We are a Welcoming Congregation. We welcome and affirm people of all ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, gender identities, family structures, sexual orientation, and faith backgrounds. View our Covenant of Good Relations.

Voluntary Simplicity

Our Purpose

The purpose of the San Diego Voluntary Simplicity Group is to touch people's lives with the ideas of voluntary simplicity and to support them in:

  • Living simpler lives
  • Making conscious choices
  • Taking care of the planet

Living Simply

The San Diego Voluntary Simplicity Group currently operates as a task force of the Social Action Committee of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego. We attract people from within the church and many from the broader community. Since its inception, over 350 individuals have attended one or more meetings. Approximately 30 individuals are active members who volunteer their time to coordinate group activities.

Living Simpler Lives

Living more simply may mean getting rid of clutter, paring down the number of activities we try to fit into a day, clearing our minds of mental clutter, clarifying our values, taking time to enjoy simple pleasures in life, identifying our passions, living a more balanced life, spending and consuming less, getting out of debt, saving money, taking control of our finances, living in a way that is friendly to the earth, or eating lower on the food chain. Individuals define simple living for themselves.

Making Conscious Choices

A simpler life comes as a result of carefully considering the choices we make in all areas of our lives. As we explore our lives through personal reflection and in conversation with others, we tap into our authentic selves and learn how to live more consistent with our values. Once we slow down enough to identify our core values, it becomes easier to shed those parts of our lives that are extraneous and do not bring meaning to life, and to focus on what matters most to us.

Taking Care of the Planet

Many of the choices we make to simplify benefit the environment. For example, when we choose to consume less or spend less, we use less of the world's resources, effectively leaving them "in the ground" for future generations and avoiding the creation of toxic waste that are byproducts of many manufacturing processes. Similarly, when we choose to drive less in order to get more exercise or to spend less money, we cause less pollution in our environment. Living simply is good for the earth.

We meet on the second Monday of every month from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, please visit www.simplesandiego.org.