BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Living Simply Real Simple Magazine

I am a strong proponent of living a simpler, less stressed life and I was really happy when I saw an entire magazine was dedicated towards the simple life. After reading it, though, I think what they meant to say was that this is the way to spend money and feel better about yourself.

An idea for avoiding dishes? Buy lots of coffee filters, line your mixing bowls with them and throw them away when you're done. This turns us into a disposable lifestyle, not a simple one. Need to figure out if a window is sunny enough for a plant? Buy a $60 device that (I kid you not) plugs into the dirt, records the sunlight for you and then plugs into your USB port to tell you what it saw. There's an article on an interracial marriage which doesn't sound simple to me, and while it's cool, it doesn't help me learn anything about living more simply.

How about dressing simply? They want you to buy an $85 pair of flats and a $68 belt. Maybe a $70 pair of shorts.

Some articles are helpful. How can you spot a fake bill? Might be useful to know. Other articles miss out on basics. They talk about how a pound of sugar was 12 cents in 1960 and is now 52 cents - but they say nothing at all about what it WOULD be adjusted for inflation. Is this higher than before? Lower? Nobody knows.

There are good tips in here. Go to your library and use their vast resources for free. Negotiate with your health care provider for lower costs. Use local playgrounds for exercise and fun. Bring your lunch, don't eat out. Even so, you turn the page and they're suggesting $200 blazers as cool items for the simple household - blazers that, honestly, most of us would only wear once or twice given its color and what it would go with in a given season. Never mind the $400 giant black jumpsuit. Not simple.

I'm not saying simple has to be boring or drab - but there is a big difference, in my mind, between recommending a simple item of clothing that could be worn every week without an issue and recommending a $400 splurge on something that would rarely be brought from the closet. That belongs more in a "splurge fashion" magazine, not a "real simple" magazine.

So while I appreciate some of the tips here, there was too much emphasis on buying things - especially things people simply don't need. I feel the magazine falls into this category itself.

I picked up Real Simple Magazine a few times as well, and I agree. After those few times, it seemed like it was more about buying stuff than truly making your life simpler... Which actually complicates things in many ways.

Someone just told me the other day that they like this magazine. I think people really are drawn to it because they are hoping to find the promised "simple" solutions. Gives me good ideas for real "real simple" tips for Business Owners.

Although I personally have not read this magazine; the covers are very attractive. And do pull you in, but from what all your commentary says, it's real hard to live real simple according to real simple magazine!

Too bad. They should take a look at really simple and cheap mags. like Woman's Day and Family Circle. Helpful little tidbits about just about everything and the cost of each one is cheap. But I am sure that most things and mags. are somewhat available on the Internet.
Mary Caliendo
Tea

Honestly, it's not an all around bad magazine, it's just not exactly what I expected. And, I think you will find some good hints, or at least some good recipes now and again. But overall, it is a shopping magazine...

Oh yes definitely there are some good tips in here. The whole magazine isn't "bad". But for example half of it is ads and the ads are for VERY expensive skin creams, expensive clothing, expensive shampoos. None of those are simple things, I would consider pretty much every thing they advertise to be a luxury item.

I love the image and idea of the magazine but my guideline for simple living is not buying a lot of stuff. The more stuff I have, the more there is to clean, organize, store, etc.

And I like products that have multiple uses. For example, Vaseline has many uses. Instead of WD-40, Vaseline oils hinges pretty well. I don't buy chapstick. I just Vaseline my lips morning and night. My sister buys an expensive heel repair cream, but I use--you guessed it--Vaseline at night with socks.

I don't buy a lot of prepackaged foods (except for a few things on sale) and I don't buy a lot of clothing or collect junk.

Books, magazines and food/cooking are my weaknesses! I have to be vigilant that I don't bring in too much. I eat the food and store it on my body so there's no clutter there! LOL.

Here! Here for the love of books and magazines!

Mary Caliendo

Yes! Lisa, what you have stated echoes how I feel. Some of the articles are useful, others are not. Wondering that advertising dollars might sway what they write about, etc.

Great thoughts!

I do have a subscription to REAL Simple Magazine, it's the only one that I have not canceled yet. I think I try to keep it all in perspective. I definitely wouldn't go out and buy what they suggest. There are many times, I try to re-create something that they've done in my own less expensive way, try to tailor it within my budget.
Sometimes their "ah-ha" moments are things I never even thought of. (BTW Lori - I used to use vaseline on the feet,then all of a sudden it stopped working so I started using a baby oil gel and now I'm back in business. ;))
Granted as funds get tighter, this subscription will disappear.
I think it's the same in almost all magazines though, Redbook, Women's Day. They all give advice which really isn't anything new, some of it's expensive - some not.