Welcome to The Downshifter

Information, guidelines and tips for downsizing your lifestyle for a better quality life.

For many the word downshifting means simply giving up the rat race of 9 to 5 living in a large town or City and moving to the Country, buying a house, preferably Cottage, with a bit of land and living the leisurely life of self-sufficiency.

After doing just that in 1999 and leaving pretty good and well paid jobs in Advertising, Retail and Railway Management I can assure you that it isn't always as easy as that!
For some with a lot of money to spare, it can be, but for the normal family, it's hard work which if not planned and carried out correctly, simply exchange one set of stresses and strains for another !

The word 'escape' is used a lot in downshifting, but often it's not escaping as such, it's more a search for a better way of life to enable us to enjoy it more, see more of our families and have a sense of self destiny rather than relying on salaries which are earned by mundane work and pressures etc.
Someone else is enjoying the benefits of our talents than we ourselves.

So it can be that the downshift isn't so much the 'down', but 'change', a change of direction in life.

For some, downshifting is not voluntary, it is forced upon us through redundancy, maybe ill health.
It can be something we do in fear of the above happening, so we find ourselves in that 'give them up before they give me up' scenario .

If it's voluntary, you are lucky. It gives you a chance to plan ahead, maybe save up a bit of emergency money and generally build up a business, more appropriately,. a life plan.

My experience has been one of ups and downs, as in downs to go up.

I'm actually re-writing much of this web site as I've now reached a pensionable age.
Downshifting my life at 50 meant me surviving for 14 years on a much lower income.

I hope that no matter what age you are or with whatever circumstances the articles written will be of help to you.

TIP No.1..

Never say goodbye to any skills you may have had in previous jobs, it's amazing and surprising how many of these you may be able to use to your benefit.
Destiny is solely in your hands.

One Office view and another !!

Whatever turns you on !

Frugality & Self-Reliance
Learning to live by your own means by saving and changing your way of life

Extra Income
Diversity in bringing home enough money to pay the bills

Abroad?
Pros and cons for moving abroad

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Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. Dalai Lama

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