The Austerity DiariesDaisy Luther We recently incurred some unexpected, major expenses in our family that have forced us to rethink our lifestyle. No matter how carefully you plan, sometimes fate has other ideas for you and you discover that you have to reset your sail and change course to go with the winds. Thankfully, we enjoy excellent health and fortitude, so were embracing the detour as yet another adventure on our journey. To do this, we have chosen to accept change as neither good nor bad, just different. Its times like this when I am so glad that we, as a family, have embraced frugality. My kids have been brought up with a somewhat different mindset from their friends. They arent big consumers and they arent into frivolous spending. They are every bit as happy with a cool item acquired from a yard sale as they are an expensive new item of clothing from the store. Im also fortunate to have the whole-hearted support of loving friends who are like-minded another key point when you are embarking on a frugal journey. When you are surrounded by spendthrifts it can be terribly difficult to adhere to your course you always feel like youre missing out, and however innocently, they tend to try and pressure you into making poor financial decisions. I know that it isnt just my family who is experiencing some tough financial downturns. The economy in North America is just awful. According to an article by Michael Snyder, half of the country supports a family on less than $27,000per year. And to make matters worse, the cost of living has dramatically increased and it isnt finished increasing yet. An article written by Mac Slavo of SHTFplan predicts that the cost of living could more than QUADRUPLE over the next little while. So if you think its bad nowhang on, youre in for a bumpy ride. The first step to moving towards a non-consumer lifestyle is to embrace your cheap side. I wrote about this last year, and it bears repeating: The key to success is your attitude. Hard-core frugality is not just making a choice to buy the generic brand of laundry soap instead of a jug of Tide with scent beads. Hard-core frugality is buying the ingredients to make 5 times the amount of laundry soap for half the price of that name-brand detergent, all the while LOVING the fact that Proctor and Gamble are not getting your money. Being a black belt in frugality takes creativity and an optimistic outlook. It should never be some grim, sad thing that you have to do. It should be something that you choose to do. By finding joy in your non-consumerism, you will be far more successful at it. It becomes a game that you win if you can do something for free that others spend money on. When you feel like you require less, then you are happy with less. This means that you have to spend less time working at things you may not truly enjoy to pay for the things that you never actually needed in the first place. This means that the money that you have goes a lot further. (source) So, I am setting forth on a journey of non-consumerism. Our budget will be very tight over the next little while as we overcome the stumbling blocks that life has thrown us. We are setting up our own Personal Austerity Plan, and because weve done it before, it shouldnt be too difficult. We are going to drop our expenses radically, and were going to have a great time doing it. Here are 12 cuts to consider, from a previous article. Financial downturns happen. And theyre going to be happening more and more often. They are nothing to be ashamed of sometimes circumstances are beyond your control, sometimes you make bad decisions, and sometimes you are just propelled along by a floundering economy. It doesnt matter how or why your financial issues occurred it is your response to these occurrences that sets the course for a happy life. Ill be getting away, somewhat, from the news stories. Im going to be documenting our lifestyle changes in a series called The Austerity Diary, which I hope that you will enjoy. This website is made wonderful by the contributions that many of my favorite readers leave in the comments, so I cant wait to read your ideas about the different topics discussed. Health still is, and will always remain, a priority. Frugality doesnt have to mean Ramen noodles we can still eat a mostly organic diet, even on a tight budget. Preparedness and an awesome pantry full of nutritious food will see us through the rough spots. Over the next few months, I hope that you find inspiration from our journey to leave consumerism behind and lead a life that is even more self sufficient than before. I dont have a big farm in the country, but a tiny little house in a small town. I think many of us may be living in a place that is not our ideal location, but this doesnt mean that we must sigh and write off our dreams of self-sufficiency. Dont allow yourself to be limited by your geography! The best way to resist the ever-encroaching government is to live your life in a way that they become completely unnecessary to your existence. Refuse to take part in the nations economic collapse. Take control of your life by taking control of meeting your own needs. Forget Wal-mart and the Big Box stores, say goodbye to Big Food live simply and well, on your own terms. Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, where this first appeared, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca 