Barack Obama Quotes

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 am totally unattached to material items.

Man falls from the pursuit of the ideal of plan living and high thinking the moment he wants to multiply his daily wants. Man's happiness really lies in contentment.

The American dream is a crock. Stop wanting everything. Everyone should wear jeans and have three T-shirts, eat rice and beans.

I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind.

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.

There's no great desire to own lots of stuff - and I don't. You can only live in one house and drive one car.

I'm not a big consumer at all. I'm very happy with enough.

I know I've been lucky, but I'm not very materialistic - I don't believe in collecting many unnecessary things and I'm not into girlie shopping.

I'm really not a materialistic person.

I have no use for eight houses, 88 cars and 500 suits. I can't eat but one steak at a time. I don't want but one woman. It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth.

It is possible to invent a house still more convenient and luxurious than we have...but shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes to be content with less?

Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing.

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

The Quaker upbringing was not strict, but it was frugal. Extremely frugal. One was always encouraged to give away one's worldly goods.

Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.

I'm not an extravagant man. The fact that I can have a coffee out whenever I want still makes me feel grateful.

My customer isn't wrapped up in labels and money.

Money is not everything. We don't need billions and trillions of dollars.

If you want to be happy, live discreetly. Does that make sense in English?

I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.

I live a pretty simple life.

I really don't require a whole lot in life.

To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not.

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