This week I heard on the news that the cost of the average car/SUV/truck sold to individuals has risen to $50,000. That’s right, $50,000.

In order to afford the monthly payments, car loans are now available for 7 or 8-year maturities.

Is a new vehicle really worth enslavement to 7 or 8 years of monthly payments?

Enslavement? Yes. Sometimes things go wrong with our income, or we face major expenses that we can’t predict. Then what? Major additional stress.

How will we get to work? How will we provide transportation for the kids’ activities? How will we readily have access to everyday basic needs? Drive to job interviews?

Wouldn’t it be simpler to take an attitude of being thankful for what you can easily afford, rather than buying an expensive vehicle or adding expensive features that aren’t really needed (although they might be nice)?

Example: Leather seats get hot in the summer and cold in the winter, prompting people to also buy heated and cooled seats. Think of the thousands of dollars saved by having cloth seats instead. Not only is the charge for leather gone, but cloth eliminates any need for heated or cooled seats. For those who are concerned about the environment, cloth seats are also more environmentally friendly.

Another example: What about the wheels? Large extra-cost wheels with more narrow sidewalls cause a rougher, bumpier ride. Smaller wheels having tires with wider sidewalls are able to absorb more of the road’s roughness. Hitting a pothole with larger wheels is more likely to damage the wheel, because a narrow sidewall can’t absorb the impact of the bump very well. So why not have a smoother ride with lessened chance of damage to the wheel, by using the standard size wheels? Buying new tires for smaller wheels is a lot cheaper, too.

“But I deserve this.” No, you don’t.

Be grateful for what you have and be a lot happier. There are billions of people who wish that they could live as well as you do.

My dad always taught me to buy a car that I could pay for with just one payment. “Don’t live beyond your means.” While I always wanted to keep that rule, I haven’t always able to do it.

But I try and over time, I have been able to do it for my last four cars. They have all been basic models with very few options. But they have been very reliable, and I have enjoyed owning and driving them for many years.

I owned them — they didn’t own me. This was especially helpful during the times when I was unemployed. Not having as many monthly payments helped me to be fussier about the new jobs that I chose to accept. There wasn’t as much time pressure forcing me to take a job that I didn’t want.

Most likely, you can’t pay for your car in one payment. But why not get one that you can comfortably pay off in a relatively short period of time? When choosing your home, make sure that it meets your needs, although it might not be all that you want. The same attitude can be applied to furniture, vacations, clothing, etc.

Don’t be a slave to materialism. Darkness wants you to be under constant stress and unhappiness.

Don’t let debts interfere with your sleep.