I didn't know before
that ownig less would make my life lighter, freer and more relaxed...
I have now learned from my experience.
The more I have, the heavier the burden of my life...
The more I have, the more worry and anxiety I have...
The more I have, the more I have to do...
How To Live With Less
1. Moving to a small house rather than a big one
I realized the tranquility of a small house,
so I did the so-called stupid thing of choosing a smaller house without a view instead of a spacious one with a good view, even though it was the same lump-sum deposit.
When I open the front door and walk for 10 minutes, there are a small lake and trees,
so I decided to live in a small house thinking of it as my yard.
I just couldn't give up hanging my laundry I washed by hand in the sun,
so I gave up the very small house I wanted and chose a slightly bigger one than I thought.
As I live with my children, it is the best choice for me now.
I am going to live a free life without a house, without a houseless sorrow, with a backpack on,
and then build a small house with less than 6 pyeong(20m² ) in nature.
At that time, even in a small house, I can freely hang out my laundry in the sun.
To tell you the truth, I don't want to own even a small house.
Owning something means that I have a lot of responsibility.
2. Owning only things I can handle myself
My 17-year-old double-door refrigerator broke down and I  got rid of it sweating in the middle of the summer.
At that time, I decided not to buy anything I could no longer handle.
It was taller than me, so I stepped on the chair and wiped the top of the refrigerator to clean it.
After I got rid of the 676 liter double door refrigerator, I bought a 189 liter small refrigerator so it was easy to clean.
The new small refrigerator is not taller than me and is as heavy as me.
It is a small refrigerator for single-person households.
It may be small for a family of four, but I still prefer to live with less.
I decided not to be greedy for a bigger refrigerator but only to use furniture and appliances that I can handle.
I feel richer happiness from the lack of what I have.
It's easy to clean it and I can handle it.
3. I don't rely on machines if I don't have them.
Instead of a heavy, noisy dust-sucking vacuum cleaner,
I chose the serenity of opening my morning with a small broom that was getting smaller as I used it.
I open my day with this small broom because I really need a time of quiet meditation to clean my mind and house every morning.
It's been more than three years since I removed the broken washing machine and started hand washing.
Many people said that it could hurt my wrist and my body with worries and concerns,
but I start hand washing with a useless spirit of challenge, learn about the convenience and happiness of hand washing, and continue to do it without stopping until now.
I had a wish to live in a small house,
but I moved to a bigger house than I thought to hang out my laundry in the sun.
I wash my laundry by hand is now my happy routine that I can't give up.
I am happy when I wash what I wear by myself and wring it out and hang it in the sun.
I love the smell of sunlight when I pick in my dry laundry.
Some people need the convenience of a washing machine,
but I value hand washing in nature more than the convenience of a washing machine.
I feel that even a convenient washing machine is a big burden to take care of.
If I don't have it, I can learn more precious values.
4. Living without daily necessities
Many people wash their hair with shampoo, rinse with conditioner,  brush their teeth with toothpaste, clean with various detergents, and wash the dishes with kitchen detergent.
They don't even think about whether these many things are essential to them, their stuff, their homes, they often just use them because others use them.
I used to be like them, but since I've lived without them, I've been doing well without them.
What others call a necessity may not necessarily be a necessity for me
I have become healthier, more comfortable, and more free without using such daily necessities.
I am happy that my actions make the Earth healthier.
5. Investing in food instead of goods
I don't need to buy new clothes or things just because the seasons change and the year changes and the trend changes.
I can stick to my own style that is nowhere else in the world because 17 clothes for all seasons are enough.
I'm not interested in any of the new smart phones, new home appliances, or new products.
Instead of buying things, I buy and eat healthier natural foods to make my family healthier.
The food I eat goes into my body and is invisible, but it makes me healthier, so I don't have to pay hospital bills in the future.
Maybe this is an insurance and investment for my own future.
Despite healthy vegetables and fruits, there are some things that people don't buy because they are ugly and flawed.
I prefer ugly, rough fruit and vegetables to good, smooth, and pretty ones.
Because ugly and rough ones are natural and nutritious, my family buys them at low prices and eats them.
I am sad that fruits and vegetables are treated in the same way as handsome and pretty people are treated well.
I spend most of my living expenses on food,
but if I look for it, I can eat better and healthier food at a cheaper price.
I just have to choose things that others do not choose.
6. Investing in experience instead of goods
Instead of investing in things, I invest in experience.
I sometimes go on a trip to nature as usual, not to a famous tourist destination that others go well.
Nature always gives me rest and energy, so I live simply with less and sometimes travel with my savings.
If I go to a quiet place to avoid crowded places, I can feel the comfort that I can only feel in nature that I can't feel in things and materials.
After realizing that I can own everything if I don't own it, my obsession with things has disappeared.
7. Finding my favorite valuable work
We live without knowing who we are, what we want, and what we want to do.
I began to see myself as my food became simpler and my life became simpler.
I was able to see myself, who had not been seen surrounded by cluttered things.
I wanted to live not just for myself but for others, but now I can see my way.
Sharing my life and experience with writing and video together...
Walking my own way silently as I've been doing so far...
Being the little wing of this world...
I don't care about things after I find things that I really like and that are meaningful to me.
If you find a valuable thing you like, you won't be swayed by things.
​Instead of looking for what to buy or what you need today, feel the richness of living with less.
You can live well enough with just what you have.
