Do you like Ramen noodles?

[Lesley Resnick]

I keep running into articles about people who live an extreme austere life styles and do not work full time. (I call dibs on idea for the reality show featuring that life style).  

I do not want to eat ramen noodles 6 days a week and drive a 25 year old beater.  I like to eat in restaurants and buying something if I want it.  The notion that I (we) are just puppets to media and the american team and should live under a rock so we do not have to work seems over the top. 

My goal as with many people on this site is to develop enough passive income to that on Jan 1, I know all my fixed expenses are covered.  In the mean time I do not want to live a life of self imposed impoverishment, then someday to live the same life with out a regular job.  

I am not advocating being frivolous and wasting money, but to spend all my time finding ways to save a few pennies, seems counterproductive to enjoying ones life.

Am I missing something?

How do others see this?

What is your plan?