Henry David Thoreau Quotes

Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.

Real freedom is having nothing. I was freer when I didn't have a cent.

He is not poor that hath not much, but he that craves much.

I'm happy without money.

There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means - either may do - the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier.

I always tried to live my life as though nothing changed. People would say, 'You can have a Rolls-Royce'. I'd say to that, 'What do I want with a Rolls-Royce when I can have a Volkswagen or a bike?' Some people get carried away with the juice.

The more you learn to live without, the more you'll have to live with.

The greatest wealth is to live content with little.

A small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.

He is rich enough who has no wants.

That man is rich whose pleasures are the cheapest.

I've lived very well all my life, even when I had no money, and there's very little I can't afford.

Money makes life easier but I don't want to be rich, not at all.

By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich.

To have what we want is riches; but to be able to do without is power.

Security depends not so much upon how much you have, as upon how much you can do without.

My material life is simple.

Work hard, earn a great living, get whatever you want out of life, have all the stuff you want. But there should be a ceiling on it-enough is enough!

Me, I don't need money.

What would I do with money? I have enough for my needs. I don't want any more. If I had a lot, I would have to care for it, worry about it.

The older I get, the less I need. I wear the same jean shorts for the whole week. I'm not running to the store to get the latest bag.

I drive one car. I own one house. That's enough for me.

I don't need a whole lot.

Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one's self?

I don't need to amass a ton of wealth for myself.