I don't think it takes a lot of wealth either. It just takes enough wealth to meet those low-level needs. A lot of people spend a lot of their money on things

I don't think it takes a lot of wealth either. It just takes enough wealth to meet those low-level needs. A lot of people spend a lot of their money on things that do not contribute to their overall quality of life and happiness. We can do with less if we are not interested in one-upping everyone else. A simple car (and only one if possible), a simple apartment in a safe community, basic food, etc. don't take a lot of wealth to maintain. What is required though, as the original author points out, is changing the expectations we have in life. Why replace a working stove? Why is it that important that you have a new one? When I rented out my house, yes we replaced the stove but that was because the oven heating element had failed, and it had other problems. We felt that the move to a self-cleaning oven would be a good thing for the renters. Do more with less, and the rest takes care of itself.