What is it worth to you?

There is a thought that has been consistently coming to the front of conversations between The Husband and I. It has to do with marginal gain.

Here's a quick run down....

We currently drive a 2007 Toyota Corolla and a 1997 F-150. We live in an apartment. We have all the furniture we need + some. We have more clothes/shoes than we wear. We have TV, computers, internet, & phones.

What else do we need? I mean this seriously.

Would we love a brand new car? My dream is a Jag. Would I love to refurnish my home? Sure. Would I love to buy a house? Of course. Would I love a flat screen and a new wardrobe? Who doesn't love new things?

The catch is do I need any of that to make my life better? I can honestly say, without the things I own, I would find life more difficult...well, at least more uncomfortable. But does the level of "niceness" in my possessions actually make for more enjoyment in my life?

The answer for me...and The Husband...is no. For others that kind of attainment might mean more. It is a personal thing I think. However, I think all of us reach a point where we should ask ourselves, "What is this worth to me? Is the marginal gain worth it?" For some things it is. A simple example...The Husband loves Triscuts. We've tried the knock-offs and we don't feel they are as good, so we are willing to pay $3.50 for a box of crackers. Seems silly when you think of it like that, but it is something we are willing to do because it makes a big enough gain in enjoyment for us. On the flip-side, as we look at new vehicles to grow our family we debate what is more important. Space is a necessity. Reliability is a necessity. Status is an option. For us that is an option that we will probably ignore...although there are certain vehicles that I love the look of, even the ride, I cannot justify the cost to the gain I feel I will get from it. Like I said, it's a personal thing and it is different for everyone.

A major driving motivation to not grow our possessions is our love of travel and doing things. Like a lot of people we live on a limited budget and we know that we have to make choices about where our money goes. Is it more important to us to have a house or to go to Moab for Fall Break? I'm sure you can guess what our answer is.

I guess the best way to put it was stated by the salesman at Verizon this weekend. As he was showing us all the options for us to upgrade and we thought about them we realized how much we didn't need them. I don't access my FB account through my phone - on purpose to keep me from that distraction. Neither of us use our phones for calendars, email, our primary camera, etc., so why should we pay for products and applications we won't use - or don't need to use? The salesman's comment was, "Wow, you guys are not the typical American."

I'm not sure if he meant that as a compliment, but to me it was.

Listen to From Consumerism to Simplicity from the pastor at ACTS Church. His comment toward the end about enjoying things without owning them was particularly impactful for me.