“Enough is a fearless place. A trusting place. An honest and self-observant place.”

Why it was said

Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez write this in Your Money or Your Life (1992), in their discussion of the Fulfillment Curve, the point at which more spending stops adding satisfaction. The passage defines "enough" as a state of mind as much as a sum of money.

What it actually means

Most people never decide how much is enough, so the target moves with every pay rise. Robin and Dominguez argue that this is less a question of arithmetic than of fear: the fear of falling behind, of missing out, of not being safe. The three words they choose describe what changes when enough is defined. Fearless, because a known target ends the open-ended race. Trusting, because it accepts that life will not be secured by accumulation alone. Honest and self-observant, because finding the point requires tracking what spending actually brings, which is why the book asks readers to record every unit of money that comes in and goes out. Enough is personal and changes with circumstances; the book's claim is only that it exists and can be found.

How to use it

1. 1Write down the monthly amount that would cover your needs and a few real comforts, and compare it with what you spent last month.
2. 2For one month, after each non-essential purchase, note whether it added to your satisfaction a week later, and look for the point where the answer turns to no.