A house, a cat and a blanket …

Author, felt artist and award-winning book designer Toyoko Sugiwaka has been creating art pieces for the last 20 years, first of wire and now crystals, beads, feathers and mostly felt she makes herself from sheep’s wool. She lives in a Sydney harbourside suburb with her cat Keats. A minimal consumer (both from necessity and through choice), Toyoko lives well within her weekly grocery budget of $50 (Keats’s food budget is a little higher). Her latest book, on making felt animals, is called Pass Me a Smile (Murdoch Books, $29.95rrp). Sage caught up with Toyoko when she visited gorgeous Bundeena this week.

Best tip for eating well?
Toyoko: Cook for yourself. I have lots of time so can cook slowly and with enjoyment. I eat the traditional Japanese macrobiotic way and try to balance yin and yang foods. Mostly brown rice and vegies, sometimes with seaweed, soybeans and, occasionally, chicken. I prefer to cook at home as food is tastier and healthier (cheaper too) than eating out.

How do you save money?
Toyoko: Before I buy anything, I always ask, “Do I really need this,” and 80 per cent of the time I don’t.

What fun thing do you do for free?
Toyoko: I enjoy having nature around me so I take my lunch and go sit in the park or go to the beach and swim. I can’t do this in Japan and it’s so easy to do this in Sydney.

What’s your way to contentment?
Toyoko: I have learned not to say, “I’m poor”. Now, I say, “Thank you for everything”. I have a house, a cat and a blanket to keep me warm – I have everything I need and I am grateful. And, gradually, my life is changing for the better.

How do you live well with less?
Toyoko: I try to cut the desire for expensive things. It’s hard when I go back to Japan as there are so many nice things. I also see people who have lots of money and are not happy so money’s not the answer.

P.S. More wise words of the week (yes, it’s EF again and he’s on the money as ever) '… consumption is simply a means to human wellbeing, the aim should be to obtain the maximum wellbeing with the minimum of consumption … The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. Modern economics on the other hand considers consumption to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity.' E.F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful.