The following mantra comes from Mary Hunt, who offers a debt-proof living newsletter and, separately, household hints. I have written about her before. Her solutions are numerous and involved and meticulous and if you followed them you would have mad money and no life.

Mary says the following eight words are the secret for living below your means: Buy what you need; want what you have. That's it. Those eight words can change your life forever. They are eight words that point the way to contentment.

I have no doubt that if I were truly poor, I would benefit from the above and be okay with it but I have a follow-up bit of advice. Any discipline can be overdone. You can indulge yourself now and then and be happier for it.

Mary goes on to enumerate the thousands of ads for stuff we will be happy without if we can only reorganize our wish list to, basically, nothing.

She says we will be content if we can look at our sorry-ass sofa and dance a jig or sing a cheerful little song.

My advice to Mary is "take two aspirin and call me in the morning.”

xx, Teal