My wise friends at Love & Logic shared this gem with their newsletter readers recently: "Yes! Sincerely joyful people understand that basing one's happiness on the acquisition of material possessions and participation in exciting activities leads to ever-increasing unhappiness and stress."

And I would like to add a corollary that I have learned in this challenge: Happiness can be amplified through feelings of financial security and competence, which can best be gained through daily practice with financial skills and intentional and consistent spending and saving practices.

The Love & Logic group's orientation is toward helping parents raise children who are assets instead of liabilities, the continued by explaining how adults should model consumption moderation:

"Do you want your kids to spend their lives searching for the pot-o'-gold at the end of the rainbow? Do you want them spinning their wheels, racing toward something that doesn't exist? If you care enough to spend time reading tips from the Love and Logic Institute, I'm sure that you don't!

As early in life as possible, start teaching them that happiness comes from having loving relationships with people…rather than things.

Because of the materialistic culture we live in, I think all of us are finding this a bigger challenge than ever. That's why it's more important than ever to do two things:

Spend loving time with our kids.

Say "No" when they ask for lots of stuff."

Easier said than done, of course, but words of wisdom nevertheless.