A worse kind of financial deprivation

It's hard not to overspend in December! Here's some inspiration from Amy Dacyzyn, for those of us seeking a simple and spiritual Christmas that doesn't blow our budgets:

To some, constantly cruising along at a spending level that's near the bottom of the family's cyclical income level sounds like a life of permanent deprivation. But if there is one thing I would like to hammer home, it is a new definition of deprivation. True deprivation has nothing to do with a lack of stereos, restaurant meals, flashy toys, Caribbean vacations, and similar consumer items. To me, a worse kind of deprivation is a lack of security--the constant nagging feeling that the tiniest downturn in one's income, or the smallest domestic disaster such as a blown engine or broken window, can wipe you out.

We don't place much value on this feeling of security in our culture because it doesn't have an ad campaign on TV, it's not promoted by our political leaders, and it doesn't surround us with lots of visible stuff with which we can easily impress our neighbors. But anyone who has lived without security and then slowly, patiently acquired it, knows that it's more satisfying to own than any consumer gadget.

-from The Tightwad Gazette