My 1998 Toyota Camry needs a new catalytic converter. How long can I drive it before it becomes a serious prob?

I have a 1998 Camry V6 and the check engine light just came on. The car needs a new catalytic converter. I just want to drive it for another year and then get a new car. Will any serious problems arise if I keep driving it without replacing the catalytic converter?|||Depends on if its clogged or not, but with the engine light on you will not get an inspection sticker in any state. So if you don't want to fix it then you may want to consider a different car sooner.|||Your fuel economy will suffer. A bit of info though: if the car's exhaust smells like rotten eggs the CATCON is dirty and can be cleaned with cat cleaner (link below). I've used that and it works. Otherwise, the "catalyst" code could also indicate a bad O2 sensor. If you drive long enough with a bad O2 sensor, your cat will become dirty and smell like rotten eggs.|||If your converter is plugged, it will restrict engine power, but if you have flow through the converter, it will not harm anything aside expelling an excess amount of co,nox, and hydrocarbons