My attitude to materialism is more along practical lines than spiritual. I don't so much detach from materialism so much as put it in context and give it balance.

Rory made a good point about the heirarchy of needs, although we are not in what is a generally accepted definition of well-off (technically my DP is a low income earner), we don't want for anything, our desires are in context to our capacity to achieve them.

There are many things that I would like, but not at the expense of the lifestyle I live or of being comfortable with my ethical choices. I love to cook, so a fully decked out kitchen with modern appliances would be great. I love film and media, so a custom built media room would really allow me to enjoy an immersive experience. But I couldn't afford any of these things without making a lot of compromises to the way I live and work and to who I am, and they would not provide enjoyment relative to what they would cost (not just in financial terms). So an object needs to fulfil a specific and tangible purpose and not just be illusory desire for its own sake.

So sure, I have 'stuff'. I have a good surround sound system and a Hi Def LCD TV, because it optimises the experience of watching a good film. I don't have it for its own sake, I have it because it fulfils a purpose. And it will continue to be used until it is no longer capable of fulfilling that purpose, it won't be replaced just because something newer and shinier comes along.

As an example of this, although I can appreciate that an iPhone has many useful features, I am just as happy with my cheap pre-paid Nokia because all I need to do is make calls, an iPhone has no practical value for me.