When it comes to earning money, there are really only two options: sacrifice more, or want less.
Most of society assumes work is non-negotiable. You have to work, so you might as well spend your money chasing little hits of happiness on the weekends. New things. New experiences. New upgrades. Rinse and repeat.
But the more I’ve stepped back from that way of thinking, the more I’ve realised something important:
The pursuit of “more” never ends — and it never delivers lasting happiness.
Watch: Earn More or Want Less?
Join me in the conversation below as I ponder the theory of earning more… or wanting less, to achieve simplicity and freedom in life. 👇
The Endless Cycle of Wanting More
We live in a culture where more is always seen as better. More stuff. A bigger house. A newer car. More subscriptions. More convenience. More status.
But more doesn’t bring peace.
It just brings:
- More expenses
- More pressure
- More time traded for money
- More mental clutter
And then, inevitably, more wanting.
If you’re always chasing the next thing, happiness stays just out of reach.
What If You Were Content With What You Already Have?
What if you were happy with the clothes already in your wardrobe?
What if your home didn’t need to be bigger — it just needed to be lighter?
So often people say, “We’re outgrowing this place.” But in reality, they’re just drowning in things.
Sometimes the answer isn’t a bigger house — it’s a massive declutter. Here’s how to get started with decluttering if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Sell what you don’t need. Clear the space. Create calm. You might even turn some of that excess into cash.
And when things start to feel stale, instead of buying something new, try:
- Rearranging furniture
- Shopping your cupboards
- Repurposing what you already own
It’s amazing how little you actually need to feel refreshed.
Less Stuff = Less Money Needed
More always costs more.
And when life costs more, you’re forced to work more to fund it. That’s the simple math.
When you start pairing things down — fewer subscriptions, fewer impulse purchases, fewer “solutions” marketed to you on social media — something interesting happens.
You become more grateful for what you keep.
That one streaming service you decide to keep? You actually enjoy it.
The things you own? They get used instead of replaced.
And when you do need to replace things, look for secondhand, which saves a lot of money and reduces the demand for further mass production and consumption.
Question the Marketing Machine
We’re constantly bombarded with messages telling us we need:
- A better version
- A faster solution
- A prettier product
Most of it is just clever marketing.
Before buying anything, I always ask:
Do I already own something that can do this job?
Nine times out of ten, the answer is yes.
Cost of Living vs Mindless Consumption
I’m not denying that the cost of living is rising — it absolutely is.
But I’m also seeing people buried in debt for things they never truly needed.
That’s where the real problem lies.
Sometimes we need to pause and ask:
- What are my base expenses?
- What do I actually need to live comfortably?
That number is usually far lower than we think.
And when you step out of the mindset of constantly needing more, life becomes quieter. More peaceful. Grounded in gratitude rather than comparison.
Freedom Comes From Needing Less
Here’s the part no one really talks about… when you need less money, you don’t need to trade as much time for it.
That’s where freedom begins.
Imagine:
- No long commutes
- No constantly showing up for someone else
- No running on empty all the time
What would you do with your time instead?
★ Create?
★ Rest?
★ Spend time with family?
★ Just be?
Our nervous systems are exhausted. Simpler lives give them space to recover.
Why I Choose Simplicity
For me, simplicity has meant freedom.
It’s allowed me to stay home with my kids instead of piling more work onto an already full load.
A few years ago, before COVID, my ex, my children and I sold everything — including our house. We were constantly under mortgage stress, and it was suffocating.
So we chose a different path.
We bought a caravan and lived the van life for four years – you can check out my other vanlife blog if you’re interested.
We lived comfortably on around $30,000 a year while travelling and doing amazing things. We could have lived on less. We could have lived on more. There’s no magic number.
What mattered was that we were free.
Freedom Isn’t Perfect — But It’s Worth It
Now, I’m a single mum with two teenagers, renting, and living on a fairly low income — by choice.
I don’t want to be in the rat race. I tried it. I found it soul-crushing.
I make money online in different ways, and while I was doing really well until 2023 (when blogging changed dramatically), I’ve had to pivot.
That’s part of the trade-off.
Choosing freedom often means:
- Less certainty
- Less stability
- More creativity
But for me, freedom trumps everything.
Sacrifice More — Or Want Less
At the core, it comes down to this:
You can sacrifice your time and energy to endlessly chase more — the bigger house, the nicer car, the Instagram-worthy life.
Or you can simply want less.
And in that wanting less, you’ll often find:
- Peace
- Gratitude
- Space
- Freedom
For me, the choice is easy.
If you’d like to hear more about how I make ends meet or how I earn money online, let me know — I’m happy to share.
Because once you step off the hamster wheel of needing more, you may be surprised by how much life opens up.
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