We live in a modest home that meets our needs. It’s easier and less expensive to maintain than any of our previous homes. 我们一家现在生活在一座刚好能满足我们需求的大小适中的房子里。与我们之前的房子相比，它更容易打理而且费用更低。

My family and I like to travel to see different parts of the country. 我和我的家人喜欢到全国各地去旅游。

So rather than purchase a vacation property we rent one wherever we want to go. 我们并没有选择买一个度假屋而是在想出去旅游时随时随地租。

The concept of renting instead of buying certainly isn’t new, but it used to be thought of as an option for people who didn’t have money to buy things. 租房而不买房的做法并不新颖，但这曾被认为是没有经济能力的人的选择。

I say that even if you have money to purchase something, always consider renting as a first option. 我认为，即使你的经济能力允许你买某样东西，你也应该把租作为自己的第一选择。

This is one of the wisest ways to not only live a simple life, but also to live within, not beyond, your means. 这不仅是让你过上简单生活的明智之举，还不会让你被经济所困。

When you do have money to spend, ask yourself: 当你有足够的钱花时，你应该问自己：

Do I really need this? 我真的需要这件东西吗？

Will this purchase add more complexity to my life? 买这件东西会不会增加我生活的复杂性？

What kind of time will I have to invest if I do make this purchase? 如果我买了这件东西，它会占去我哪些时间？

Does this purchase come with any hidden emotional energy investment that I may regret later? 这件东西会不会需要我付出一些以后会令我后悔的心力？

More often than not, you will find that the purchases you’re considering will cost you much more than the price tag leads you to believe. 很多时候你会发现，你所想要买的这件东西会让你付出远比它标价高的代价。

As your income and success grow, I encourage you to keep things simple and put an emphasis on saving and giving, not on spending. 当你收入增加、越来越成功知识，我建议你过简单的生活。注重节俭和给予，而不是消费。

And remember happiness doesn’t come from the accumulation of things. 还有请记住，幸福不是从积累的东西中来的。

It comes from being satisfied with who you are and the pleasure you get from the relationships and quality of life you enjoy. 幸福来自于你对自己的认可，来自于你的人际关系和生活质量给你带来的愉悦感。