"A study by Dr. [[Thomas M. Power]] at the [[University of Montana]] states that only 10 to 15 percent of the money [[Americans]] spend on goods and services is necessary for survival. You don’t need to eat filet mignon to be healthy, you don’t need to live in a four-thousand-square-foot house to be sheltered, and you don’t need a pair of $100 surf trunks in order to go in the water. **People spend the other 85 to 90 percent of their money for upgrades in quality. They’ll pay extra for the added value of a pound of filet mignon over a pound of hamburger, even though either one would meet their nutritional needs**." ([Location 1466](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01A6EQFZ8&location=1466)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[frugality]], [[essentialism]], **Source** -- [[20250423082057 - B - Let My People Go Surfing]]