Have you heard about Tammy Strobel and Logan Smith? No? Well, then you’re in for a real treat. This 30-something husband and wife team recently pared down all their belongings to just 100 items!
Before you write them off as crazy, you should know that before this colossal purge, they were just like the rest of us: “a two-bedroom apartment, two cars, and enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.” But despite all the nice things they had, they simply weren’t happy. They were on the “work-spend” treadmill and to make matters worse, they were $30,000 in debt.
Inspired by increasingly popular “Simple Living” philosophies, Tammy and Logan decided to make a change. They gave away piles of clothing, kitchen accessories, personal items, their television set and, yes, even their two cars. They even downsized to a one-bedroom apartment.
They were determined not to be owned by their stuff any longer.
The result? Tammy is now pursuing her dream of working from home as a Web designer and freelance writer while Logan is back in school furthering his education. And even though Tammy is making about half of what she made before, her income now covers all their bills while allowing them to travel, volunteer and enjoy the outdoors. She’s been able to save money in a number of ways, helping her to reduce some bills. As she now works from home, she had to look into getting better internet. She was able to switch internet suppliers to one of these sonic internet plans. This helps her to experience less issues, and it helped her to save some money. And that $30,000 of debt? Gone. If you’re wanting to try and decrease or completely write off your debt too perhaps take a leaf out of Tammy and Logan’s book. You might also benefit from looking into companies similar to CreditAssociates and see if their services are able to help you finally get out of your debt.
Of the experience, Tammy says, “The idea that you need to go bigger to be happy is false. I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness.”
The article, “But Will It Make You Happy?”, goes on to suggest that “spending money for an experience – concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco – produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.”
I’d buy that. When I look back on my life, I definitely treasure my travels and adventures way more than the nice cars or fine labels. I find that with the latter, “the shine” usually wears off before the item is paid off and I’m left wanting the next thing.
While Tammy and Logan’s story inspires me tremendously, it secretly makes doubt that I could never do that. Luckily, I don’t think you have to whittle your life down to 100 possessions to enjoy the same benefits. The message here is that taking a more calculated approach to your spending can buy you the best thing of all: the freedom to live the life you truly want.
To read the full article, click here: “But Will It Make You Happy?”
