33 Of The Best Simple Living Quotes To Live By.

Everyone likes a favorite quote to live by. Here are some of my favorite simple living quotes. I hope they give you some inspiration to live a simpler life of less. I’ve included a bundle of five A4 size simple life sayings you can print off and display in frames around the home, to give you inspiration to maintain a tidy, uncluttered home! You can get them here or click on the photos below to pick your favorite!

Simple living quotes.

Life is a balance of holding on and letting go

Rumi “

Life is simpler when you know what is worth holding onto and what is better to let go of.

Whether it’s people or possessions, let go of things or people that no longer make you happy.

simple living quote

It is desirable that a man live in all respects so simply and preparedly that if an enemy takes the town… he can walk out the gate empty-handed and without anxiety

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

This is a simple life quote, which means don’t become so attached to your stuff that you would struggle to leave your belongings behind if your house burned down.


Try only to keep a few possessions that you are not attached to.


The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding purpose and values. A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited

Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

This is one of my favorite quotes about simple living because it highlights the need for people to conform and keep up with the Joneses.


Let go of competition and one-upmanship and spend your time and energy on more worthwhile activities.


“The things you own end up owning you.”

Joshua Fields Millburn, Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists

This is so true! The more stuff you own, the more you have to clean it, maintain it, and look after it. It’s all very time-consuming!


Keep only the things you use and love in your home.


“Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning sun can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day – like writing a poem or saying a prayer.”

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

This simple life is a happy life quote reminds us why it’s important to take a few minutes out of your day to enjoy the simple things, as they are often the most beautiful. You can read more about Anne Morrow Lindbergh here.


Spend three minutes every day and practice being grateful for what you already have in life.


“I was rich, for there was nothing else that I needed or wanted.”

Mark Warren,  Two Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest

When you don’t want or need anything in life, then indeed, you are the richest and luckiest person alive!


Think about what you want right now. Would it make your life any better if you owned it, or can you live without it?


“If you wish to find a needle in a haystack, light a match.”

Jared Alan Brock

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes about living simply! It basically means that you can find the needle once you’ve got rid of the haystack! So getting rid of the clutter makes it easier to find what you are looking for and need.


If you’re struggling to find something, clear out the drawer, cupboard, or hotspot where it is, and organize the contents properly!


“If you’re not using the stuff in your home, get rid of it. You’re not going to start using it more by shoving it in a closet somewhere.”

Joshua Becker

So simple, yet so true, this is one of Joshua’s life lessons about decluttering and minimalism, and he reminds us to stop hoarding stuff we are never going to use and only to keep stuff we do use.


Clear out a closet, and get rid of anything you never wear.


Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.

Gautama Buddha

Always searching for something bigger and better is not the key to happiness.

Try to be grateful and satisfied with everything you already have, and stop searching for more!


“Society says you need lots of stuff to be happy. They are wrong.”

Joshua Becker

Joshua Becker is telling it like it is again, and he should know, he gave up the high life to live a simple life of minimalism, and he has found true happiness living a happy and simple life.


Stop trying to keep up with what society dictates. Society doesn’t know what’s best for you and your home!


“Don’t make your life complicated, live simply.”

MJ Jabican

The bigger your house and car, the harder you have to work to maintain them. Live simply with a modest home and simple needs, and your life will be less complicated.


Make life easier for yourself by requiring less and spending less.


“I have seen countless lives radically changed by the simple notion that we don’t need to own nearly as much stuff as we think we need.”

Joshua Becker

It’s a simple notion, but it works. We absolutely don’t need as much as we think we do.


Try opening your mug cupboard, look at how many mugs you have and think about how many people live in your house. Consider how many visitors call , unless you’re Lady Mary from Downtown Abbey, you’re probably not holding a tea party for more than two people at a time. Get rid of all the mugs, cups and glasses you don’t need!


“It is so simple to be difficult. But so difficult to be simple.”

Live Life Essence

This is a concept most people struggle with when trying to simplify. It takes time and effort to live simply!


Don’t just declutter once and think it will stay like that for ever. You have to constantly maintain the space by keeping it clutter-free and by not buying more stuff!


“Real luxury is not working like a maniac to take an expensive vacation–it is living a life you enjoy every day.”

Kathy Gottberg Rightsizing , a Smart Living 365 Guide to Reinventing Retirement

This is one of my favorite inspirational quotes as it reminds us to live for today and make your day to day life as enjoyable as spending two weeks abroad.


Try to make each day count.


“A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.”

Albert Einstein

I love this simple living quote. It gently reminds us to stop running around like a headless chicken chasing success, and to enjoy the simpler pace of a life of less.


Try to slow down and stop competing with others.


“The simple life is an authentic life.”

Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

You can be truly genuine if you live a simple life because you are not trying to keep up with the joneses and spending money you don’t have on stuff you don’t need.


As the saying goes, stop buying stuff you don’t need, with money you’ve not got, to impress people you don’t even like!


“When the living gets unburdened with needs and desires, life becomes simple and easy to carry.”

Shashi, Songs of the Mist

Give yourself a break from wanting and desiring material things, and then you can enjoy the simplicity of life.


The less you have, the less you have to worry about

Gautama The Lord Buddha

Try to keep your life free of possessions and people who give you cause to worry.

Keep it simple.


“The more things we accumulate, the more cluttered our lives become, and the more stressed we feel as we are compelled to think about them. Life is about people, not about things.”

Natalie Vellacott

I love quotes that focus on spending time with people rather than spending money on material gains.


Try to create memories rather than debt and clutter!


“Don’t just declutter, de-own.”

Joshua Becker, Clutter free with Kids

There’s no point decluttering five fur coats if you keep another three that you never wear!


Don’t organize your clutter; get rid of it. Unless you use it, de-own it!


“A lady once offered me a mat, but as I had no room to spare within the house, nor time to spare within or without to shake it, I declined it, preferring to wipe my feet on the sod before my door. It is best to avoid the beginnings of evil.”

Thoreau, Henry David

This is one of those simple living quotes that address the need to accept other people’s hand me downs. Years ago, money was tight for most people, and clothes and furniture were often passed down to others throughout the years. Nowadays, people often have more than they need.

Be careful accepting other people’s stuff, as it will only add to your clutter.
Make a point of not accepting anyone else’s hand me downs unless you really need them.


“Now, before I spend money I ask myself one question: Is this worth my freedom? Like: Is this coffee worth two dollars of my freedom? Is this shirt worth thirty dollars of my freedom? Is this car worth thirty thousand dollars of my freedom? In other words, am I going to get more value from the thing I’m about to purchase, or am I going to get more value from my freedom?”

Joshua Fields Millburn, Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists

Try to think about this the next time you go to the shops to buy non-essential items.


“The easiest way to combat greed is by recognizing the value of contentment and simplicity.”

Donald L. Hicks, Look into the stillness

Try to think about the things you lust after. Do you really need them, or are you just being greedy?


“People don’t realize how easy they have it these days. Most kids have never known what it’s like to go without anything. They want something, they get it. If there isn’t enough money, they charge it. We never wanted anything because we never realized we could have anything. We never missed what we never had. Things were much simpler back then, and we were stronger for it. We worked together to keep the house in order to put food on the table. We kept things going.”

Clara Cannucciari, Clara’s Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression

Today everything is instant, food , drinks, entertainment, fun , we never have to want or wait for anything.

Try to switch off from social media and spend more time living a simple family life


“You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you.”

Joshua Fields Millburn, Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists

A big part of living a simple life is to stay away from the drama.


If people around you are causing drama and making you unhappy, don’t try to change them, you may be better to change the people you hang around with!


“There is nothing more beautiful than living a simple life in this complex universe!”

Mehmet Murat Ildan

This is one of those simple quotes that advise you not to make life any harder than it needs to be!


Life is hard enough as it is. Keep your life as simple as you can.


“Everyone is attempting to buy what no one can sell.”

The Minimalists, Everything That Remains

Of course, they mean happiness. The one thing you can’t buy!


Stop chasing happiness and look for happiness within.


“There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.”

Jackie French Koller, 1948.

In this simple life quote, Jackie French Koller tells us that yes, you can appear rich by buying lots of stuff, but you can be richer by wanting less.


Try desiring less and saving your money, rather than buying baubles to make you appear rich to others.


“One of the advantages of being born in an affluent society is that if one has any intelligence at all, one will realize that having more and more won’t solve the problem, and happiness does not lie in possessions, or even relationships: The answer lies within ourselves. If we can’t find peace and happiness there, it’s not going to come from the outside.” –

Tenzin Palmo, 1943.

Tenzin Palmo is one of my favorite authors. She is an English Buddhist nun who spent 12 years alone in a secluded cave 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas; she is now a renowned spiritual leader. Her twelve-year retreat helped her to find peace and happiness within. You can read her book a cave in the snow here.

Try looking within for your happiness rather than buying material things to make yourself happy.


Smile, breathe and go slowly

Thich Nhat Hanh, 1926.

This is one of those short, simple life quotes that doesn’t need explaining.


Just slow down!


Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Leonardo da Vinci, 1452.

Leonardo da Vinci is the king of living a simple life quotes with this one. He completely nails it here with this “less is more” advice.


Try going for simplicity rather than cluttering up your space.


“Beauty lies in simplicity.”

Abhijit Naskar

Absolutely! Again the “less is more” advice is king.


“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingles Wilder found joy in the smallest and simplest of things. I was always envious of the straightforward life she lead on the homestead. Life is far more complex, busy, and chaotic these days!

Follow Laura’s simple living quotes and remember to look for beauty in the smallest of things


Now you’ve read all these simple living quotes, why not print some off to display around your home! Check them out here!

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Why not pin these simple living quotes for another day!

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