Jeri's quite right. Not only were people unburdened by the desire to acquire, there just wasn't that much to buy. Of course the very wealthy could indulge in new wigs, silks and satins, imported wines, rich foodstuffs and the like, but for the ordinary folk, there were few needs aside from tthe basics.

Very few people had more than one suit of clothes, beer and plainer victuals were not expensive, nor was lodging.

As for the late Victorian era, Sherlock Holmes observed that a client, with an investment of 400 pounds was quite well off.

Isn't capitalism swell? Tom