Reply #17: This has been my approach, too.

[susanna]

It is not easy going, as you mention.

I am learning quite quickly to do without. My friends and family think my husband and I are crazy because we live in an urban (blue!), less-expensive neighborhood than the ones we both grew up in.

Our house is paid off; our cars are 10+ years old, still running, and free (no payments); we have no credit card debt, and we try very hard to take care of ourselves health-wise. We save as much as we can.

Because of all this, we are "freaks" to our "consumer" families. We have decided we could care less. ;-)

edited for grammar