Your Money or Your Life - Chapter 6

Your life is a finite resource. Most of us trade portions of our lives for money, and then trade that money for stuff, or for the time of other people. This book is about learning to distinguish what money and the things it buys can and cannot do for you, and the externalized costs of acquiring money to acquire stuff or perceived status, or the services of others in the name of having more time.

Your Money or Your Life is one of the best known books of the Voluntary Simplicity movement, but the habits of mindfulness around money and debt that the book seeks to impart are valuable to anyone who wants to move toward financial independence regardless of affiliation with a defined movement.

Discussion will focus on the content of the chapters and on finding ways of implementing the techniques that work for each individual, and on the role of these techniques in our preparations for Peak Oil. Because money is a sensitive topic, we will not be discussing specifics of our individual finances in the group. If people want to discuss financial specifics, I'd suggest setting up small side groups with people you trust to meet outside the main book discussion meeting.