Radical Homemakers - Shannon Hayes - Part 3

Radical Homemakers - Shannon Hayes

2017 Reading Challenge - Day 72

  March 13, 2017 

Book 23 - Radical Homemakers - Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture
by Shannon Hayes (2010)
 Part 3 - pages 109-183
Reading Time - 70 minutes

This section starts off with the novel idea of rethinking how we classify wealth and poverty. Rather than wealth being measured by money and/or things... what if we defined wealth as: relationships, clean food/air/water, time to rest and play, and the ability to live without money. The idea that wealth means we can access those things in life that keep us happy and healthy.

She notes that oftentimes 2 income families are worse off than single income families... particularly if the family is dependent on getting that second income. Two incomes comes with higher risk and higher expenses. Much better if the second income is only needed for extras. Which makes sense. She also says that mortgages and health insurance are what kills families financially. All of those fixed expenses that we see as "essential" and "normal".Things like transportation, housing, health, child care, education, retirement.

We tend to buy into the prevailing wisdom of society. We need a better car or a bigger house. Need to go to university for 8 years to get a degree. The author argues that no one cares what you drive. Houses could be lifelong investments rather than purchased with the intention to flip them. What if we ate healthier, exercised more and had less health care worries? What if we acquired our education instead of buying it.

All of it makes sense and resonates well for me. Our truck is 21 years old and running fine (thank you Toyota). Our house is just a standard house - no bells or whistles. No granite counter tops. No tile floors. No hardwood floors for that matter. We are upgrading our kitchen by adding some cupboards that match our existing 1970s ones... We found them at the Restore - $50. We might even splurge on a new counter top to tie it all together - but it'll be laminate. We also love salvaging stuff - reusing and repurposing things rather than buying new. Whether it's for the house or the garden. Trying to eat healthier... reading a lot of books. And saving a tonne of money while also paying down our mortgage as quickly as we can.

Mind you, all of this requires a bit of time and energy. I really get that people nowadays feel time starved... and so they cave in to convenience. Which comes at a hefty price.