From: sheriffcoltrane23x@gmail.com   
      
   4 Ways to Live a Simpler, Happier Life   
   Living smaller is also good for the planet.   
      
      
   By Cliff Weathers / AlterNet   
   January 16, 2015   
      
      
   Tiny houses are the rage among people who like the idea of liberating   
   themselves through living simple. Eschewing excess space and taking advantage   
   of every inch, these minimalist houses are economical and appeal to our sense   
   of personal freedom. You can    
   get up and leave at a moment's notice, hitch your home to the back of a car   
   and take it across country anytime you please. Tiny houses even inspire   
   fantasies of going off the grid, becoming self-sufficient with a couple of   
   solar panels, microturbines, a    
   wood stove and a few rain barrels.   
      
   But as much as people love the idea of tiny houses, these structures are not   
   realistic for everyone. Many of us are tethered to our jobs, schools, friends   
   and families, and those attachments often anchor us to a particular   
   neighborhood. And unfortunately,   
    you just can't put a tiny house anywhere on a map. Often, they don't adhere   
   to planning and zoning laws in the municipalities we need to live in.   
      
   The good news is you don't need a tiny house to live the minimalist lifestyle.   
   Here are four simple ways to live smaller even if you live a bigger house.   
      
      
   1.  Lose the car. While this isn't practical for everyone, urban dwellers have   
   fewer and fewer reasons to own a car. Public transportation systems are   
   improving and expanding in many cities and becoming more appealing to   
   commuters.   
      
   Public transit ridership is at its highest per capita level since 1956, the   
   year President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law creating the Interstate   
   Highway System, which fueled car culture in the U.S. Transit officials say   
   this shift isn't so much    
   economic, but that Americans' everyday travel habits are changing.   
      
   The American Public Transportation Association says the growth in public   
   transportation ridership in the past several years is a result of an improving   
   economy and expanded services offered by many transit systems. The increase in   
   transit use correlates    
   to a decreased number of miles driven by Americans.   
      
   "The start of the economic downturn and rising fuel prices drove a lot of   
   people to try transit. When they tried it, they found it was really good, and   
   they're staying," said Michael Melaniphy of the APTA.   
      
   Many adults, particularly millennials, are riding their bikes in much greater   
   numbers. In urban areas, the bicycle has become the millennials' equivalent of   
   the hippies' Volkswagen Beetle. Bikes have become part of the lifestyle, and a   
   symbol of    
   independence and counter-culture.   
      
   Over the past decade, a bicycling boom has taken hold, and many roads in major   
   urban centers now have dedicated cycling lanes. Dozens of U.S. cities and   
   colleges have implemented bike-sharing systems, allowing riders to get around   
   quickly without the    
   hassles of bike ownership.   
      
   Adults aren't bicycling just for recreation; bike commuting is dramatically   
   increasing. Since 2000, bicycle commuting has grown 61%. The U.S. Census   
   reports that commuting by bike grew by 9% in 2013, bringing it to a historical   
   high. Nearly 900,000    
   people, or about 0.6% of the commuting public rides a bike as the primary   
   method of getting to work.    
      
   But what about those times you do need a car? If you live in a larger   
   municipality or a college town, it's likely you've got a burgeoning   
   car-sharing infrastructure. Services such as ZipCar, DriveNow, HourCar,   
   Car2Go, and AutoShare allow people to rent    
   cars for as little as $8 an hour. These services are moving rapidly into   
   smaller metropolitan areas as well. Urban dwellers find these services   
   attractive since they only pay for the occasional use of a vehicle and don't   
   have to worry about overnight    
   parking, maintenance and car loans.   
      
   On the horizon for car-sharing are one-way rentals, allowing for regional   
   travel between cities. Without the burden of having to return a car to its   
   original location, this might make car-sharing much more attractive for   
   extended periods and distance    
   trips, perhaps even for travel to urban areas, where parking is often an issue.   
      
   Overall, it's safe to conclude that car ownership is not the priority it once   
   was, soft economy or not. America's transportation landscape has changed   
   dramatically since the recession began in 2008. Many commuters have come to   
   realize that car ownership    
   is no longer the most convenient or attractive transportation option.   
      
      
   2. Buy used, not new. While you may already be purchasing new products that   
   are deemed environmentally friendly, you can minimize your carbon footprint   
   and contribute to a sustainable ecology by buying used items, especially those   
   that take a lot of    
   energy and resources to produce. You're also likely to save yourself a ton of   
   cash by buying used.   
      
   There are a few caveats to buying used products: You can get burned if you're   
   not careful. Educate yourself about any product you intend to purchase and   
   know how to inspect it for defects and hazards. Also, learn the value of any   
   used item that still may    
   carry a hefty price tag by checking out similar sales at online resale sites.   
      
   Before you head out to the thrift shops, check to see if there are local reuse   
   or freecycle resources in your area. Housing Works in New York City is a   
   volunteer-run venue that sells used clothing, furniture, rugs, books, CDs,   
   DVDs, and LPs and many    
   other items they receive as donations. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the East   
   Bay Depot for Creative Reuse in Oakland promotes solid waste diversion and   
   conservation by selling used art materials, educational supplies, furniture,   
   and home products. You    
   can find such an organization or venue in your area by visiting the Freecycle   
   Network, FreeLocal.org, Resale Shopping and the Thrift Shopper.   
      
   Some products you should consider buying used instead of new include bicycles   
   (especially for children), exercise equipment (often resold for a fraction of   
   the price new on Craigslist or at yard sales), musical instruments, wooden   
   furniture, dishware and    
   utensils (stainless steel flatware is best), clothing and cars.   
      
      
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