shopping == materialism?

Ok, I wouldn't go that far, but the article does bring up certain points about what is it that we really need in daily life? I hate to admit it, but I do agree with the author that TIME is what's wasted when we try to shop for the better deal or try to "save a little $" by price comparison..

remember, TIME == MONEY, but $$ can be earned and increased, but TIME is GONE forever!

So maybe I should free up my life by living a simpler lifestyle...



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Quotes from the article

Get off the spending treadmill

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The benefit to your bottom line

The best part of not keeping up with the Joneses isn't just financial, Levine says. Although she did pay off almost $8,000 in credit card debt, she felt that the main gain she experienced was in her personal life.

"One thing about not buying stuff is that you end up with a lot of time," she says, pointing out that even shopping online is a time drain. "Once you have more hours on your hands -- you can give more time to people," she says.

Ducking out of consumer life also gave her a much-needed sense of calm about money. "It gave me a sense of control and optimism about my financial future," she says. "I learned that by not spending so much money I wasn't sacrificing a full or happy life."

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"You not only learn what you can live without but what you really want to spend your money on."