The simple fact is that the economy as a whole is always stacked against those of us born into this world without a silver spoon, trust fund and family wealth. I, for one, would love to work less and spend less. But how would I afford my rent, utilities and other living expenses? Even when I was working full time, I didn't spend my money on junk, because I was always fearful of the what-ifs in life.

It used to be that people could afford to take time off to smell the roses, ponder life and just enjoy nature. But now, everything costs so much that it takes two or even three incomes for each contributing member of a household to not feel poor.

On the other hand, if I could get a job that required me to work more than 40 hours/week in exchange for an expense account, vacations and a high salary, I would take it if only to build up my savings account and to give myself a better life. I have no children because I'm in my mid-20s so this setup would be perfect for me.

[Then again, if you think about it, there are people who work less and spend less. They're called retirees.]

Probably the best setup would be to have a choice. Those who want to work more in order to afford the good life (shopping at Williams-Sonoma, holidays spent in the Carribean) should have the choice to do without spite from those who'd rather work 12 hours a week and live in box under a tree.