What does simple living mean?

I have lost count of the number of blogs I have read that stresses the importances of "simple living". 

What does simple living mean?

The problem with this phrase is that it means different things to different people. I really like my hairdryer, microwave, washing machine and the electricity that power those things, the fact I can buy ready made bread and not have to make it every day, my car which allows me freedom of movement and earning enough so we don't have to struggle. 

Some would say, we don't live simply. Perhaps not by those who are self-sufficient, living in a cottage somewhere and not reliant on power and water and avoid the supermarket. However, compared to those who drive two cars, own 4 TVs, big house. go on lots of holidays and eats out every second night we are living quite simply. 

Simple living doesn't mean you have to make your own soap or bake your own bread. I personally think it means not be driven by the needs of the world that want you to buy and consume constantly. It doesn't mean you need to throw out the microwave or dishwasher or minimise your home — rather, not becoming a slave to the  materialist world that we live in and constantly wanting more and more of things we don't need or never use. 

I also think it means not living a busy or complicated life full of distractions where you don't have the time or energy to give generously or serve joyfully. 

Living simply means putting your focus on living a Godly life and not one of always wanting more.  Because the more you have and the more you want takes you further and further away from God and in turn will not find you happiness or satisfaction of any sort. 

And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

So what does simple living mean to me . . . 

* make family more important than money or belongings

* not being driven by material goods and the "need to shop"

* not being envious of others, being satisfied with what you have

* don't make work the centre of one's life, but a means to enjoy life with my family

* going slower in a busy world — remove the clutter in one's life

* create time for solitude

* live peacefully
* living naturally as possible

* enjoy the beauty around you rather than rush past a rose, stop to smell it.

* not living beyond one's means

* helping others and not focusing on self

* sharing with others

* eating healthy whole foods and cooking from scratch

* not needing the latest gadgets

* living in a smaller home with a manageable mortgage

* not replacing the car every five minutes just because there is something better or faster (or any other item)

* not going out all the time and spending lots of money on meals and entertainment (which doesn't mean not ever going out, but making it occasional and therefore special)

* sewing for the family and others where possible

* enjoying simple pleasures such as reading, listening to music, going for a walk in the fresh air

* decluttering and donating goods to charity

* visiting the fruit and vegetable markets more than the supermarket

* be conscious of wastage and not consuming the worlds resources at a mega rate

* recycling and buying second hand

* enjoying giving and receiving homemade gifts

Simplicity in its essence demands neither a vow or poverty not a life of rural homesteading. As an ethic of self-conscious material moderation, it can be practiced in cities and suburbs, townhouses and condominiums. It requires neither a log cabin nor a hair shirt but a deliberate ordering of priorities so as to distinguish between the necessary and superfluous, useful and wasteful, beautiful and vulgar. (by David Shi)

It doesn't mean going without or even living frugally. Its about wise and thoughtful living . . . which in turns creates an environment that is not hectic, pressured and stressful for both you and your family . . . which is far better for us all mentally and emotionally.  

It essences, it is healthy living. 

The more we own (not just goods but money as well), the harder it is to give it up and none of it will get us to heaven faster.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (1 Peter 3:10)