Peddling a more relaxed lifestyle

Nicola Young urges people to get on their bike and save money, get healthy and reduce personal carbon emissions. Photo / File

What would you do if you won a million dollars? Shift to Auckland and buy a run-down villa? I don't think so.

This week another frustrating housing-related news story showing the sale of a rundown, three-bedroom villa in Grey Lynn for more than $1.2 million, while our beautiful, renovated, three-bedroom villa languishes in the crowded Whanganui real estate market for nearly a million dollars less.

But living in provincial New Zealand means not only financial savings, there are huge time savings.

When we lived in Perth, I used to spend an hour each way travelling to the city for work.

Now I work from home, the commute is a tumble out of bed into the dressing gown, plonking myself in front of the computer and phone.

So let's say that's at least two hours a day, five days a week I have back in my life for spending with my family, doing community work, writing this column or dealing to Mount Foldmore, the never-ending laundry pile. Multiplied by 52 weeks, plus a bit extra for travel during weekends, I'm easily saving about 600 hours a year of what was largely unproductive time.

More time, of course, means higher quality of life and I was taken with a recent article on The Guardian website talking about a new book out entitled Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery. In talking about making cities work for people not cars, it highlighted two studies that showed benefits in the most important currency, happiness.

A Swedish study quoted said that people who had a daily commute of more than 45 minutes were 40 per cent more likely to divorce, while a Swiss study said that workers with a one hour commute would need to earn 40 per cent more to be as happy as those who could walk to work.

Now I don't really sit at my computer working in my pyjamas - only because I have to leave the house to take my kids to childcare - but seems to me shifting to the provinces could be part of a plan to help people get more life in their lives.

I love the days that I can walk my son down to the wonderful Wanganui East kindergarten just around the corner from home. Walking with him leads to crazy conversations as he shares his 4-year-old view of the world with me.

This week I was back on my bike, a birthday present for a mum who's going to attempt to keep up with her growing sons.

It was fantastic and, even though I'm not fit, I enjoyed the rides. It's been easy for me to fall into the habit of jumping in the car when the trip's a bit beyond a practical walking distance, so being forced to bike because the car was at the repair shop reminded me how good it feels.

Being on my bike reminded me of another news article that said while breakfast for children is one of life's essentials for being ready to learn, a study showed that exercise was even more critical for concentration.

Getting your kids on bikes and walking to school is a simple and cost-effective way to feel good and have a little peaceful time getting around instead of jumping in the car and facing the current battle of wills to get Mr Two into his carseat.

Talk to other parents about setting up a walking school bus roster where you can take turns at collecting the neighbourhood kids and walking together if they're too young to walk alone.

And for our Auckland cousins - shift to Whanganui and bring your business and set up in our affordable real estate (or persuade your boss to let you work from home like me).

Not only is this lifestyle good for your pocket and your mental and physical health, it's also good for the environment.

Every simple act each of us takes to reduce our personal carbon emissions counts. Don't feel guilty that you own a car - just find ways to use it less as it all makes a difference.