PG don't let money become your god. It simply isn't true that life without money is miserable and brutish -- it CAN be, but life WITH money can also be just as miserable and brutish, because the more you have, the harder you have to work to hold onto it, and the more worried you become about losing it.
I lived in a tent in a campground for 3 months when I was homeless. I had a few pieces of furniture and some treasured items like pictures and gifts from my kids in storage. Other than that, everything I owned was in my tent. But it was actually the most peaceful time of my life, because I realized through that experience that I truly had all that I ever needed, and anything else was a bonus. I had four great kids. I had friends who did what they could to be supportive and helpful. I had enough food so that I wasn't hungry, and I had a tent that kept me dry and sheltered. I was lulled to sleep by owls at night, and every morning just before dawn, the birds awakened me with their songs.
I miss that, PG. By the end of that summer I had an apartment, and that of course was wonderful because winters are cold and snowy where I live, but every spring I can hardly wait until I can leave my windows open all night long to be awakened by the birds just before dawn. It brings me back to a time when I finally realized that God had already given me everything I ever needed, and anything else was an extra blessing.
Being poor doesn't have to lead to misery, PG. I have friends who are far more affluent than I ever was or will ever be, and sometimes I feel sorry for them because they don't have time to walk through the woods to collect firewood for a campfire. They don't have time to watch an owl glide effortlessly between the trees just before nightfall. They don't have time to float down a river on tubes with their kids or save the salamanders from being squashed by cars after it rains. They have a lot of stuff in their homes but they aren't happy. Most of the time they're stressed out or completely unaware of what they're feeling because they don't even have time to feel.
Take a walk with your kids, PG. Pay attention to what you see, hear, and feel. Look for the beauty that surrounds you, and don't waste precious moments worrying about tomorrow. You don't know what the future holds so all you can do is worry about today. And if you have what you need for today, then you have everything you need.