Comments on: Downshifting

By: Tracey Smith

Tracey Smith — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:16:48 +0000

Thank you x

By: Frugal Trenches

Frugal Trenches — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:17:28 +0000

Thanks Tracey! I’ll be sure to check out your site tomorrow!

By: Tracey Smith

Tracey Smith — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:10:03 +0000

Hi there – I hope you don’t mind, but I thoroughly enjoyed your piece and have reproduced the first bit on my site, linking straight back to you of course to read the rest of the piece. My readers will love your work…

All the best,

TSx

Tracey Smith
Founder of InterNational Downshifting Week
http://www.DownshiftingWeek.com
Author/Broadcaster Sustainable Living & Founder of InterNational Downshifting Week

By: England: Notes From the Frugal Trenches – A Downshifting Journey | InterNational Downshifting Week

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:57:38 +0000

[...] extract from the brilliant blog, Notes From the Frugal Trenches – click here to read the rest of the piece and PLEASE look through the rest of the site…it’s [...]

By: tracey westtr

tracey westtr — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:51:39 +0000

How sussed is this lady. For a long time I had thought about not having to work really really hard 5/6 days a week in a very stressful thankless role in retail. Yes …I was paid a fairly good salary in comparison to others, but, you dont realise how much you get wrapped up in this lifestyle, wasting money, wasting precious hours of your life and knocking years off your life through being stressed for someone elses pocket. With this money, you get sucked into consumerism thinking that you need all the trending gadgets and gizmos,twice a year holidays, expensive brand clothes, expensive food, to feel you need to be happy, so easily through the media, peer pressure and social networking. One day feeling so tired and depressed… I just gave in my notice, to leave my middle management role at work, and with that reduced my working hours to go and work for, and alongside my partner who then, had his own business working in a recycle centre. There, I met and made some friends with some of the most brilliantly minded people I had met for years, from all walks of life who had left their high flying careers to be more self sufficient in all aspects, and realise that for years they had not looked up from their feet and seen what they were really missing in life. I then realised I had to leave my retail position completely. I learned to realise I was working unecessarily long hours just to pay the tax man, waste money on convenience foods, everything had to be done faster and therefore it meant it was the most expensive option. To cut a very long story short, I am now working 25 hours a week, which for a single wage earner is quite low, and in return I am able to do things properly, and in doing so have saved money, ill health and wasted days working for someone else. My days are for me now and my family, I work for myself running a market stall in a beautiful part of North Devon. One has to stand and look up at the rainbow, instead of running fast to find the pot of gold. My life is my own now, and I feel I am very rich.

By: Arch

Arch — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:26:00 +0000

A note from a boomer on the US West Coast.
In racing, downshifting, in addition to slowing down, is used to get into the power band of the engine so one can accelerate. This is often associated with a change of direction.
I find that simplifying, and slowing some things down allows me to focus my energy in areas that are important to me.
Your thoughts have helped me better that focus, thanks

By: Little Green Village

Little Green Village — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:02:33 +0000

Just found your blog. I am undertaking a very similar journey myself.
I’ve started to learn new skills, like breadmaking, growing herbs and sewing clothes for my family.
I look forward to reading more of your posts.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:21:56 +0000

This is very inspiring. I think your efforts in downshifting are very sensible as it’s hard to make changes all at once when everything around us in society supports and perpetuates this ‘have more, get more’ attitude.

It’s so important that more people realise that we should be working to live and not living to work. I myself dream of gradually reducing my hours (not to mention commute) and fitting work around my lifestyle and not the other way around. Me and my partner plan to move somewhere more rural and focus on a lifestyle that includes plenty of downtime, country walks, growing our own food and being a part of our local community.

It’s time to break free of consumerism and materialism!

I’d recommend a book called ‘Enough: Breaking free from the world of more’ by John Naish.

By: nan081861

nan081861 — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:55:12 +0000

I have just found this post and have found it absolutely amazing. I have been slowly developing a path to down shifting in my own life and your thoughts, inspirations are truly wonderful. I can’t wait to read more as your journey unfolds.

By: downshiftingnow

downshiftingnow — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:12:28 +0000

PS: I link you in my blog if you don’t mind…