The above question is an interesting one. It would seem that working less and living better goes against what we have been taught about the American dream and gaining status in society. I know I was taught by my father to work your ass off and you will have a grand and fulfilling life. That is not always true though as there are a lot of variables that can come into play to screw up the so called American Dream. Many of us can live a fine line between living that Dream or having a financial disaster. All it takes in one major illness or bad luck and you are screwed.
I am a long time lurker at several frugal living message boards and enjoy reading these boards very much. I like to make frugality a game and not a burden or “poverty”. I find it interesting that a growing minority of people are bucking this tread to work more, gain more, and live better. I read many messages were people are willing to work less, live on a stricter budget, and have more leisure time. This is their American dream and they are working towards attaining that goal.
These people are doing many things to change their lives. Here are some common trends I am reading about.
1) Selling that new, high interest loan SUV or car and buying a smaller, used,
compact car with saved cash. The idea is to get rid of the interest bearing loan, save money on gas, and become more environmentally friendly.
2) Selling that large, heavily mortgaged house and buying a smaller, more
economical house that is much more frugal with many times half the former
payment. The main goal is to get it paid off as soon as possible and to
save on utility costs.
3) No longer aspiring to keep up with the Joneses. This is a big topic of discussion on many boards.
4) Finding frugal hobbies that take a learned skill and are creative. This means no
longer sitting in front of the TV or using passive things for entertainment such
as movies or expensive past times.
5) Stepping out of the consumer hamster wheel and becoming frugal and wise about all spending habits.
6) Putting all available resources on paying off credit cards and canceling them.
7) Learning what truly is a bargain or just an impulsive buy in the name of
thrift.
8) Learning to eat very well on very little money. The means fixing your meals and not eating out 4 times a week. You would be surprised at what I can buy on $55 dollars but I don’t buy pre-prepared convenience foods.
These things are recurring subjects on many of the message boards I frequent. I find all of this fascinating and would like to incorporate some of these ideas into my future lifestyle. I practice many of these things out of necessity but would like to practice them out of choice some day. I honestly think you can live better on less or at least it makes me feel better to say it. I don’t feel like such a poor bastard. lol
The only thing that worries me is what if most Americans decided to live this way? Would our economy come to a crashing halt? Could we find equilibrium in our economy where working less, buying less, and living better would work? This is a moot point as this will never happen in my life time for sure but I like to ponder such issues. I just sometimes worry that if we keep going on our present rate of consumer spending and economic growth we will all have to live this way out of necessity like me and not choice. Nothing is finite including the growth of our economy. There are only so many resources and they can be stretched only so far.
Another subsequent thought, does a lot of keeping up with the Joneses have to do with marriage, sex, and procreation? I know if you had a high paying job, large home, nice car, nice clothes, and expensive food it would make you look more attractive to a potential mate. That person would see you as a good investment into their future and their potential off spring.
That worries me about people like me who cannot afford these things. Will they ever find another mate that would be willing to live the frugal lifestyle like me? Could she see that it could be just as advantageous to live frugally and have lots of money set aside?
I do think that such a mate would be in the minority and hard to find in today’s society. It is very much a game of chance and not choice. Oh well, more food for thought this afternoon.
I will quit my incessant rambling and go get to work on a few projects I have planned today.
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