You Need A Lot Less Than You Think

 

For the bulk of my life I have been in an acquisition mindset.  I needed to acquire a good job, a decent car, a house to live in, money for savings, money for an emergency fund, money for retirement, food and clothing.  I needed more things to take care of myself, my children and our pets.  I needed even more things to take care of the house, the cars, the yard and everything inside of the house, the car and the yard.  I acquired stuff to help my kids with when they moved out on their own.  I even acquired stuff in preparation for retirement.

 

When I retired the majority of that need to have an acquisition mindset came to a grinding halt and when I became an empty nester, even more so.  Some have a decade between the empty nest and retirement to adjust to the new normal that comes with that, but for me it was only a few months.  I retired and three months later my last little chickadee had flown the nest and it was just me, a bunny, two kitties and some chickens.

 

It really hit me full on when back-to-school time rolled around that summer right after the 4^th of July and I realized there wasn’t a single thing I needed to do about it.  No clothes shopping, no school supplies needed (they already had all of that stuff), no registration, yearbook fees, none of that.  I was done!  My kids no longer needed me to provide for them.  They were on their own and doing it themselves (they are very independent) and I was a very proud mama.

 

Over these past few years has come the realization that I alone consume a whole lot less stuff than we did as a family.  Everything lasts longer too.  It has taken me this long to fully realize just how much I truly need and to dial it down.  I still shop in the same manner I always have, it has become a lifelong habit, but I just need much smaller quantities and it has take me a while to figure out just exactly what those quantities are.  It has also taken me this long to allow myself to feel “selfish” as I shop for only me now and I can get whatever I want.  Anyone else have that same struggle?

 

It is a true luxury to have steak, shrimp or salmon more often now than I used to and to be able to buy better quality foods now.  Organic milk and better dairy products as well as higher quality meats and produce are now the norm, which is good because as we age we need the best nutrition we can afford to help us along the way.

 

The need for much less means I don’t shop as much as I used to, therefore I don’t spend as much as I used to spend either.  I’ve also come to realize that I no longer need a three bedroom, two bathroom home to live in and maintain.  Downsizing my home is now a big goal for me.  With that venture will come even less spending and that will go a long ways in securing my financial future.

 

We need far less in our retirement years than what we realize going into this next phase of our lives and for me, it takes a bit of getting used to.  I think it is important to get used to it sooner rather than later and I think I’m just about there.