I'm not very materialistic. I realized that many years ago. That's one reason I'm able to get through life on a fairly low income. Money has never really motivated me (oh sure, I'd like more money, but I don't need more money), and I've never been very good at managing it. Just ask my now ex-wife. She loved to shop, buying new toys all the time. I hate to shop, and only buy something when I need it. She "needed" a new car every 2 years. I drove my old cars until repairing them was no longer an option (the last 4 vehicles I owned all went to at least 300k miles before I gave up on them). Currently, I live car-free because I don't need a car. It's a choice I've made, primarily for environmental reasons, but also for economic ones. A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends offered to give me a truck absolutely for free. I turned it down. I don't need it, and I don't want to spend my money on gas, insurance, etc.I don't own (or want) an iPod, HDTV, or state-of-the-art computer. When I'm buying clothing (which I hate to do), I look for functionality rather than style. Then I wear it until it becomes worn out. The same for appliances. I've been using the same coffee maker for 14 years, and since it still works I don't have any urge to replace it.
The only exception I make is for river gear. There's a whole lot of "stuff" that I desire in river equipment. But I make due with old gear, and only buy what I can afford. If I won the lottery (which is highly unlikely since I don't play the lottery-otherwise known as a tax on people who don't understand statistics), there's a boat and a ton of accessories I'd love to own.
And I would love to travel more.
What bring this all to mind is the current economic turmoil. While I don't pretend to know what's going to happen in the future, all the signs I see look bad. The falling dollar, crumbling housing market, federal deficit, and generally weak infrastructure just aren't sustainable. Something has to give, and a lot of people are going to get hurt. I know many people who have accumulated debts in the pursuit of more "stuff", and their anxiety is palpable. There's a sense of being on the brink, waiting for the fall.
Which brings me to a simple point. If our economy tanks, I'm in a better position to weather it than a lot of people. I don't have much to lose, and a lot of experience getting by on next to nothing.
