Live like you want to live but some of the above posts are very sad.

Damn I was just thinking the same thing. Especially the person who doesn't take vacations. Saving and paying off things is are very good things to do, but some of you are taking things to the extreme!

Eat baby food. I get a lot of free samples as a pediatrician...

"Don't pay a penny of interest to anyone. Don't owe anyone anything."

This is the exact definition of Freedom. What a dream not to work for the banks and the insurance companies!

it's too bad a good majority of people in this country are up to their eyeballs in debt.

the luxury of no debt also means not having to worry about your credit score.

just pay cash for everything....

-Like many others here, I'll try to fix anything before hiring a pro. Sometimes it means investing money in tools & books, but it almost always pays off.

-I try to be energy conscious. Use the clothes line instead of the dryer, don't leave lights on, etc...

-I run older cars, as long as they remain reliable. My current daily driver was $6500 CAN, and I expect to get at least 5-6 years out of it before it will be used as a second "beater" car.

-I don't buy people gifts unless it's something they really want or something they really need. Otherwise, they get some homemade maple syrup or pesto. (Exception: kids)

-I try to do is buy the best quality I can afford, and then maintain it and take care of it.

-I have also cut our fuel costs to 1/8 what it used to be by running wasted vegetable oil in our car.

Have you read Ayn Rand? I'm in the middle of Atlas Shrugged right now... sounds like it's a book you might like.

I decided to refinish/polish my Fuchs myself - big mistake.

I could write a book. For example, when I was in college, I learned how inexpensive potatoes are. My mother's mother was Irish, so I'm used to eating them anyway. Ten pound bag is, what, $2...?

A current example: I buy all my sunglasses, reading glasses, batteries and plastic containers at the DOLLAR STORE. Guess how much I pay?