I completely agree with you re simplicity. My husband and myself are in our mid-70s and for 20years have been living simply as we can. This includes growing most of our food, using a spring as water supply, cycling and walking wherever possible to reduce fuel usage and my husband makes and builds everything to do with running the house. We’ve never had a dishwasher - but apparently the water usage is lower than hand washing? We don’t have to worry having - at the moment- an ever flowing spring. We’ve moved off wood as it’s become too difficult to heat and have DHW and consumes too much time- we have moved to renewables in the form of wood pellets- wind/solar and heat pumps don’t work efficiently in our location. Apart from underwear I buy second hand clothing. I always try to buy used items or swap. Re car- we live in an isolated property and at the bottom of a 1:3 gradient hill a mile long- so have an electric bike. The bus service barely exists and means walking a mile uphill to nearest bus-stop - good exercise but it can take half a day to go to local town 8miles away and get back. I don’t fly anywhere. We cut our own hair. I make our own medicines (herbal), soap and cleaning agents.
The one thing I won’t forgo is organic produce when I have to buy food…. the book Poison Spring by Vallianatos is a good analysis of use of pesticides. I live on the small island of Anglesey, off N West coast of Wales.
Best wishes to all permies. I love all the posts and ideas.
