I live in a rural neighborhood and work part-time and my life is pretty darned simple. My closest neighbor is out of sight, although I can vaguely hear mild traffic sounds now and then. Mostly, I hear birds and the rustle of squirrels. I do have to drive a bit. The closest circle of civilized life is, I guess, Walmart - 10 minutes away. I like this article, but I believe consumerism is the crux of the problem and the suburban lifestyle amplifies the learned addiction to buy, buy, buy. I recently moved to a less expensive house with more overall space and I'm focusing on maintenance rather than expansion. The size of the house often dictates how much stuff gets stuffed inside it. I do have an insanely large yard, but I'm limiting myself to 2 bird statues. The rest is rocks, gravel, mulch and the beautiful forest. I do not miss suburbia or the city.