When Enough is Enough

Posted bythefrugalfightPosted inUncategorized

I have enough. 

Enough of everything.

I decided this seven years ago.

I have shelter. I have food and clean water. I have clothing. I have the necessary suite of insurance products. To me, everything else is a luxury, a bonus, the icing on the cake.

This epiphany led me to freeze my standard of living in 2012. Raises and promotions came. My lifestyle stayed the same.

It’s the gift that keeps giving.

Retirement savings? On track. An emergency fund? Check. A growing education fund for my daughter? Uh-huh. Debt? Gone. Financial security? Absolutely.

I credit the freeze. If my amazing wife and I could live on $48,000 seven years ago, we can (with an adjustment for inflation) live on that amount today. 

Fancy cars? Nope. Just two used Honda Civics. Fancy house with a foyer? Nope. Modest digs. The newest gizmos? No thanks. I like to see how long my tech can last. My phone is going on five years. The T.V. just turned 10 (happy birthday, T.V.!).  I hope to get another seven years out of our Hondas. (Walking to and from work every day should help the cause.)

What’s enough for you? Have you already crossed that threshold? 

Might you consider a similar freeze? What would life look like if you weren’t as beholden to the system? 

I think you owe it to yourself to at least toss the idea around.

5 thoughts on “When Enough is Enough”

  2. My wife and I before we got married took a class as a gift to each other on financial planning and debt reduction. In the years we paid off a huge amount of debt due to poor choices in our prior lives.

    We also learned how much clutter and possessions we accumulated. Being seriously disciplined we recycled, reused, donated and gave away items that we really did not need and did not have room to store.

    When we prioritized and focused on those things that are honorable and good we found ourselves much happier and less stressed about daily life. Yes we are a privileged class and some say deserving. However, we are challenged each day to recognize how much abundance we have, food, security, health, and companionship.

    We too have cars with 230K +miles each with no intention to replace soon, just regular tune ups. We chose to eat locally grown which does cost more but we waste less. We also support local businesses that are BIPOC owned and managed; we have so far too come with equity for all.

    Thanks for echoing this out. To recognize at an early age that we can control what we consume before it consumes us. So much happier with less stuff, that we are.

    DL&LB

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    1. Duane, you are an inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing! In the future, I will be writing more and more about the intersection of frugality, environmentalism, charity, and ethics.

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