Do We Need It? Or 3 Decisions, Little to Big

Living simply is figuring out what you don't need. Obvious, right?

Some of those things are small, making for easy decisions. I've blogged about small things here and here.

There are big things, too. Not just size-big, but culture-big: society has been telling you since you were wee that you need these things, that having them makes you an adult, etc.

Because of that pressure, deciding if you need these bigger things can be tough. Many won't bother to question their importance. And yet, not taking them on will undoubtedly simplify your life.

I'll start with our easiest decision...

We won't have a landline phone.
Doesn't sound like that big a deal, right? Today, it isn't. We made this decision in 2001, when it was still expected that every house or apartment would have a landline -- that after utilities, that would be the first service you'd turn on. It's still expected, or at least hoped for by the phone company. We left Time Warner because they refused to give us an internet/cable package that didn't also include wired digital phone service.

We haven't looked back. We both have cell phones, and we don't use a fax machine at home (I've used eFax when I needed it, and my work fax). Our internet is provided by a local cable company (thank you, Grande). For me, a landline is just an extra expense with no added value.

I bought a scooter that will replace my car.
This fall, I'll sell my car for good. She's been a great car, and I got her for a great price (thanks, Dwayne!) But I don't need her. With the scooter, I still pay for tags ($40/yr), inspection ($15/yr), and insurance ($99/yr), but I get 80 miles per gallon.

80 miles per gallon.

Now, this decision works for me because I live in a place where I can scoot almost every day. An even better choice would be a bicycle, but I'm not yet willing to give up the engine. If you have a long commute or snowy winters, it may not be feasible. Related expenses included a helmet, skid-tested motorcycle jacket, and gloves (I'm currently cheating and not wearing long pants over my shorts because it's a thousand degrees outside, but it would be safer to do so). It can be a challenge to drive in pouring rain. Winter gets chilly. And car/truck drivers don't always treat me respectfully. At any rate, this one isn't for everyone. But did I mention how easy it is to park?

Finally,

We won't be having children.
Yeah, that's the biggie. Of all the decisions we've made to make (or keep) our lives simple, this is by far the biggest. And we do know what we're giving up. We'll never, ever get the kind of unconditional love and trust that comes from your child. Or feel the pride and satisfaction that results when your child does something well. Or feel the sensation that your heart is walking around outside your body. I won't experience child-birth or its transformative pain. Dave won't get to see me experience transformative pain. :)

A lot of the reasons child-free people give for this decision are preachy. I won't contribute to an over-populated world. The Kid Industry is out of control and depleting resources. Our education system is no longer competitive or even adequate. To some extent, I agree with all of these statements. But our decision was based on something entirely internal: We're selfish -- with our time together, our time alone, our space, and our future plans.

Beyond that, we've never felt an emotional or physical need to have children. We've been asked a few times to be emergency guardians or godparents. In a few cases, we've agreed, and we'll certainly step up if needed and be parents. Those situations aside, we're happy to be aunt and uncle to the kids in our lives.

Some of you have children, so this is moot. Others of you don't. This isn't about telling you why you should or shouldn't have kids -- even I don't have that level of hubris. I wanted to include this decision here because otherwise it'd be the 800-lb elephant in many of this blog's posts. You might say, "Well, sure you can write and travel and train and read and have a clutter-free house -- you don't have kids!" And you'd be right. So consider the elephant addressed.

Now, how about you? Have you made any big decisions that have simplified your life (whether or not that was your intention)?

[image via The College Solution Blog]
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