course description:

VOLUNTARY POVERTY:
HOW TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

alternate title

Simple Living:
How to Save Money On Everything

    If we decide to live near the poverty level,
we can give our lives to important purposes that have no cash value.

    Especially when we are young, we worry about 'making a living'.
We focus a lot of our time and energy preparing to join the world of work.
For example, often education is directed toward occupation.
"Work" could be defined as any activity that would immediately stop
if we were no longer paid:
When the income terminates, so does the work.
If we would continue to pursue those purposes even without pay,
then that behavior is not WORK for us.

    If we stop working for pay,
we no longer organize our daily lives around the expectations of other people.
We are free to give our lives to meanings and goals
that have no immediate economic benefits
—no cash rewards either for ourselves or for others.
We can decide to give the best hours of our lives to pursuing meaning
rather than merely working in order to survive.

    Embracing voluntary poverty might allow us
to create Authentic projects-of-being,
which is explored in another class:
Becoming More Authentic:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/D-AU.html

    This seminar will be an opportunity to share our experiences
of living on much less than most people think is essential.
Can we be happy earning and spending less than $10,000 per year?

    How do you obtain the small amount of money you need to survive?
How do you manage to spend so much less than other people?
Can any of your techniques be used by others?

    I lived for more than 40 years on less than $2,000 per year.
But when I reached the magic age of 65, my income jumped by 350%.
And when I applied for SNAP and MSA at age 71,
I income rose to the poverty level.
And I still have not had to compromise my values in order to survive.
This major jump in income is provided by all you taxpayers:
If you pay federal income tax and/or Minnesota income tax,
you are supporting my frugal life-style.
Thank you.

    Whenever I hear "No one can live on social security," I raise my hand.
I live at the lowest level of social security—called SSI.
I prefer to call it my "guaranteed annual income".
And I would like to see this federal benefit
extended to everyone, in the form of a reversible income tax:
If your income is less than the poverty level,
various public benefits combined should raise you to that level.

    (The federal poverty level for a single person for 2015 is $11,770.
Larger households have a higher poverty measure:
https://aspe.hhs.gov/2015-poverty-guidelines)

    I now call it 'voluntary simplicity'.
I am able to live at this low level of income
because I have no mortgage payments or rent.
(I own a small condo in Minneapolis.)
And Medicare pays for my health care.
But everything else fits easily within this budget.

   The same methods of simple living can be used by anyone.
If you live on less than $10,000 per year
—or would like to cut your consumption to that level—
come and share your ways of saving money.

    This workshop will be just one meeting of two hours.
This should be enough to share ideas for living cheaply.
We will discuss: food, shelter, medical care, travel, entertainment,
and anything else you spend money on.

    If you would like to know how I save money on electricity, for example
(now down to $21 per month), go to:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/CY-ELEC.html

    If you would like to read some books on simplifying your life,
go to the Simplicity Bibliography:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/B-SIMP.html


FACEBOOK PAGE CREATED: SIMPLE LIVING IN THE TWIN CITIES

    The February 2010 meeting of this seminar
led to a suggestion of creating a Facebook Page
on living cheaply in the Twin Cities.
In March 2010 this Facebook Page was created:
"Simple Living in the Twin Cities":
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simple-Living-in-the-Twin-Cities/348557632012

    We now have a widely-available way of sharing ideas
on earning and spending less than most people.

    Even people who do not attend any of these workshops
will be able to contribute ideas to the Facebook Page
and to read the suggestions and experiences of other people.

    (If you are not yet on Facebook, this is a good reason to join.
Go to: www.facebook.com.
Enter your preferred e-mail address and your chosen password.
At no cost, you are now a Facebook user.
You can add your picture and other details about you later.
Search Facebook for "Simple Living in the Twin Cities".)

    Read the suggestions posted by others
on how to find the resources for living simply in the Twin Cities.
Add your own suggestions, especially if you can provide a website
for the resource or organization you are recommending. 

    If you have tried one of the suggestions already listed,
please feel free to add your comments about that resource.

    Our Facebook Page is also a place to discuss
the philosophy and practice of voluntary poverty:
What are our thoughts, feelings, & experiences
with various kinds of support available?
Which of these public or private benefits do we feel best about?
Of course, such questions can also be discussed in our seminars.

TIME:

One meeting, two hours.

DATE:

to be arranged

PLACE:

to be arranged

If you have a ready-made group of people,
this workshop can be hosted by your organization.

CLASS SIZE: 

Minimum 10        Maximum 30

What experience do you bring to this class?

    The history of this seminar has been
that the participants know more about living cheaply than the facilitator.
But for what it might be worth, here is my experience:

    I have been living cheaply ever since I retired in 1968
and sold my one and only car.
1968 was also the last year for which I owed any income tax.
Since then I have facilitated about 200 different adult education groups.
Most of these were in the Minnesota Free University.
More information about my career in alternatives adult education:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/JP-AL-ED.html


Additional Facilitator Info:

    When I have offered similar presentations before,
they have been well attended.
Lots of people are looking for ways to save money.

    And here is a suggested list of categories for spending:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/SPEND.html

    Because I have more than enough money for myself
(living at my very low level of consumption),
I have extra money to give away each month.
I have established a charitable program called FRUGAL GIVERS:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/FRUGAL.html
I am looking for others who live very cheaply
and who use their time to pursue meaningful purposes.


Created December 6, 2008; Revised 2-7-2009; 2-18-2009; 5-24-2009; 6-2-2009; 10-1-2009; 10-4-2009;
 1-23-2010; 1-27-2010; 2-19-2010; 3-8-2010; 5-24-2010;
2-27-2011; 5-6-2011; 8-16-2012; 3-13-2013; 11-29-2016;

See a much-shorter description called
Simple Living: How to Save Money on Everything

Go to the beginning of this website
James Leonard Park—Free Library