Defining Enough

In making so many changes to our lives Wes and I have had to continually define what is "enough" for us.  Being Child Free our version of enough is more than likely much simpler than those who have children to raise.  Our frame of reference for enough does not include vacations, retirement, sick days or many of the other benefits of working in the formal economy.   In fact after reading various publications of the Nearings we really sat down and figured out that we could have enough and enjoy the rest of life without much trouble at all!  (moving 2500 miles to be closer to family, getting rid of half your posessions, living in 1/4 of your former living space, 4000 square foot garden... not much trouble at all *laughs a bit hysterically*).

When we started our journey nearly two years ago I was a veritable shopping maven.  I stopped weekly at TJ Maxx which always had some little bauble or trinket I had to have.  Several times a week I would peruse the magazine racks at Barnes and Nobles and usually pick up one or two decorating eye candy type journals along with a Caramel Machiatto from Starbucks.  Going out to dinner was a weekly event at a very nice restaurant (which I have to admit was more because I adored the owners) and we usually had takeout at least twice a week.  In short, a typical American Life.

Today our monthly income is probably what I spent on the above pleasures.  I find that while I miss the company of Wes & Scott at their restaurant I don't miss the expense.  (honestly, I can cook quite well but those guys were fabulous to spend time with).  I actually don't miss TJ Maxx all that much because it's much easier to shop Etsy for ideas and make things myself or have the occasional splurge and support another artist.  Having 1/4 the decorating space means I just shop the boxes in the attic to decorate and I can always go to other garage sales for stuff.  I have to admit I miss the occasional Caramel Machiatto but I found a substitute that I make at home for pennies.

All of our changes have happened because we re-defined what is enough for us.  I am constantly having to rein myself in from big ideas and expansion of various business models and remember what is enough for us.  It's far too easy for me to become a workaholic, tendencies that served me well in various corporate jobs.  Now I have to remind myself that we chose a different enough for us so that we could enjoy life a little more, take time to sit and watch the rain fall gently (or not so gently as it looks like it's starting to pour out there) and that we don't feel the pressures, ulcers, stress headaches and irritations of our previous lives.

I made a huge decision this summer to become part of a local Farmer's Market instead of having a village Farm Stand on my front porch.  I had visions of dollar signs running through my head as tourists flocked to my booth and ordered special baked goods, cleaned out the ones I had baked for the market and wiped out all the vast quantities of produce I would be able to grow.  ROFLMAO!!! 

Looking back (isn't hindsight a wonderful thing) I realize I probably should have lived in the area for a year before I made decisions about income opportunities without information.  It is our first large garden and the weather really has kicked our butts.  Climate change, season shift, sunspots or El Nino our garden definitely did not produce as much as I thought it would. 

The economy seems to be inhibiting the tourists and honestly there are far too many other Saturday events to make our tiny Farmer's Market a priority.  With two well stocked farm stands and two farmer's markets within a five mile radius I think maybe this was not a decision that will pan out in the long run for me personally.  I will see out the season but I'm having some regrets about trying to do more than my porch farm stand on main street.  I think some of my pining is that there have been some fabulous Saturday events I wanted to attend but I did make the commitment to do the farmer's market so could not attend other events (yeah, that's a bit of a whine, got any cheese?)

On the other hand my online ventures have done quite well, exceeding my wildest dreams and focusing on those brings me much happiness and joy.  I have other ideas that I'm just getting started on and high hopes for those as well.  I also plan to open that porch Farm Stand because it's really what we wanted to do in the first place.

It's always a crapshoot making huge changes in life and coming back to the basic premise of what is "enough" for Wes and I has to be the baseline from where we go forward.  It's a constant reminder that being able to enjoy our lives is more important to us than anything else and we need to do enough to pay the basics and then kick back and remember....  It's all good!

Comments

[gayle]

We've done our own explorations of enough. For a long time, we walked the edge of "not enough" - not because we wanted too much, but because we had too little. We're finding enough through steady jobs (not easy to find in the NEK) and expanding our "mini-farm."
We're working now to get rid of the debt accrued during our "not enough" years, so that enough can be more comfortably attained.
Good for you for your achievement, and especially for *recognizing* your achievement!

[Sue]

We don't always end up where we thought we should be. And sometimes that's a good thing. You and Wes sound so much like my hubby and I that its almost scary. We have had to shift priorities in the past few years and though we have so much less money, we have so much more life. And wow, it's wonderful. Have a great weekend.

[Norma]

It's a wonderful thing to reach that point of realizing what is enough. I have, I think, but I keep slipping back into the old way of thinking. Sitting at the kitchen table, I am looking into the dining room and HATING the decor as we speak, and wishing I had the $$ and the wherewithal to fix it already. Heh.

And though I love my garden here (finally, after so many years), I wish I could do a "Honey, I Shrunk The House" maneuver that would work -- the size of the house, the amount of the stuff, the cost of keeping it up -- it all needs to be cut by at least half!

[Leigh]

Funny, I was doing a major meditation on the word "enough" a couple of days ago as I was weeding/thinning.
The NEK is very tough place to make a living, especially as an entrepreneur. I had a one person wholesale whole grains bakery here for ten years (in the 80s), which succeeded because I could get the stuff to Burlington and Montpelier with another local "health food" business, and I've always been able to live and be content with very little money. It was very physically demanding, so I didn't want to do it more than twice a week (14-16 hour sessions, including milling the grain), and in order to hire another person, I would have had to borrow heavily to try to expand in what was, at the time, a very niche market...

Anyway, my husband and I have found that, for us, relying on the NEK to make a living as entrepreneurs, or being employed by local companies, just doesn't work (I'm a native, by the way), to the point where it's a total joke. We do very well (by our monkish standards, the last few months not withstanding), globally on-line. I think any time I can avoid getting into a car to do business/go to work, it's a BIG advantage. A little money made without getting into a car equals more money made if you have to get into the car. I vote Front Porch and Etsy...

[Aponi]

I'd love to see what you are selling on line! How about adding a link to your blog page?

[Jennifer]

Okay, so share the "Caramel Machiatto" replacement recipe already! LOL!