Best products from r/simpleliving
We found 42 comments on r/simpleliving discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 305 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
2. Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
4. The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
5. No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process
8. Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living
- Princeton University Press
Features:
10. Living Large in Our Little House: Thriving in 480 Square Feet with Six Dogs, a Husband, and One Remote--Plus More Stories of How You Can Too (1)
Readers Digest
11. The Shepherd's Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape
Flatiron Books
12. 12 Small Travel Space Saver Bags (22"x14"), No Vacuum Needed Roll-up Compression Bags for Packing Clothes & Luggage Storage
CONTAINS 12 BAGS - Each pack contains 12 bags of small size (20"x14"). This is the ideal size for packing individual clothes by themselves, or smaller items together.SUPER EASY TO USE - Simply pack, seal the bag with the double zipper top, then roll out the air through a patented one-way valve at th...
13. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
- This #1 New York Times best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.
- Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?
Features:
15. The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT
- Self-help
Features:
16. Vivere Double Cotton Hammock with Space Saving Steel Stand, Tropical (450 lb Capacity - Premium Carry Bag Included)
- Vivere combo, the double hammock with stand and carry bag is our top choice for combos. The double hammock is tightly woven with high quality cotton thread resulting in a heavy, durable fabric.
- The hammock stand is constructed of heavy duty Steel and assembles in minutes without any tools.
- Vivere hammocks have pure polyester end strings that will last longer than traditional cotton end strings.Bed Length:87 inch
- The larger of our Brazilian hammock combos is great for sharing a snooze with a friend
- Stunning colors make this hammock the highlight of the yard
- Don’t have 20 years to wait for those trees? Set-up this stand in your yard and start relaxing now
- Easily adjustable hammock hooks allow you to decide how low or high you want to lay
Features:
17. The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life
- Boldly blended cola made with: Kola nut extract, dark brown malt flavor, a touch of aromatic bitters, sparkling water and real sugar
- Premium cola with real kola nut extract and fair trade certified sugar
- Crafted from our original recipes
- A modern twist on an old classic
- 12 Ounce Sleek Cans, Pack of 12
Features:
18. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
- Great product!
Features:
Absolutely. I'm glad you asked and I hope I can be helpful.
I know it can be very difficult to stop consumerism within us because we've been advertised to our entire lives. We've been told that material possession equates to success and self-worth. The more we have, the better we are. You and I can read these sentences I wrote and recognize how stupid that idea is. Yet, advertising is so good that even the knowledge that we're being advertised to doesn't always prevent that same advertising from working on us. Advertising is based on exploiting human psychology. That's why it works. Just know that it's very difficult to ignore advertising on a subconscious level. We're only human. We will fail. We will make mistakes. Recognizing all this is a good first step.
It's important to practice desiring less. When you want something, stop yourself and think about it. Think about your motivations. Why do you want it? Is there a real justification for acquiring something? Is it a true need, or just a want? If it's simply a want, well, tell yourself you want it but you don't need it and move on. Try to thwart the desire for that thing at the source. Desire for a thing is like sexual lust... it's only human to feel that way, but you don't need to act on it.
It's a constant practice, desiring less. It's difficult. Possibly the most difficult thing a human can do. But desire leads to disappointment and suffering. Desire is temporary, but if we play that desire out to its end, often times the fruits of that desire can be disappointing and longlasting. But if you don't need something, if you don't desire, you're that much more free... "Nah, I don't need that." You become unflappable. More in control. But don't kid yourself... it's hard. Keep practicing.
If you're looking to get rid of stuff you already have that isn't bringing you happiness, I recommend Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up." It's become quite a popular book and for good reason. It really makes you think about why you have stuff and how that stuff functions in your life.
If you want to work on internalizing the idea of desiring less, take a look at /r/buddhism. It's important that if you start reading Buddhist texts that you realize that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. Buddhism's main tenant is "freedom from desire is the path to enlightenment." It's a very deep rabbit hole to go down and a lifetime of study. For a more modern take on Buddhist teaching, I love Pema Chodron. I also really love Anthony DeMello and Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Another great place to look is /r/stoicism and in particular "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius was emperor of Rome, but that didn't stop him from living a life of equanimity and mindfulness. His book "Meditations" is more like a private diary, in which he reminds himself on how to live a good life.
“We need to master the art of acquiescence. We need to pay attention to our impulses, making sure they don’t go unmoderated, that they benefit others, that they’re worthy of us. We need to steer clear of desire in any form and not try to avoid what’s beyond our control.” -- Meditations, 11.37 (Hays translation)
I hope that this stuff can get you started on your journey. Just know that you don't need to be perfect. You don't need to flip a switch and completely change who you are to be a success at any of this. It's a process and it's a practice. Failure is okay. Don't beat yourself. Just try. Just keep practicing this stuff every day and it will add up. You can do it.
I started with one from Amazon ($130 includes the hammock and stand); it worked great, though eventually I did wear out the hammock (using it every day, and not repairing it when I started to notice it getting frayed shortened the life quite a bit). I'm 6' tall and just under 200lbs btw, and this is the hammock/stand that I got: http://www.amazon.com/Vivere-UHSDO9-Double-Hammock-Space-Saving/dp/B004YJCP7O
My daughter has a hammock now, and is using my old stand (which is an awesome stand btw, especially for the money). I hung my hammock (not for the faint hearted, but so far so good) and actually like it hanging better, since I can rock a bit when I'm going to sleep (sort of like a huge bassinet for grownups!) Head over to /r/hammocks for more info. You will need something under you (I just use a sleeping bag) for warmth in the winter, but it is perfect on those hot summer nights.
As for the angle, I sleep in it at a slight diagonal, which causes the hammock to flatten out. I've never been a back sleeper before, but this is surprisingly comfortable. Change the angle of your diagonal until you find a comfortable fit. Added bonus: you can throw your entire bed in the washing machine.
Some memoirs... would probably fall under "practical."
I bought a pack of roll up compression bags, a medium size bag that has backpack and suitcase straps, and a good pair of boots for a 2 week trip through the UK. I use that set of gear for every trip now.
The bag is super versatile for planes/buses or walking if needed. The compression bags both keep down volume and keep me organized. Bonus for keeping stinky dirty clothes sealed off from clean ones. The boots, while expensive and overkill for summer trips, are super solid and will likely last me for decades (my dad had a pair for at least 25 years).
Boots: https://www.danner.com/men/hike/mountain-light-ii-5-black.html (msrp is intense, but I found them for about half off)
Bag: https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/fairview-40-FAIRVEW40_706.html (I got the farpoint 40 which is the men's model, but same idea. Purchased on one of those 30% off rei sales)
Compression bags: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BUIPOF6 (not showing as available, but there's lots of similar options. My recommendation is get a size that matches your backpack interior dimensions so you can stack them flat)
In terms of what to pack, I agree with i_va17. 2 pants + 3 shirts is plenty. One sweatshirt/sweater if cold climate. Either a packable rain jacket or a medium-weight waterproof jacket depending on weather. Passive noise cancelling earbuds are very small, don't need to worry about battery, and are great for airplanes/buses. I always bring a book, but you might want to invest in a small e-reader for weight savings. Work laptop of course. I also have a couple collapsible water bottles (vapur brand) that I really like as I can fill them up before getting on a plane/bus, but they don't take any space when empty. If you want food some energy bars are the way to go, or a ziplock of your favorite nuts if you want to go the non-processed route. Hard to beat almonds or pecans for space/weight to calorie ratio. Backpacker's first aid get also gets packed most trips. Have only had to use it to remove splinters so far but you never know.
​
Edit: added what to pack.
My biggest tip is not to approach it as a chore. Instead, get a solid understanding of your mind and how it causes you to suffer.
To do that, I suggest reading Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" - it's a great book, and will help you see the insanity of your mind/thoughts. If you are looking for basic meditation instructions, this free guide is great and they also have an excellent 21 day course that works well and delves into how your mind works. And, "Mindfulness in Plain English" is another good book...you can buy it on Amazon or read it on the Internet here.
Dopamine is lovely stuff. Your brain is rewarding you for these actions... but like any addiction, you can never be satiated.
A couple of gentle suggestions that could be helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-New-Mood-Therapy/dp/0380810336/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426797571&sr=8-3&keywords=when+panic+attacks
http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/
I've noticed a trend here lately of people turning to simple living as a way to treat anxiety. Simple living is awesome, but it's not a cure for anxiety. In some ways, it can promote it, because people use the idea of simple living to hide from life.
The best place to start, if you can, would be with a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety. If that isn't possible right now, this book can give you some tools to start feeling better, for under $6. It did help me. Ultimately, the key to overcoming anxiety is to do the thing you fear until it isn't scary any more.
Hard to name particular texts, as the psychology and philosophy of happiness and good life is one of my main interests, but this talk made me realize I'm normal for not having just one passion, this book introduced me to mindfulness, this book changed the way I view my own mind and this book gave an alternate view of happiness that works for non-upbeat people. I
I'm currently reading The Upside of Your Dark Side which has already convinced me that the American/Anglophone obsession with happiness-as-emotion, comfort and avoiding "negative" feelings is not just unnecessary but also harmful.
This book was great! I highly recommend it to all. Really shows how to cultivate and then direct passion where it matters most. Helped me a lot!
​
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1635653436/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peakperformance20-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1635653436&linkId=f51a1086173597e32f637745ae25c5ae
There's growing evidence that treating depression is best done with a multi modal approach. I.e. don't count on one silver bullet but try a multitude of things.
There's nothing static in this world. Things WILL change. Your mind too.
Regarding feeding the capitalist machinery, perhaps take some time and feel what is important to you. Then perhaps change job to something that is more aligned with your values. If your job drains you of energy it's time to look for other options.
Some free-standing frames aren't much longer than the hammock itself. This one is pretty awesome: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YJCP7O
you ll probably love this book then :)
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Complete-Traditional-Skills/dp/1602392331
Ah yes, I'm an old dude. Being free of debt helps too. I'm just so ready to do this but have to fulfill one more of lifes obligations before I can make it a reality.
I've got this Back to Basics version. I haven't seen the one you linked to. I wonder how much alike they are.
Living the Good Life
Continuing the Good Life
Plain and Simple
Apples of the Mummies Eye
Seems like the perfect case for reading this
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808
Her book is fantastic. Highly recommended.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering/dp/1607747308
My wife was profoundly influenced by "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". Might be worth a read.
Simple living starts at home, so, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.