Kill Debt

That seems to be one of the biggest problems. The best way to get yourself off the grid is to actually decrease your dependency on all of those things that we are expected to buy which includes the bigger house, the bigger car, the better electronics, etc., etc. Don't ask me why, but for the longest time I just assumed that I would go from my Camry, to the Avalon, to the Lexus! And am I really getting more performance out of the car? A better engine? Better gas mileage? Or just better branding and fancier leather seats?

So Jen and I have been blessed with an increasing income the past few years. Instead of immediately filling that vacuum with more desire, we are trying to stay at the same standard of living, paying off the heavy credit card debt, and then saving the rest for higher up-front costs which we will have to incur for the land, the house, and all of the rest (solar panels, energy efficient appliances, etc).

I think it was Thomas Veblen who coined the term "conspicuous consumption." It seeks to describe that kind of consumption which doesn't arise from utility. It is wanting a Lexus not because you need it, but because it holds a certain amount of status. I suppose getting out of debt has alot to do with decreasing one's conspciuous consumption.

John