The Benefits of Inefficient Living

Lots of people suffer serious injury and even death from heart attack and stroke while shoveling every winter. Many even appear to be in good health. Further, the additional time outside that it takes to clear snow can result in frostbite, hypothermia, breathing difficulties and potential loss of consciousness. It happens every winter season, all around the world, to people of all ages and physical conditions. If you have a snowblower, use it, for goodness sake!

I keep a bucket on or near my kitchen sink and one near my bathtub and use them when I run the water to get it warm. All that water going down the drain while waiting is wasteful. I then pour it into jugs for watering plants either inside or outside. I've started using soap nuts in my laundry, less chemicals in our water and using only vinegar and baking soda to clean toilets and sinks for the same reason. I soak my paint brushes in a small container of water to rinse them. I put a screen in the lid of a 5 gal. bucket, then a coffee filter and then pour the rinse water in to catch the paint. Later, I dump the water outside near poison ivy or away from the property and when dry, the coffee filter in the trash.

I've been living this way for about 5 years now and I wouldn't go back to the way I lived before. Matter of fact, I've gone Tiny. I can't tell you how wonderfull it is to be FREE of STUFF. I would rather hang my clothes than to put them in a dryer. Not only do they smell better, but the last a lot longer. I cook my own meals from scratch and do my own baking. I don't have a vehicle, so I walk everywhere (and I'm 73 years old). My health is better now than it's ever been because I eat healthy food, no processed foods, grains, starches, sugar, or carbs. I live in a 5th wheel travel trailer, full time, the the mountains of Colorado, I do my own yard work and have just recently redone the skirting around my home and I'm now redoing the interior. After going tiny, I just do not understand why people think bigger is better when it's full of "stuff" they don't really need, rooms they don't use, and yards they don't take care of themselves. Oh, and it only takes me about 30 minutes to fully clean my home. Oh, and I don't use or have A/C. Hate it. Would rather have my windows and doors open and breath the clean fresh air. Anyone can do this, but only if they are willing to do so.

I appreciate the ideas shared, Since we live in Texas where there are basements some of the suggestions couldn't be executed. There's also an assumption that people are doing their own yard work (mowing, raking, etc.) We moved to the country from a neighborhood where almost everyone hired people to do those chores. I was proud to take care of those tasks myself and chalked them up to exercise. And now that we're in the country, the 1/4 mile walk to our mailbox daily is one of my favorite activities. - The store is 8 miles away but we do cut, split & stack our own wood. Another title for your article could have been, "Working Smarter vs Harder Isn't Necessarily the Best Choice for your Health".

I love the title. Today's efforts to do more in a shorter period of time has had the reverse effect on society as a whole. I would rather speak face to face, walk the extra steps and take the time to enjoy what I have. When using shortcuts to speed up what we are doing, we are in fact missing out on a variety of visual cues, processing the task at hand completely and most likely enjoying it. I am all for living ineffeciently and enjoying each moment.