by Elmo Adams

Created on: October 27, 2008

To know that one has enough is to be rich.

This has has such a nice sound to it, perhaps even a touch of meter. I feel a little breath of mysticism, perhaps from the east. Maybe from a monk sitting motionless on a ledge at 15,000 feet.

It is also totally UNAMERICAN. Does not matter if you are Joe Biden or Joe the Plumber, a right wing whacko or somewhat to the left of Lenin; if you have been in the country for over 45 minutes, you know that the U. S. is about makin stuff and sellin stuff. Always has been.

To be sure, there are times like those we are experiencing when the "makin stuff and sellin stuff" model hits a speed bump. Then we have to adjust. The following list will help you do so.

1. Go back to sentence one. Repeat it. Do some deep breathing. Assume your favorite yoga pose (I like the warrior.). Do whatever you can to make yourself believe this. It will be a little like getting Bill Maher to be a Mormon, but do the best you can.

2. Remember that there is no good price for something you do not need. Let me illustrate. I have spent a good amount of time at flea markets, both buying and selling. On several occasions I have seen vendors put items in a box and label the contents as "free." I have seen shoppers encounter these items, pick them up, examine them carefully as they would an antique that might be a fake. I have seen them walk and then return. And often I have seem them march away without the free item. So, if there are items not worth having for free, there are many, many items not worth anything to you if you do not need them.

3. Beware the thrift shop. It may be home to a fine bargain of just the shirt or jacket you need, but remember that all thrift shops are not created equal. I knew many flea market vendors that bought from thrift shops and resold at the market. They also had their lists of "thrift" shops they never visited.

4. There is also a corollary to number three. Places that we associate with high prices may sometimes have low prices. I rarely go to Macys as I don't need a 75 dollar shirt that looks much like a 20 dollar one. However, my niece recently bought an attractive pajama set from Macys for 6 dollars. Remember to see rule 2. She "needed" this as she was going on a cruise and had no nice sleepwear. Bargains exist because of the slack economy, but remember "do you Need it?"

5. Avoid the "Sale" rack. Seek ye only "Clearance."

When mother Teresa died, she had a dress, prayer book, and a rosary, She thought she had enough. You and I are not going to channel Mother Teresa, but we might give the "enough" thought a go now and again.

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