Parenthood and the Work-Spend Treadmill

Over pancakes on Sunday morning, I read my husband a portion of a story in The New York Times called "But Will It Make You Happy?" The piece begins with the tale of Tammy Strobel, an unhappy California project manager earning $40,000 a year, who felt stuck on the "work-spend treadmill." She and her husband, both 31, began giving away what they own, and moved to Portland, Oregon. They shed their cars and $30,000 in debt, and now live in a 400-square-foot apartment; he is finishing his Ph.D....