When you go through the hard times you appreciate so much more what you have. We lived on hamburger and pasta and not even the jars of spaghetti sauce. That was too expensive so it was cans of tomatoe sauce with some spices thrown in. Those huge tubs of oatmeal went a lot further for the same or less than packaged cereal. We once sold my junker of a car to a junk yard in order to get the money for rent.
I don't like debt and the stories I read at a couple of credit boards are scary and I think how do those people sleep at night who have so much debt hanging over them? Living within your means isn't always fun.
I've come a long way too but I still save everything I can and it's tough sometimes but being single there is no one else to share the load and no one is going to take care of my retirement but me.
The simple pleasure of sewing and creating something with my own hands is as satisfying and makes me as happy as more expensive persuits.