Our experiment with sharing a snowblower with our neighbor has not gone perfectly (he doesn’t believe in following the directions which has led to mechanical failure), but oh well, we saved $800, so I figure we’re still ahead.

Ms. Robin, thanks for a great read. I enjoyed your book very much and am looking forward to semi-early retirement based on its lessons!

Thank You, John DeFlumeri Jr.

please visit me too!

The way I see it , until I am a millionaire, any way that I can get by on “less” money, the richer I am!

So, in addition to trying to increase my income in any way that I can, I also try to “spend less”. I think there is a distinction between this and “saving money.”

A quick exmaple, we have cut waaayyy back on eating out, even though we love it. The reason why?? Because we feel that a little frugal living now will go a long way towards getting us to the point when we can eat out whenever we want to and not worry about it.

In adding to that, once you realize what you REALLY need versus what you really WANT… you start to see the things that bring you REAL happiness.

If more people understood that, I think we would lose our attachment to stuff.
*Jared

Ms. Robin’s and Mr. Dominguez’s book, along with Amy Dacyczyn’s The Tightwad Gazette, was a powerful catalyst in changing my philosophy and behaviors regarding money. Please know that you are an inspiration and have changed my life for the better!

Its an honour to read your words and I wish to express my heartfelt thanks for ‘Your Money or Your Life’ which has truly impacted my way of thinking. I am a part of the middle-class from India, the so called third world. I had seen my previous generation, less out of compulsion but more out of cultural conditioning, lead a life of sharing with friends and relatives. Our generation, although materially advanced, seem to have lost this crucial skill. We’ve gone nuclear- both as a nation and as families.

The path/program laid out by you is simple, yet profound.

Once again, thank you.

But the part that interested me most was the idea of sharing resources. I already do that on a limited basis, and it’s a real God-send, but it’s worth doing it more now that someone has put a label on it!

It also gets me to thinking, how much of the high cost of living people complain about is inherent in the classic suburban lifestyle?

We live in single family, detached houses, drive on a one-person-one-car basis, increasingly live in small household units (singles, couples with no kids, or one or two only), and “need” to heat, air condition, fertilize, paint and otherwise maintain and support all of that elbow room that “we can’t do without”.

I’ve known people who live as Vicki describes, and it’s my sense that they’re happier than most people because they’re pursuing a lifestyle, not a standard of living.

The key is the ability to recognize the difference between the two.