If you figure out money, life is incredibly easy. If you don’t, life is insanely hard. You don’t need lots of money. But you do need enough, and be able to deal with it.
The simplest way is low overhead and no debt. People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom because it’s hard freeing people from the chains they revere.
Not needing wealth is more valuable than wealth itself. The late NYC street photographer Bill Cunningham treated his independence fiercely. He said “Once people own you, they can tell you what to do. So don’t let ’em. If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do.”