks, boxes, and drawers that I’ve accumulated over the past few years. I also spent a ton of time going through our closets.

For every item that you find, you need to ask yourself if you truly need it. If you know you don’t need it, throw it in the get rid of pile. If you find something you might want to keep, throw it in the maybe pile. Everything else can stay in the “safe” pile.

The first round is tough because your mind constantly tries to tell you that you need ALL of it. You start thinking stuff like:

“I might need this sometime.”
“I paid like X dollars for this, I can’t get rid of it!”
“If I ever do blank, this would come in really handy”

It’s amazing how much your mind loves to keep everything. But eventually you have to tell it NO.

Start With Your Clothes

The first step for me was going through the bedroom, specifically my clothes. I went through every piece of clothing I own and made a pile of all the items that I had worn in the past year. Once I finished that, I was left with the following unused items in my closet:

25 Shirts
10 Pairs of Pants
6 Pairs of Shorts
5 Pairs of Shoes
2 Jackets
10 Hats

Talk about a ton of unnecessary baggage! Heck, some of the shirts still had the tags on them. I also had a few pairs of shoes that I knew I would never wear again. So I threw all of the clothes into 4 garbage bags and took them to the used clothing store. I managed to get a whopping 5 bucks for a few items and donated the rest to charity.

The Rest Of My Apartment

Once my clothes were finished, it was time to go through the rest of my belongings. I went through each room and cloest and made a gigantic pile of stuff I didn’t need. I was left with a heaping pile of crap in the living room that consisted of:

Weight Set
Jack Lelanne Power Juicer
2 Framed Posters
Playstation 2
Computer Speakers
Digital Camera (crappy one)
Trash Can
Cables I No Longer Used
Bunch Of Random Crap

The good news is I managed to sell almost everything above on Craigslist. It’s amazing how fast people come by and pick up your stuff. I ended up pulling a profit on a few items, which made it even more awesome.

It Feels Great

I cannot believe how good it feels to not own a lot of things. Now when I walk into my apartment it feels cleaner and much easier to find the things I need. It also feels good to give your unused stuff to charity so someone else can get use out of it.

Photo Credit: allyaubry | CC 2.0

PS. Tune in tomorrow for another post about decluttering your home office.