Make tonight different! At the beginning of the week you invited another family or some friends to come and spend an evening with you. As it is a bring and share evening, you provide the space and they provide the food (some of it).
Now you have decluttered your home, picked some flowers from the garden, sorted out some of the financial issues, you should be feeling so much better and it is time to celebrate. Turn the television off and have a fun and relaxing evening with your family and friends, talking and or playing some games. Many people spend their mealtimes with a tray on a lap, watching a bit of 'relaxing' telly and very rarely spend as a complete unit talking to each other. Your downshifting experiences could be on top of your topic list...
After dinner, get out some playing cards, scrabble etc and spend some time together. You never know this might just become something to do more regularly to meet up with long lost friends, neighbours, or just time to be with your own family.
[image © Marilyn Barbone | Dreamstime.com]
Tip 7. Have a wonderful evening with friends and family
Tip 6. Spend some time with someone you love
Book a half-day off work to spend entirely with someone you love.
The concepts behind downshifting are simple. The more money you spend, the more time you have to be out there earning it and the less time you get to spend with the ones you love. Once you've grasped unlimited potential of slowing things down a gear, you'll soon feel the benefits of spending 'proper' time with the important people in your life.
On your half-day off, you should indulge a special relationship; that doesn't mean go DIY shopping together either! Make up a few sandwiches and a flask and go for a nice walk. Enjoy the elements and each other's company and remember why you fell in love with them in the first place.
Tip 5. Not all food comes from the shops - Why not grow your own?
Plant something in the garden to cultivate and eat and start a compost heap. Most local councils have simple but very effective compost bins for sale, or if you have not got the space have a look at the bokashi method as mentioned before on the Ecolist.
Natural Collection or Evengreener.com
The benefits are simple, no more smelly and maggot infested bins, but some very valuable compost for next year's planting and your bin men will be delighted too!
Tip 3. Analyse your time and finance budgets.
Where I live we have The West Bridgford Skills Exchange, a local alternative economy. The idea behind the system is that knowledge, skills, goods and services created in our community will stay in our community.
The system is simple. The members of the group input their skills, services or goods for loan on a Google document. Other members can view this document at any time. If they need a service, they contact the provider and the deal is done. For every hour of work a 'gem' is handed over to the person who provided the skill or service. When you join the scheme 10 'gems' are given so that you can start trading immediately. When you want to leave the system, you need to pay the 10 'gems' back this then means that you neither owe something to the community nor is anything owed to you.
What you need to join:
- live in West Bridgford
- be trustworthy and interested in your local community. References may be asked for.
- a computer so that you can open a google mail account.
- With the credit crunch hitting us hard. For many of the items in you weekly spend you could use Gems leaving you more £££'s in your purse to pay for petrol, energy bills and the mortgage. (something that is sadly not on the Skills Exchange, although advise on how to reduce your energy bills and alternative ideas to petrol is available on the scheme!)
"I don't have the time to do something extra" I can hear you say.
The whole idea is that you CREATE time by doing something for others that you are already doing anyhow or really enjoy doing: Child minding, driving to work, dog walking, letter writing, cooking etc. If you cook an extra portion for someone, you will receive a gem. It has saved the recipient time but you were cooking and washing up anyhow. Now you can spend this gem on something that you might want to make life nicer or easier: a hair cut, a lift, an alternative therapy...?
If you like the idea and there is not a Skills Banks, LETS system or any other alternative economy in your area, why not get a group of friends (12 minimum) with a good variety of skills together and start one up yourselves. It is fun and very satisfying, so why not give it a go!
If you want have any questions and you would like to know how I set up Chippers 14 years ago(our local skills exchange running at the time) just send me an email and I shall try and help you. karina.wells@ntlworld.com
Tip 2. A little bit of craft might do you good - Hand-make a simple card for the next birthday or event on your calendar.
This is a shocking exercise.
Now, do bear in mind you've not allowed for a single friend, or chums of your children, or neighbours, the list goes on and on. You can save a fortune by making your own greetings cards and create far more of an impact with the recipient, because you have taken the time to create something personal. Made in batches, you can do a dozen at a time quite easily and they are also a great way to get the family around the table for a giggle at your 'Blue Peter' efforts!If you would like to make your own cards but are short of ideas have a look at the following website: www.bisous.biz/main.htm
Why not start by making your first card as an invitation to a Bring and Share Dinner Party on Friday of this week. Enjoy!
Tip 1. Clear your clutter and make someone happy!
Have a thorough house and garage clear out, look at what you are considering throwing away and see if it could be of use by somebody else. If so, donate it to a local good cause. Or, if you are on the web, find your local Freecycle Group and give it away there. (As previously mentioned on the EcoList)
At the time of updating this list, there were over 4,338,000 members worldwide, all giving their stuff away! Be part of that great organisation and de-clutter your life - see www.freecycle.org/group/UK/ and find a group near you.
Downshifting encourages you to look at every aspect of your life and apply this 'reuse, recycle, renew and rethink' policy. Donating items to people who have a need for them also helps reduce our landfill problem and can give you a great sense of self-worth, a well-needed moral boost and of course, it does the recipient a good turn too.
Downshifting - aiming for a happier, simpler and more balanced life
Downshiftingis the answer to the stress, overwork and lack of life quality that drags so many of us down.
It involves deliberately opting out of the career rat race, reducing working hours, cutting back on purchasing and living a simpler, balanced and more fulfilled life than ever before. For some this may mean switching to a less stressful job, working part time or from home, or negotiating flexible working hours - for others it may include escaping to the country or moving abroad to live the dream they've always wanted. Either way, it's no longer simply an aspiration to pursue in the distant future. Quitting the rat race has become a practical, attainable proposition for millions of us and Downshifting can help you every step of the way to that dream.
As you can see from the book of the week: Downshifting: The guide to happier, simpler living it only costs £0.01 so it won't brake the bank. It gives all the advice you need on what to consider, how to plan, the pitfalls to avoid, living better on less, simplifying your lifestyle, and achieving balance and fulfilment for the best life ever. Hopefully it will stimulate to continue your downshifting journey after this week of focus.
[Image © Kathy Wynn | Dreamstime.com]
InterNational Downshifting Week Saturday 19th to Friday 25th April 2008
What is Downshifting?
Be a 'free-range' person!
Downshifting is about slowing down your pace, finding a better work/life balance, consequently embracing living with less and leading a simpler, greener and happier life!
