Muddling through.

What's the difference between:

1.) Having money and spending it.

2.) Not having money.

3.) Having money but not spending it?

Oh, all the difference in the world, right? I mean, in reality. Silly question.

Then, again. I wonder? On a day to day basis, does it really matter so much? In fact, the more you winnow it down the less it means. Hour to hour, you aren't even thinking about it.

If you don't have money, you don't spend it. So your car goes a little longer without oil changes, you live with two lightbulbs in your lamp instead of three, your shoes get more scuffed.

If you have money, you do the oil change, you have all three lightbulbs, and your shoes are maybe a little less worn. So does that really affect the quality of your life that much? Life is a process of entropy. Everything you buy new gets older, starts to fall apart. It's just a matter of how far along the cycle of decay you are, and, really, most of the time, a car that has lost half its value drives just as well as a car that's lost a quarter its value or three quarters of its value.

Really, on a moment to moment basis, does it make that much difference?

The third option, having money and not spending it, has even less effect. Maybe a little peace of mind, but even there -- hey, now you have something to worry about losing....

O.K. I'm not delusional. I know it makes a difference.

But sometimes, I wonder if it really makes a huge difference UNLESS you have lots and lots of money; or conversely, very, very little money.

For instance, you live in a house that's: a.) mortgaged to the hilt; b.) paid off; c.) a rental.
Hey, you're living in that house, and you're not thinking about whether it's partially paid or fully paid on a moment to moment basis. You're reading, or fixing dinner, or watching T.V. or whatever.

Money probably makes the biggest difference on the extremes. Not having money to pay bills, obviously, is a very big thing. Or having the money to buy anything you want, that would be a pretty big deal.

But for most of us, muddling through life? Our quality of life, our mood, our attitudes -- are going to be affected in subtle ways. Or in ways that you can't point to any one moment in time. Getting preventative health care, for instance, or a well-maintained car -- you don't really notice the problems you don't have, you know.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I have low expectations. Having a big house, a fancy car, doesn't impress me all that much.

Pretty muddled post, I know. I understand that money makes a huge difference in people's lives...but for most of us, in the middle -- assuming you have enough, whatever that is, and that's a huge assumption -- I wonder if it makes as much difference as all that.