one of the unfortunate facts of modern life is the number of hours we work. In most jobs, the 40 hour week is no longer enough; Overtime is both expected, and quite often Unpaid. This is the life that almost EVERYONE faces. Work is what calls, and almost everything else (hobbies, family, holidays) comes in second place. Work is the call, and Money is the Master.
This is Modern Economics; the facts of the High Consumption Society. Here are a few ‘essentials’ that did not exist twenty years ago:
1) mobile phone contract ($50-$100 per month, depending on the model ie iPhone)
2) broadband connect ($50-$100 per month, depending on bandwidth usage)
3) cable ($30-$60 per month, although with the net, many ppl are opting out of cable. But in many places it is still de facto)
4) high energy costs – almost year by year, energy costs (electricity, gas costs for car) have been rising)
these extra work hours and the 2 income family generate money … but this money gets spent straight away. We earn more, and also spend more. The biggest casualty?
FREE TIME
we work, we have goodies, but paradoxically, we have less and less time to enjoy what we have. We have toys, we have Overtime, but that elusive goal of Peace of Mind and ‘A Balanced Lifestyle’ …. these things are totally missing.
this is the Modern Life, this is the Modern Reality. it takes a deliberate choice to break away from this default. But it is possible. I myself have downsized by choice (first to 4 days a week, and then to 3), and I enjoy the slower pace of life, the free time to create. Life is good for me 
But this has been a conscious choice, and it means I have few material things. No big holiday, no expensive tech toys. Just a simple, straightforward lifestyle. It works for me!
we all have the Choice.
ggw
clevercelt
“comfort is no longer enough, people want luxury” occidental individuals should be encouraged and educated to understand their needs not their wants. External materialism is futile.
JeD Chan
Thanks. This posts makes a lot of sense.
I also, personally, is experiencing this. It seems like 24 hours is just to short for a day nowadays. Perhaps in my own opinion, it is the emergence of new technologies.
I felt like I’m walking in two worlds: the real world and the cyberspace.
At day, I go to work and manage our own business. And at night I report for my blog, which I also treat it very professionally. then I sleep at 2am and will wake up at 8am.
Hmm..perhaps the solution we all need is to discipline ourselves and have a good time management.
Cheers!
JeD Chan
jedikelly
More stuff costs more money costs more time. Personally, my family and I have downsized ourselves and simplified our life. We moved from a 2700 sq ft house and all the maintenance houses incur to a 1150 sq ft apartment – no maintenance, no yard work, no etc.
We have less stuff, we have less house, we have more time for ourselves.
Instead of acquiring stuff we are now acquiring experiences.
As far as my job, they require 40 hours a week from me – and they hate paying over time – which is fine by me. I do not need the extra $.
Kelly W. Patterson
If we would have listened to the IWW, we’d all have had a 4 day work week and 6 hour days along with a better quality of life. In fact, they probably woulda been working to lop a few more hours off of it by the time these increases started. It’s not a coincidence that the unions started declining and lost any power to negotiate that the earlier fighting unions had acquired after the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act.
slaveboi
Thank you for visiting my site, and your words of encouragement, too.
I agree, living simply might just be the answer to a lot of our problems. 
MB - UK
Well said, Kelly, I totally agree with you. This is why I joined the IWW. I recommend it to everyone (except the management of course heh)
fjpoblam
Could it be, some folks are “too lazy” to consider they’re working more than they need to work? On the other hand, if they enjoy it, who are we to judge? We can just leave it at, “Psst! Hey pard! I’m working less than you, and I like it! Try it: you might find it addictive!”
Shade Law
This is so true, we overwork ourselves for this? Crazy! Outstanding article.