What is the best value? Is it better to buy a single quality item or have a few inexpensive items?  One way to figure the cost is to look at cost per month over the expected lifetime of an item. If item 'A' costs $120 and item 'B' costs $60 which is the better value? If they will last the same amount of time item 'B' is a better value. However, over the life of the item if item 'A' will last 10 years the cost per month is $1. If item 'B' will last 4 years the cost per month is $1.25. Therefore item 'A' would be the better value.

Another way to look at value is your pleasure or ease of use. If every day you use it you are not pleased with the item but just putting up with it - can you call it a good value? You will remember the quality, ease of use, pleasure of use of an item long after you have forgotten what it cost.

So does that encourage you to buy the very best - on credit? NO. When you are looking at discretionary spending, to buy something that costs beyond your means you are lying to yourself that you are rich enough to afford that, or that you deserve that. But the truth is when you buy on credit you are enslaving your tomorrows for today's pleasure. You will remember the pain of paying off the debt long after you forget the feeling of pleasure of buying something you cannot afford.

A simple abundant life is one lived well within your means. A life of simple abundance includes the freedom from worry about debts and how to pay them.