I am quite happy to live within my means. Just sold my modest house in a nice town to buy a modest house in the country on a couple acres and will be building my dream polebarn in the spring. Like my job, but have always tried to live so that if myself or my wife lost our job we could always live on the others income. No credit cards, low (currently no) car payments and not living to impress anyone. Live comfortable, yes. Not interested in living like a king. Never quite understood why anyone would buy some expensive house in a neighborhood when you can spend the same or less money on a decent house on some land.