What is a simple life?

I live in a city that never stops working and country that is obsessed with spending money. Everything always has to be newer and better. I feel like this keeps moving me further and further from God and the path I wish to be walking. Despite all my desires to get out and do some good in the world, I can't even make time to volunteer for 3 hours a week because I can't get away from work. I've grown tired of saying that this is temporary, that once I finish (well, start and finish) my masters in social work, then I will be able to get out there and walk the path of Jesus.
All of this has led to feeling (for a very long time) that I need to give it all up, run away to Africa and become a missionary. However, since that is clearly not a viable reality, how do I reduce the amount of "world" in my life and increase the amount of God?
I hear a lot these days about living a simpler life, and on the surface, that sounds great to me! Tell me more!! Sign me up now!! But what does that mean? Off the top of my head, it's meant getting rid of all my stuff, moving to a commune or other ways of limiting my interaction with all the things that create space and walls between me and God. So, as any avid reader would, I search for "Christian simple life" on Amazon. The best hit I came was a book called "The Simple Life" and I was actually able to find it as an e-book! (See link at right) So I thought, I have the tools, so let's get down to reading this and get on with my simple life.
So now I've read about a quarter of this book, and it is quite powerful. Most interesting in how the author takes all of my ideas about how to simplify and says yes and no to them all at once. It's really great because it puts in all in perspective, the right perspective - Seek first the kingdom of God, and all else will come to you. I can see the traps for myself though already - great! I don't have to stop buying clothes, shoes, books, etc as long as they aren't more important to me than God! I'm falling into a trap already.
It feels like the right answer, but at the same time it feels like more questions. I doubt I'll fewer questions by the time I finish the book. But that's the way of God, so simple we're too human to get it. Thank God for grace.