Simplifying Your Life

Simplifying your life can be simple. “There are lots of specific, practical tips for immediate relief,” says Elaine St. James.

* Learn to say no to anything you don’t really want to do.

* Drop call-waiting. “Wouldn’t you love to have a conversation at home that wasn’t interrupted?”

* Leave shoes at the front door to avoid tracking in dirt.

* Get rid of all but one or two credit cards to consolidate bills and reduce junk mail.

* Replace a grassy lawn with an environmentally friendly ground cover to eliminate mowing, raking, pruning, feeding and watering. “We got our Saturday mornings back,” St. James says.

Want more help? Here is a sampling of reading on the topic.

Books: “Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More,” by Elaine St. James (Hyperion, 1996); “Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich,” by Duane Elgin (Morrow, 1993); “Your Money or Your Life,” by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, (Penguin Books, 1992).

Newsletters: Simple Living Journal (Janet Luhrs, publisher), 2319 N. 45th St., Seattle, WA 98103; The Pocket Change Investor (Marc Eisenson, publisher), Good Advice Press, Box 78, Elizaville, NY 12523; Cheapskate Monthly (Mary Hunt, publisher), P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723.