Introduction
Live more have less, we need to stop consuming and producing things we do not need, We need to stop generating trash and wasting resources, we need to aim for efficiency and move away from an socioeconomic model based on growth in a finite world for it is pure suicide.
I realized a while ago that the more choice I had the more complicated things were and that in the end the time and energy wasted on actually choosing between a plethora of options just ate my life energy away so I adopted the moto "Less is More".
Here is a list of things you can do:
- Part with clothes and shoes you love but you know you will never wear again
- Part with books and magazines that you will not use again and go digital with ebooks or audio books
- Convert to mps all your cd and sell the originals
- Convert all DVD to avi files and sell originals
- Buy two large but compact usb hard drives to store the above and second to back up first
- Buy a fast scanner and scan all documents you have keep only originals throw away copies (check out google docs)
- Scan at hi res family pictures and give away originals to friends and family
- If you have two phones consider one with the two sim card option
- If you have a desktop flog it and get a laptop
- 10) Sell all items that you don't need or give them away if no one wants them trash them.
- Replace items with multifunction devices like fax,printer,scanner all in one
- Simplify color schemes in house and clothes
- Get rid of all your useless friends
- If your pet dies don't get a replacement
- Don't buy stupid gadgets and toys
- Standardize everything you can
- For men shave your head with razor and from now one cut your beard and head to stubble every three days with electric razor shaver.
- Get low consumption led lighting
- Use rechargeable batteries
- Make your own mineral drinking water
- Rent vs Buy
- Loose weight
- Replace one of your cars with a scooter or electric bicycle
- Stop Smoking
- Eat less meat and slowly aim to become partially vegan
- Get a solar water heater (depends on your geo location)
- Get a solar self consumption kil (depends on your geo location)
- Buy a bithermal washing machine (only if you do not heat your water with electricity)
- Build a cistern and collect rain water
- Build or Buy a Stove
- Replace your conventional AC with a desert cooler
Less is More "Water"
"You are what you eat" I guess that most will agree with this statement. As I was leading my family down the path of having less living more we started looking at what we were eating and drinking and I must say it turns out that we are poisoning ourselves and our children everyday.When I was a child in Switzerland everyone drank tap water now even in Switzerland people drink mineral water and nearly everywhere you are advised to drink "safe" mineral water. I find this fact really shocking, In my opinion it is the responsibility of our governments to provide us with safe clean good drinking water it is a basic need like healthcare, education and housing.But what really worried me is that even if I chose to drink "safe" mineral water, new research show that the plastic containers they are sold or delivered in are leaching gender bending chemicals.So even "safe" water is dangerous and tap water can be laced with germs, artificial sweeteners,pesticides,fertilizers,birth control substance,antibiotics, anti-depressants,seizure medication, cancer treatments, pain killers, tranquilizers and cholesterol-lowering compounds,antibiotics and veterinary medicines and the list goes on!The only solution I found was distilling my own water and/or collecting rainwater in water cisterns and filtering it. So less chemicals and more water :)
Less is More Living
Applying the LIM concept in your living quarters is a challenge since unless you design and build it from scratch you will inherit wasteful antiquated constructs. But here are a few upgrades you can implement if you renovate your home.Implement motion detected lighting in your bathroom and toilet as well as in corridors ( check that link to help you out Link ) it will reduce the number of switches and actually make it safer since water and electricity dont mix as well as save energy.Replace your toilet with a modern economic flush or go for toilet and sink combination W+W by Roca which saves space and water or installing Low-Flow Showerheads and Faucet Aerators is really easy and these new low-flow designs prevents the energy used to heat water from going down the drain. Lighting accounts for about 15 percent of household energy use. If you swap the five standard light bulbs you use most for energy-saving compact fluorescents or leds you can save substantial amounts of money.
Save space by using multifunction items like instead of having a fax, printer, phone, answering machine and phone buy a multifunction unit that dose all the above in one or for example this "Bildtisch" (or, literally, "picture table") this stylish picture frame with some slick foldability creates a flat space where there was once just a picture (and vice versa). Designed by Austrian designer Verena Lang, it appears to be a concept for now
Less is More "Clothes"
There is a myth that Albert Einstein had 7 sets of identical suit, shirt underwear and shoes etc. even though this is a myth it is not far from the truth, the below quotes from him highlight his views towards clothes."When I was young I found out that the big toe always ends up making a hole in a sock. So I stopped wearing socks. ""I like neither new clothes nor new kinds of food. ""If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it. ""They want to see me, here I am. If they want to see my clothes, open my closet and show them my suits" said Einstein when his wife asked him to change clothes to meet the German AmbassadorIn this light I decided to apply LIM concept to my wardrobe, first I took out everything I never wore, then I only put back in the closet what I had used or washed and got rid of the rest.Then I decided to reduce the color scheme of my clothes and accessory so that I could make more useful combinations and last I decided I would only buy things that did not need ironing and could be washed easily if I could.
Timberland Folding Shoes Are Ultra Portable
T-723-X1 Linoleum – con.temporary furniture
Eyecard Glasses Fit In Your Wallet
Snuggie ® - Camouflage
Ideas Worth Spreading
Whenever you buy something new try to get rid of two things you own by giving them away or disposing of them.In alot of poor countries, hospitality is a necessity and most families will give food and lodging for one night to travelers... in our egocentric and fearful society this has disappeared and people have become isolated and lonely. Try out couch surfing it's great to reduce expenses when traveling and you meet new people and make new contacts at the same time as contributing to rebuilding the social fabric. http://www.couchsurfing.orgWhen you make presents instead of buying a useless gadget made in china buy quality foods, wine, cosmetic products, clothes for kids or vouchers that let your friends buy what they really need.Extend the life of your razor by using your forearm linkExtend the life of your clothes, wash in cold water when you can and inside out, line dry vs tumble, Keep all button and learn how to sew, Separate colors when washing, buy quality clothes in the first place check label for washing instructions it will give you a hint. more tips Link
Light Switches
One of the biggest waste of electricity is caused by laziness or the inconvenience of switching lights on and off, CP Electronics has come up with an elegant products to help you save on your monthly electricity bill.
For example the green-i energy saving controls Link offers a high level of user functionality including a dimmer switch with built-in presence detector to ensure the lighting turns off when it is not needed
.
If well planned you can also reduce the number of switches and thus save on materials and labor.
Where to Start?
Purchase list
- Wood Stove
- Duralex Glass plates etc (they don't break and look nice)
- Vinegar Gar and Mother (make your own balsamic vinegar)
- Rent your car out p2p social car
- Rent your place out airbnb
- Bitcoin and Liteoin your freedom currency
- Distance courses with NZ (freedom of education)
- Wood stove accessories
- Russian Matryushka dolls are great toy for little girls and they take no space
- Auto consumo Solar Paner system
- Led light bulbs
- Hemp clothing
- Vegetarian cookbook
- Window Garden
- Laptop (consumes less than desk top)
- Rolex (automatic watch)
- Swiss Army Knife
- Smart phone
- Windup/solar radio/light/ cb
- Bitcoins
- SSD hard drive
- Bat House
- Compost
- Japanese toilet
- Sink reuse water toilet
- bitermic washing machines
- Solar water heater
- Wind turbine
- Desert cooler
- Ceiling Fan
- Stainless steel bottle
- Run biooil (20 gasoline 80 cooking oil)
- Heat diffuser instead of toaster
- Italian coffee kettle
Space Saving
2 in One
Albert Einstien
There is a myth that Albert Einstein had 7 sets of identical suit, shirt underwear and shoes etc. even though this is a myth it is not far from the truth, the below quotes from him highlight his views towards clothes.
"When I was young I found out that the big toe always ends up making a hole in a sock. So I stopped wearing socks. "
"I like neither new clothes nor new kinds of food. "
"If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it. "
"They want to see me, here I am. If they want to see my clothes, open my closet and show them my suits" said Einstein when his wife asked him to change clothes to meet the German Ambassador
In this light I decided to apply LIM concept to my wardrobe, first I took out everything I never wore, then I only put back in the closet what I had used or washed and got rid of the rest.
Then I decided to reduce the color scheme of my clothes and accessory so that I could make more useful combinations and last I decided I would only buy things that did not need ironing and could be washed easily if I could.
Efficiency
Kitchen
Sharing
If you are using windows 7 you can easily share your internet connection using Link Connectify a small app. Don't forget that sharing is an important part of optimizing resources and ultimately a way to use less resources.
Storage Tips
Fun :)
