E110 Annie Raser-Rowland on a life of less work & more (frugal) hedonism. Summer days throwback 2023

Annie Raser-Rowland is the co-author of two of our most treasured books; The Weed Forager’s Handbook and The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More. Annie is an artist, horticulturalist and adventurer who has a knack for thwacking you with the truth -- in the best possible way.

If you don't know this marvellous lass, that's probably because she keeps a pretty low profile online, preferring to spend her days in a state of sensuous connection with the world, pursuing everything money can't buy. And she has some excellent tips for helping you do the same.

Annie and Catie cover a lot of ground in this convo, from hitchhiking adventures and weed foraging to chronic conditions, choosing life over career and controversial acts in the face of climate change.  We know we say this every time... but this one's a goodie!

SHOW NOTES

• Single parent family taught her to be independent, responsible, frugal.
• Epic hitchhiking journeys around Australia.
• Discovering different ways of having fun that don’t cost money.
• When hitchhiking becomes a form of talk therapy.
• Attention as a practise.
• What to do when Monkey Mind takes over and you stop seeing the beauty in the everyday.
• Humans as story-addicted creatures.
• Solistalgia — when you’re nostalgic for where you are.
• The rate of change in modern society and how that disrupts a sense of place, belonging.
• How to plant yourself in new places. 
• The sensory pleasure of the weather.
• Weather makes landscape and landscape makes culture.
• The origins of her love of weeds.
• Plant-filtering laser eyeballs that seek out food.
• There’s food you can eat that has zero environmental impact,  beyond homegrown veggies.
• Writing a novel in celebration of non-utilitarian, fruity, hyper-abundant language.
• How a cancelled hike led to a quirky storyline.
• How to orchestrate a life in which time and adventures are plentiful.
• The beauty of turning down requests (even when they’re super impressive).
• The conscious choice not to have children.
• Giving work the flick in favour of life.
• How a chronic health condition has affirmed her choices and priorities.
• "I’d rather not eat out, not buy new clothes, and spend lots of my time at the beach (which is what I’m currently doing)."
• Dealing with guilt about working less.
• Why keep trying to accrue more money more once you have enough?
• Protestant work ethic upbringing needs to be questioned right now.
• The ‘work’ of being a low-consumer is valid too.
• “I believe in the pattern of a society that these frugal habits are part of… and I want to perpetuate that.”
• Controversial tips for changing the world.
• Amazement as a tool for appreciating ordinary objects; being less wasteful.
• It’s a novel time. The rules are now different. Having children being the norm can no longer be part of the status quo. 
• Drive less! Use your car if you would hire a car to do that thing, otherwise, find a different way.
• Good times with human beings is not something to be lazy about. 
• Cultivating the skill of conversation. 

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE

The Weed Forager's Handbook ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb
The Art of Frugal Hedonism ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb

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