For me, it started with not buying junk food at the grocery store. I knew it was bad for me for so many reasons and decided it was time. After a few initial cravings, I didn't miss it at all.

This led directly to a reduced salt and sugar tolerance. Fast food and frozen meals I once enjoyed were now so salty or sweet, so I started cooking more at home.

Finally, this amplified the taste of fruits and vegetables and I gravitated away from other less healthy choices.

Now a few years later, I've saved a tonne of money, feel less tired, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are better, and my complexion is clearer.

Did you make any smaller choices that led to a chain of improvements in your lives on your simple living journeys that we should consider?

I'm not much of a media consumer, and when I am I find Youtube channels better exemplify the simple living lifestyle (plenty out of Japan). However, every once in a while I stumble upon characters or plots in mainstream media that resonate with my simple living values. Years ago, I truly enjoyed the film Under the Tuscan Sun (though the book was vastly different and superior). More recently, I have been enthralled with the television series Somebody Somewhere.

What series or films do you enjoy that best encapsulate your simple living ideals?