Originally Posted by
cerewa
I think that the place one lives in is a big part of simple living. I want to live somewhere with enough space and no more, and I need it to be something I can afford. I have a hard time seeing myself living in a freestanding house even if I had kids, because those sorts of places use up lots of land, often involve big utility bills, and if they're within 30 minutes bike ride of a major city business district* they cost a fortune.
*which is the kind of place I think I want to live
This is such a good simple living topic. I frequently wonder where I should settle in my future. I'm a horseman and this keeps me owning a bigger vehicle and more stuff than I would otherwise. Also, acreage is cheaper near small towns. Right now, I live on the eastern edge of Austin in a ratty trailer that I rent on a farm to have horses and live near other environmentalist. I'm frustrated with the driving here though. I drive 25k miles a year mostly for work, and about 6k of that is for personal trips.
I dream of living on the edge of a town of 5 to 7 thousand people that still has a lively downtown of old buildings. Often these towns don't have environmentalist though. Well, in TX very few small towns have some overflow of Austinites. They seem to be my only option, but because they're close to Austin, they're expensive.
Ah, life with horses. It's beautifully simple in some ways, yet is difficult to do without a truck. :-/
As for simple living philosophers that I like, there are many, but Samuel Alexander of simplicitycollective.com is a terrific writer who is very serious about voluntary simplicity.