Mary Hunt: 10 ways to simplify your life, lower expenses

If the rising costs of trying to keep up with the demands of your life are making you feel like you're on a runaway train, take a deep breath and consider this: The best way to bring your lifestyle in line with your income is to simplify. It's good for the soul, too.

1. Stop directing your goals toward the acquisition of more and more things. Before you buy another appliance, the latest fad or the newest model, ask yourself these questions: Do I really need this? Will buying it make my life better?

2. Buy used instead of new. Perfectly good used items are the biggest bargain around. Take computers, for example. A nice model a year or two old can be purchased for a few hundred dollars, compared to $1,000 or more for a new one. And the fact is, few people need the power of the new model anyway. Same with cars. A late-model used car costs a third less than a new car and will run dependably just as long.

3. When you do buy new, go for simplicity. Most consumer goods are loaded with features most people will never need or use. These features drive up the cost of the product enormously. Ask yourself, when was the last time you used your DVR's fancy programming features or changed the settings on your dishwasher? And your camera or phone, do they really need replacing?

4. Use up the goods you have. Drive that car until the wheels fall off. The same advice holds for appliances, clothes and all sorts of items. Stop throwing out or replacing perfectly good things that still work.

5. If you must get rid of serviceable goods, don't take them to the dump. Recycle by donating them to charitable groups that will see they are put back into service.

6. Cut down your waste. Recycle newspapers, plastic and paper if you're not doing so already. Start a compost pile if you've got the land.

7. Think smaller. The average new American house has grown by 40 percent since 1970. Three and four bathrooms are common these days, as are huge rooms with high ceilings, which make them more expensive to heat and cool. It's time that we started questioning this edifice complex. Ditto for big gas-guzzling cars, too.

8. Set an economical example for your children. By acting with conservation in mind, you lead with your deeds. Trying to fulfill your child's every material desire sends two wrong messages: that all is easily attainable, and that baubles are worth having even if you can't afford them.

9. Cut down on your driving and shuttling your kids around. You'll not only save gas, you'll save wear and tear on yourself and your family.

10. Make a positive difference in your community. Pitch in on projects that serve everyone, and encourage your children to do the same.