A greater sense of wellbeing, freedom and self-reliance comes from living a more frugal life, says Susan Carey and Ann Chidwick, facilitators of this year’s Living Better on Less program.
The eight-week program – one session each week on Tuesday evenings – teaches people how to consume less, spend less, and simplify their lives, while having a positive impact on environment.
The program starts on May 2, 6-8 p.m. at the former Tytler Public School at 131 Ontario St. Childcare and snacks are provided. The program is free of charge.
Just as the effects of the financial crisis of 2008-09 were being felt in local households, Ann Chidwick, the facilitator of the Environment and Social Justice Team at the Church of St. James the Apostle, helped create a program that taught individuals and families how to live on less. That was nine years ago. The program lives on.
In an interview, Chidwick said the program may have started in the aftermath of the financial crisis, but its relevance and timeliness have continued year after year. It remains very common to consume in a way that exceeds our income, she said. We live on debt, but it’s not necessary to do so.
“You can live extremely well on much less,” said Chidwick, who has long practiced what she preaches. She pointed out that she paid $165 for her chesterfield, which she found at a thrift store.
Learning to live on less has a host of benefits, Chidwick and Carey said. It reduces debt and the stress that accompanies it. It improves health through a reliance on less expensive but more nutritious food, a diet that avoids processed food.
The program shares skills that are environmentally friendly. Participants learn how to purchase and consume less, thereby reducing the amount of harmful waste they produce. There are lessons in the making of things like ecologically sensitive cleaning and laundry solutions.
A car costs a minimum of $10,000 a year to operation, so those costs can be cut significantly by walking, biking, using public transit, or taking part in a community car share program. Shopping in second hand or consignment shops is another way to reduce spending.
“I think when you go and spend money on groceries, you’ll find that a large proportion of that money is on meat and processed foods,” Carey said. “If you simplify and buy produce, beans, lentils, and rice, I think you will find that it goes a lot farther, costs a lot less, and is good for you.”
Living Better for Less is for anyone who wants to learn how to live thriftily, whether they are on a fixed income, unemployed, retired, or just eager to lives a simpler more natural life and consume less because it’s the right thing to do.
The program is made possible through funding from a number of sources, including a City of Guelph wellbeing grant, and funding from TD Friends of the Environment and Rotary Clubs of Guelph.
“I find a lot of people get stressed with maintaining the standards of daily life as a good consumer,” Carey said. “When you cut out a lot of that stuff, and realize these aren’t standards that you need to meet, there can be a lot of stress eased out of your life. It leaves you feeling a little more placid and content with what you have.”
Chidwick said participants in the program over the years have been very happy with the changes in their lives. A great many got out of debt, saved their money, and found life much more pleasurable than before.
“I think that people are going to be forced to change,” she added. “Our earth can’t withstand the trauma we’re putting on it.”
