This lifestyle goes by many names. Some people call it ‘simple living’; others refer to ‘voluntary simplicity’, and there’s quite a crowd who think of themselves as ‘homesteaders’. Shannon Hayes refers to us as radical homemakers and has written a very interesting book by the same name.
I have to admit that, while I’d seen the book reviewed and cited in several articles around the internet, for a long while the title put me off. Radical Homemakers somehow brought to mind a vision of June Cleaver with a picket sign or something. Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with my, well…disdain for consumerism and it was the subtitle, “Reclaiming domesticity from a consumer culture” that eventually got me to take a closer look at the book.
Hayes’ premise is simple: that in the face of the very serious financial and environmental issues that threaten us all, a growing number of women (and men) are opting out of the consumer work-spend rat race in favor of “radical” homemaking. Radical homemakers live on less income (roughly 200% of the Federal Poverty Level), but create a life of abundance by making the home a center of production rather than consumption.
The author saw this lifestyle in action while growing up and helping out on a neighboring farm:
By growing their own food, living within their means, providing much of their own health care, and relying on community, family and barter for meeting their remaining needs, their household was essentially a unit of production…thus, their income wasn’t critical to their well-being.
Later, after obtaining her PhD, Hayes and her husband initially assumed they had no choice but to find high-paying jobs somewhere, in order to afford the expensive, consumption driven, suburban, two-cars-with-kids-in-daycare lifestyle that is society’s expectation for all of us these days. But after crunching the numbers they estimated that such a move would only have them $10,000 ahead – and that was before factoring in the costs of daycare for their two girls. It was clear that opting out of the debt-driven consumer lifestyle and contributing to the family farm made much more financial sense.
It made sense in other ways too. Hayes says radical homemaking is “a movement seeking social justice on all levels” and that there are four fundamental tenets that form the foundation: ecological sustainability, social justice, family and community. Lest the title Radical Homemaking be misinterpreted (as I very nearly did) as a call for the “little woman” to return home to her “proper place”, Hayes sets the record straight:
Radical Homemakers draw on historical traditions to craft a more ecologically viable existence, but their life’s work is to create a new, pleasurable, sustainable and socially just society, different than any we have known in the last 5,000 years. While they learn from history, they do not seek to recreate it in all forms. Women are not second-class citizens. The governing tenet of social justice precludes treating any member of the family as subservient.
A good chunk of the book is a fascinating examination of how our rabid work-spend lifestyle came to be. I was unaware that much of our consumer culture came about as a result of legions of bored, unfulfilled, depressed housewives of the Leave it to Beaver era simply needing to get out of the house for the sake of their sanity. The ad men of Madison Avenue wasted no time in exploiting this, convincing women that happiness and fulfillment would be within their grasp if they had a car for shopping and access to an endless array of modern time-saving conveniences.
The second half of the book is drawn from interviews of twenty radical homemakers who discuss their views on and solutions to issues like education (both home-schooling and college), health insurance, housing, child-care, retirement, family relationships, living abundantly and the concept of “enough”. It’s not always easy and several of the interviewees admitted they sometimes question their choices – particularly in the face of dominant society’s disapproval – but in the end, they wouldn’t dream of going back to their former lives of long hours, money, debt, stuff, and stress.
What I came to understand as I read the book is that I’m already practicing my version of radical homemaking. I cook real food. I eat as locally as possible, even growing some of my own. I live on a lot less than I ever thought possible; I continue to decrease my spending and consumption of material “stuff” in favor of experiences that have meaning and time I can call my own. I want my home to be a unit of production, not solely one of consumption.
How about you? If you feel stuck on the consumer treadmill and would love to jump off, but just can’t see how it’s possible, Radical Homemakers is well worth the read. This book, combined with Your Money or Your Life could be all the inspiration you’ll need to make the shift to a life of far more meaning, happiness and satisfaction.
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Hi Kathy,
I currently have this book sitting on my bedside table! While I find it a bit hard to go through all in one go, it really speaks to me. I find many of the quotes in the book inspiring. Sadly, it seems that most people that pick this book up might already be living a simple lifestyle, but it did still inspire me in many ways.
Great blog you have here, by the way! I definitely plan to read more…
I liked the book because it confirmed for me that what I’m after really is doable. Other folks have “been there, done that”. You’re right, sometimes it seems we’re preaching to the choir but I do think that slowly, this stuff is spreading and with each new convert, these books and websites are ready to inspire. Thanks for visiting…Mr. Money Mustache has quickly become one of my must-read blogs!
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