The Oprah/Suze Orman Challenge

Suze Orman was on Oprah today talking about how to live a simpler life. Here is her challenge to everyone:

• Don't spend any money for a day.
• Don't use your credit card for a week.
• Don't eat out in restaurants for a month.

I really like the advice of one author:
Want to start simplifying? Mary says you shouldn't think of the process as a punishment. "It can't be, 'Oh, you're taking this away from me,'" she says. "It's: 'What am I opening up? What am I going to gain from this experience?' And with this experience, you gain the appreciation for the things in life you are so blessed to have."

And this from Oprah,
Oprah says people should strive to have less stuff with more meaning. "That's the goal this year," she says. "I want to ask everybody, no matter where you are in the world, to make your own pledge."


This seriously is hitting home with me. When I think of how much stuff I have, I feel almost bad about it. There are people out there with NOTHING. Now, I have made changes in my life this past year to cut down on having stuff. I don't buy books - I go to the library. I always bring lunch to work except for once a week. We do eat out 2-3 times per MONTH(not week like i said before) but we enjoy it. Plus, we don't buy 7 days worth of groceries and then let the food go to waste. Still, there is always ways to make life even more simple.....