I am so glad that there are young people that have a common sense attitude. Living within your means is always the wise thing to do, no matter what other say, or do. Yes it can be done, even in this world today. Save, and buy, re purpose, recycle, have patience, don’t borrow.
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Amen Chris…and Al. Probably the best decisions we ever made for our family come from a strong teaching from our parents to not go into debt early on. In later years I have learned that limited debt can be a mastered tool to use deliberately, but for most of my life, my upbringing had me scared of debt, and that has kept us out of so many problems and kept us relatively free to do whatever we wanted to do…mission field, start a business, move here or there, do this or that, take a trip. Obviously with limitations. Live within your means. Buy, build, fix, pull it out of the dumpster, make it work, and yes sometimes do without, work hard, be honest and fair, willing to be taken advantage of, eventually you’ll be on top of it and can live without being servant to the lender. I guess there are people who can’t do this, but it seems that most could if they would. If you believe the Bible to be true…We’re called to live as pilgrims in this present world. To me that means not worrying too much about building a kingdom here on the earth.
One more similar idea…in my experience, I tend to find more fulfillment with less materially when I am focused on the well being of other people. We don’t have endless amounts of toys, and restaurant trips, and designer clothes around here; but there’s nothing more fulfilling than doing something or giving something or teaching something that really helps someone else live better. Especially when the giving hurts. To me that’s real wealth. Come to think of it, that’s what the apostle James called “true religion” too.
Sometimes I have to watch my daughter. Whenever she comes into any money, I have to make sure she takes care of other things first because if I don’t she’ll soon have sent it all off to Smile Train. (Google it)
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All Tech’s and TopDown’s dependencies actually do have “off” switches.
Ha! Ha! My basic as can get (wife demanded) pocketed cell phone turns off with a most rewarding snap-shut sound.
The best of my books are bound hardbacks. "Steven. Get your nose out of that book and . . . " They snap shut-off most positively also. Notice that the newer the Tech, the harder, and longer it takes to put it to sleep and be able to walk away?
Hard to find the off switch to cocaine. Heroin. Video poker. Video Gaming. Soda pop. Potato fries (chips). 7 year vehicle contracts. 30 year house/lot mortgages. Revolving credit cards. Instant gratifications reward NOW. And in the very best flim-flam, carnie, showmans tradition . . . always leave you wanting More. Ever coming back for More. Just one more taste, one more go-around. Please; pl-e-e-e-a-s-e!
Yes very hard to turn these off, once on.
Hard does not mean impossible.
One substitution step is to get hands on Real with the basics Doings levels of your Life.
Get yourself out and involved and too busy to be easy offerings as much bothered.
Finally found some local/regional Rutabaga seed pacs. American Purple Top “swede turnips”.
We will see how well these will winter over in-ground here in the cool-wet 122 inches rain a year.
New, broader reading now, I can see that our real gardening problem is not the cloudy days; the variable only 50-100 days frost to frost, but the too long below 55F soil temperatures losing us plants growing time in our 46 degrees north, annual longest days of May and June.
This next woodstoving season I will be saving back enough of my fragile crumbly conifer charcoal to be able to surface black-dust-darken the garden space in the late Fall and early Spring. See if that will help with the soil temperatures.
As long as a fellow is trying/doing there is life and hope.
J-I-C Steve Unruh
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Hi Steve; We had a rather strange spring this year and you comment made me think about it.[quote=“SteveUnruh, post:43, topic:3269”]
but the too long below 55F soil temperatures losing us plants growing in our 46 degrees
[/quote]
The first three times I mowed my yard this spring, I wore my hooded winter jacket, a stocking cap, and gloves. The wind was cold, and the atmosphere was chilly, but the sun was shining bright enough to heat the soil and make the grass grow. TomC
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“DO MORE, With LESS” is one off the phrases that stick in your mind…
-More work with less efforts: involves well developed technology.
-Heat your home with less energy: that is a basic mindset
i am a lazy person, i want to do my work in less time, thats why i try to be smart…
Make more quality = less waste… ( less waste of time to, less waste of money ) that is one teaching mantra i love…
The mantra from the late King of Thailand is almost equal to your’s SU; Live more moderate, share more with others… ( including sharing knowledge that is helpful for others )
The Buddhist way: Think good, Speak good, DO GOOD
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Koen that bootist sounds much better than ratical islam, i was raised babtist and then joined the 7 day adventist and am currently an open minded bible beleiver no set comercial religion.Enjoy your teaching classes the best you can. Un der the jesus bible beleif none is good no not one. We are too strive too be like christ, though few have ever compared too him.is my thinking of way too heaven. Christ died a marters death so that the rest of his creation might be saved.HE COULD HAVE STRUCK THE OPRESSORS TOO THE GROUND, that was not in the profisy. And as his prophicy he rose from the dead 3 days after death and is alive and well too be excepted. And in his return he will strike all dead that mocked , scofed, denighed his name. Not a rock will be in its place, the montain caves will fall in on the rich or poor unsaved at his return.There are several 7 day churches in the asian countrys, all nathionallitys are open too christ not just jews, jentiles were second but were added. Hope i havent got some details wrong, i probbly have. Give that a thought, i am not a preacher, i just beleive the bible and the signs of prophicy are there in now time for sure and in the artifacts allso.
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I’m certainly not a Buddhist, but I would say the principles you point out are directly out of the teachings of Jesus and his apostles.
one of Jesus’s first teachings: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Luke 6:31
moderate living : “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” Philippians 4
brotherhood: “Bear ye one another’'s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6
Giving to the poor/ sharing what we have: “But to do good and to communicate (give to others) forget not: for with
such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews13:16
sacrifice for others: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Quality in your work : “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,…” Collosians 3:23
Wasting food: “When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing
be lost.” John 6:12
Laziness and wastefulness : “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”
Proverbs 18:9
Ok, so the last one was Solomon, not Jesus or His apostles…But then, he was supposed to be the wisest man to ever live. Considering that, I’m not sure why he ended up the way he did. In any case, he said some pretty profound stuff before he got carried away by all his evil wives… 
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Religious or not, that’s a good way to live one’s life.
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Yes KoenVL very close to my intnent with this topic.
I actually began my personal journey with DOing more, with less at 11 years old summer picking commercial berries. The measured matrix was how many 4"x4" halic fitted 24 to a stack-able wooden transport flats that a person could pick and fill in the 6 hours allowed out into the field times in June and July.
This was my annual school clothing, schools supplies and personal spending moneys.
I learned to become the second most productive picker by 12 years old. Fast is smooth. Smooth is fast. As I learned from the fastest - a 60 year old woman. Ha! Ha! Torn up arms and fingers from the black-cap (for blue ink) thorns was just a given.
By 14, grown big enough and a proven producer it was then summers off to small bale haying crews. Bulky muscular counted for nothing. Fancy throwing bales around counted for nothing either. Able to work sweat out in the sun; up inside old stuffy hot barn hay lofts hard and steady for 10 hours a day was what counted. Every move had to be efficient and produce.
And this is when I learned that even a young fit person past their basic ~2000 calories a day to really work needed an extra 300-400 calories a working hour. So . . . just how much useful work could you actually get accomplished with only just a maxed-out 300-400 working calories?? The proper tools for the job was a must. Best-Technique of doing the job a must too.
Willing to sweat out that 300-400 calories an hour, hour after hour was a given that always separated out the Will-Doers from the talkers-posers.
Ha! Ha! Why even decades later I was able to dust a couple of bicycle racers given a long enough challenge-bet to grind them down. Outwork-outproduce most 20’s and 30’s somethings even up until I was in my mid 50’s.
Applied to engines working it is the same principals applied.
Here on the old family 17 cow dairy farm first a low horsepower 1950’s Ford gasoline tractor was made to do all.
Later the 1980 only 22 hp Yanmar diesel tractor.
Bigger once a decade work needed - barter/hire out for a big-one.
Annual seasonal tilling working up the gardens was done with a 5 horsepower gasoline walk-behind. Tractor too big, wasteful. After planting then all cultivating weeding done by 150-200 calories an hour personal keep-you-healthy work.
5 horsepower rig too big. Too dehumanizing wasteful.
Willingness to do some daily work sweating is the key to being healthy, wealthy, (and with the focused time reflections) wise.
Ken and Billy I a not a christian. I am not a buddist. I am not a muslin. All of these do have wonderful aspects that I read, appreciate and try to emulate into my daily living.
Sigh. All of these at times in their histories have had segment devout believers that their way, was the only way that they were willing to force onto others by the sword.
The current Radical Islamic Jihadist’s just the current chapter in one-world, all-one-way, a’fore-me/against-me believer forcing. They will fail. As the others have, and done too.
The new-spin Gaia forcer’s will fail. The current animist/mystics will also fail. The globalists will fail.
Any believer forcing, is brute-forcing mis-balancing. All’s that is accomplished is wider swings of extremes before balance will restore itself.
Defending your belief systems is O.K. That is the American way.
Keeping ANY ONE believers systems from becoming government policy is also the American way.
So I actually do have beliefs too. I am a humanist (little “h” for humility)
I believe in humans. In spite of all of our faults, our weaknesses as listed out again and again in all of the texts as “lists of seven and ten” there is also grace and splendor that will shine through. There is good in us to be brought forth.
Do More, For Less fuss and muss in all things is one of the things needful to make us to be better humans.
J-I-C Steve Unruh
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“Willingness to do some daily work sweating is the key to being healthy, wealthy, (and with the focused time reflections) wise.”
Its what l strongly belive in. Enough work to keep your hearth at high enough revs is what flushes your sistem of any soot that might collect in the venes. Never heared about someone dyeing of a stroke/blood cloth 40 years ago when most work was still done manualy/horse/ox powered.
It allso neutralizes your dayly sins. Faty pork, tabacco, alcohol dont stand a chance if you know how to process them.
Allso, such things make you respect food, warmth, free time…
My years suply of potatoes (about 600 pounds) cost about 40 bucks. Some wuldnt eaven look at a plow for that money. Why do l till, spread manure,plant, weed, soil cover, harvest, fight with moles, hand pick every potato bug, at least a hundred hours just for the potato patch. Seed and diesel for plowing add up to about 15 bucks, so a 25 bucks for a 100 hours work is 25c/hour. Why do l do it?
Every day l look at the table at the meal my wife or l prepare, and remember every minute of work put in to it, and it pays for it self double. A litle hollyday every day 
The plan is to eventualy come close to DO EVERYTHING WITH NOTHING, atleast when it comes to haveing to rely on calories from the outside world, being human calories or machine. Comeing closer every year. We are self sufficiant on potato, beans, milk, eggs and about 70% of meat, 30% of wine, 150% of cider and 500% of spirits. Only consume that on extremely rare events. Still need to get those 30% meat and grains for the animals and us. Fish pond to be built next year, carp and trout. Vineyard planted this year, alfalfa feald to be plowed in fall, a all yeat round greenhouse is in the making.
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Thats less for much, your doing what the rest of all of us should be doing, getting away from relying on the screwball nut science GMO and who knows what genetic enineering is going on with the seed base these days. Keep us posted on your fish pond, i would like too start one myself, there again whats in the fish from the radiated oceans, among other trash dumped.
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No true believer ever did this. At least not with Jesus’s blessing. there are countless examples in the Bible of Jesus quietly letting someone walk away from Him. So I agree with you…I wish people like that----the one’s who scream and force and carry on in some weird attempt to force someone into the kingdom-------would shut up and sit down. They do more harm than good.
I do believe there is only one way, but you won’t catch me using force to try to convince someone of that. Could there be a less effective way to convince someone of something. The idea is quite ridiculous actually.
Jesus taught those who would follow him HOW to convince others that He was the way: He said, “Let your light so shine before men that they might SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS and glorify your father which is in heaven.” That’s the Christian way: love, selflessness, generosity, hospitality, doing for others, self sacrifice. I’m not sure how people go from SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS to FEEL THE TIP OF YOUR SWORD, but they too often do.
Thanks for pointing this out. Too often in history, posers have taken the name of Christ wrongly and used it the wrong way. It makes the truth harder to share for those who are sincere believers.
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Yes.Yes. This is exactly it.
You will only ever have just so much daily personal energy no matter how well you eat or condition yourself.
Intent, tools, techniques determine how beneficial you put those above baseline needs calories to useful work.
Absolutely use the majority to fill in some of the Maslov’s lower base levels first.
Doing that and then a surprising amount to the narrower higher levels self-fill. Singing, humming while you do the “mindless” hoeing is actual self-actualizing rewarding. Sharing/eating the results with family and friends the ultimate gratification reward. Priceless.
Powered machine working you must pay strict attention. Only real reward is looking back at the done/accomplished - beating a narrow weather window. Needs-musts-drives at times. That’s farming.
One US gallon of fossil fuel is rated as the same work capable as 300-500 hours of human work-hours. Use it as needed aye-yeah. Never forgetting the daily need to sweat-work too for your own personal balances.
Ha! Now woodfuel making for the 20-30 pounds needed to make the one gallon equivalent of multiplier woodgas/charcoalgas engine shaft energy, work-sweats too. Make music doing the woodfuel making. Why you, I, J-O.O. and a few others, will say, “A good hatchet is your best friend.”
Speed powered tool woodfuel making and you’d best super focus for safety. Not relaxing at all. Very exhausting. Then the need to play-a-round, drink-foolishly, fool-a-round to “re-enliven” from the machine-tending deadening.
Work as much as possible enlivening/rewarding, versus cog-in-the-machine deadening.
J-I-C Steve Unruh
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Dad taught me to look up as soon as you step into the woods. He still reminds me of that. Be aware of your surroundings. Even with hand tools. I prefer and axe over a chainsaw for one reason less safety gear but hand tools have their safety things to learn and practice. The more you practice safety the more fun it becomes. Safety is part of the game, it’s being aware and being aware is satisfying. So have fun and work safe.
Oh, it is not unheard of sweating less with a axe than with a chainsaw.
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Billy, 100% Amen to the words you said.
Bob
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Not sure if this is doing more with less but kind of interesting but expensive.
It’s a mono rail.
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Yep.Yep. Certainly works to get the heaviest moving from your human-calories.
Wifie has a two-wheeled garden wheel-barrow she is proud of. AND a four wheeled garden cart. Who is the mule once these are weight loaded down?? ME.
Her two wheeled barrow"cart" pitches from side to side jarring my arms and loads spilling if I do not bungee-cord down the loads across the our mole rutted yards and fields delivering. Huff’n’puff really get the old heart rate going.
And her four wheeled front axle steerable cart must be behind you “blind” pulled. Rear axle wheels tracking inside of the front wheel arc knocking over and plowing down things. Four wheels rough ground roll with MUCH more energy input needed! Four wheels needs a power engine; a horse; or a mule. A cantankerous human/donkey will quit from the gruel.
My one wheeled barrows I can move most anything. Does takes arm strength and balance though. My wife’s weak points.
Yours JeffD gives a hold-you-up, lean-into-bar.
I like it!
J-I-C Steve Unruh
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We play such golf too 
I love the golf bag…Jakob decided we needed a new scrap bin this morning …It has rained now for 34 hours non-stop so we’re a little slow in the water with our normal plans so he went out and built this today while I was gone. I love having boys that want to work. He used some old lumber and metal from a tear down barn…along with a few new boards and truss plates…Reuse, recycle.
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