Keeping your bliss in hard economic times

I have heard many people say that being happy cost money, money they don't have in their budget.  Or that being happy cost time, time they don't have in their schedules to the rising cost of living.  I say being unhappy cost you a lot more in the long run. Additional medical bills for ailments that could be prevented by simply taking the needed time to follow your bliss.

Following your bliss can be expensive, yes if you allow it to be. It can cost in classes, materials, or even in expenditures not normally in your budget.  But it can also be inexpensive the choice is yours. If you want to do something you will always find a way. If you want to learn a skill you can often ask around of others who might know of a class you can audit for free (Audit: to sit in but not receive credit for the class).  There might be free or low cost classes offered through your local school, sometimes a local college, other times a local high school.  There are lots of folks who will offer free classes that you simply have to provide the materials needed to learn a new skill or try out a new hobby.  There are options.

If you passion is writing, it doesn't cost anything to set up a free blog and flex those writing muscles. If your passion is painting, you can often find second hand materials on such sites as Craig's list or freecycle available from those either updating their supplies or simply not doing something any longer.  You can purchase inexpensive which may not last as long but in the long run will help you get your feet wet and see if something is really your bliss verses laying out a small fortune for something you have always wanted to try but are unsure if it is something you will enjoy.

Craigs List City Listing

Freecycle Network

Another great option is check around at your local thrift stores and during warmer months yard sales. Many times you can find things you need for next to nothing, either on sale on through cash sales.  Get creative, recycle, reuse, and do what you need to do in order to follow your bliss without breaking the bank. Many thrift stores have 1/2 price sale days, it just takes a little research to learn when those days are. This is also a great way to build a basic wardrobe for next to nothing to begin living and looking like the life you desire.  I got my favorite pair of boots, which are english riding boots brand new with the stickers still on them at a Goodwill for 16 dollars and used my student discount to get a further discount on them which retail for around 85 dollars. I adore them, they fit like they were made for me and I have worn them many times over the last few months during colder weather paired with leggings and an oversized shirt or with jeans and a sweater.  Making that investment in yourself will  not only make you feel better it will make you look better in the long run. I don't pay retail for anything if I can help it. I am the Queen of cheap when it comes to following my bliss.

Goodwill

Ebay

Dollar Tree

Where there is a will there is a way.  When it comes to time, I say if something makes you happy you will budget your time to be able to pursue it, even if it is only on your down days, or once a month. You need to find what makes you happy and make it a priority in your life.  If you do not you will continue on the path of doing what you do every day and never realize your full potential.  You can spend your life merely existing or you can take that giant leap of faith and invest in yourself to make it a reality.

I have many passions that I enjoy. I enjoy gardening. One way that I cut my cost of pursing this passion I have started my own seeds using seed pods made out of recycled toilet paper rolls.  I save my own seeds from the plants I had the year before and often harvest wild seeds to keep it within our budget. The end result is doing something I enjoy while keeping the cost of doing it to a minimum.  I get food grade buckets from our local bakery for .99 cents a piece as containers for my little garden and drill holes in the bottom using my husband drill and a good sized bit.  This gives me something I can use from year to year without making the major investment in planters. I purchase the cheapest dirt possible and use a tea I make from compost from our kitchen and worm droppings I put I put in a recycled bathtub with a screen over the drain and a 5 gallon food grade bucket under it to add nutrients to the soil.

This doesn't cost us anything because it is outside and fed by the rain, which for the moment is still free to harvest in our area.  The cast offs would thrown away and the worms cost me around 5 dollars total at our local bait shop and reproduce freely in the rich compost.  When it is all said and done I save a bundle on the organic food I would be purchasing for my plants and end up with a healthy productive plant that helps to feed my family.

Sometimes following your bliss just takes a little creativity and determination.  I enjoy making wine and beer at home.  I harvest my own berries from my garden for the wine, the cost of the yeast is around 1 dollar a pack and it makes 5 gallons at a time using a food grade 5 gallon bucket. Instead of purchasing bottles I asked my friends to start saving me glass wine bottles and beer bottles and in exchange I share my end result. It would take me years to drink 5 gallons of wine anyway so the end result is I get my friends and family involved in my bliss, make it into a community project and all enjoy the end result which not only taste better but is healthier because it lacks the preservatives found in commercially prepared alcoholic beverages. I have a fresh batch starting as soon as I finish my last for the next holiday. Today I am getting ready to sweeten the batch I am preparing for Valentines day and at Christmas I gave bottles of homemade blackberry wine instead of paying for gifts for those I love.  Its a win win regardless of the cost because it makes me take that time to do something I love as well as sharing it with those important in my life.

Every person has a different list of things that make them happy.  You can often find free advise on line, free youtube videos to help you learn a new skill, as well as others who are following their bliss in a particular field and are more than happy to share that knowledge and skill.  It just takes opening your eyes and looking around to find them.  Once you master a skill it is best to help others who would like to learn the same skill, which not only increases your knowledge by increasing the circle of friends you have in that particular area but also gives you a network of brand new folks who can advise, instruct and hopefully you will all learn from each other.

For those who say they cannot afford to follow their bliss, I say you aren't willing to make that investment in yourself. Regardless of what you want in life you have to earn it. It isn't going to fall into your lap just because you want something. You must go out and seek it.  You must be willing to make time in your schedule or willing to invest in the basic materials to pursue what makes you happy.  You weren't born and fell into your dream job you had to acquire training and knowledge in the field, be that through school or many hours of doing independent research.  If you want something you have to put the work into acquiring it in order to truly enjoy the end result.

I hope my blog has given you ideas for pursuing your own personal dreams and goals. Always exercise caution when meeting new people from offline and make sure to let others know where you are going and take a friend along for safety.  There are some crazy folks out there and it is always best to err on the side of caution if they haven't been recommended by a trusted friend or if you are for any reason feeling uneasy about meeting those you have never met before.

That said, I hope my blog today gives you some ideas on how to follow your bliss on a budget.  How to do what makes you happy even during hard economic times and make yourself happy in the process.  Life is way to short to be miserable and even shorter if you allow it to pass you by without taking the time you need to find your inner happiness.

Until Tomorrow my blog buddies, be safe, be sane, and be happy.

Some ideas for creating a crafting space for next to nothing by utilizing craigs list and organize your space for following your bliss if your bliss is creating crafts.