You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too

by Tammy Strobel

Overview

Once, Tammy Strobel and her husband were living a normal middle-class lifestyle: driving two cars, commuting long distances, and living well beyond their means. Now they are living the voluntary downsizing ? or smart-sizing ? dream. In this book Strobel combines research on well-being with numerous real-world examples to offer practical inspiration. Her fresh take on our things, our work, and our relationships spells out micro-actions that anyone can take to step into a life that's ore conscious and connected, sustainable and sustaining, heartfelt and happy.

Simple living blogger Tammy Strobel is the author of the self-published Smalltopia: A Practical Guide to Working for Yourself. She lives (in a tiny house) in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608680832
Publisher:	New World Library
Publication date:	09/11/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	918,515
Product dimensions:	5.62(w) x 8.32(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Simple living blogger Tammy Strobel is the author of the self-published Smalltopia: A Practical Guide to Working for Yourself. She lives (in a tiny house) in Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Gratitude ix

Introduction: Rethinking Normal 1

Part 1 The Paradox of Stuff

Chapter 1 Buying Things Will Not Make You Happy 9

Chapter 2 The Stuff You Own Owns You 19

Part 2 Finding Happiness through Simple Living

Chapter 3 Changing Your Relationship with Stuff 37

Chapter 4 The Power of Debt 47

Chapter 5 Sell What You Can, Give the Rest Away 59

Chapter 6 The Joy of the Small House 81

Chapter 7 Reclaiming Work 99

Part 3 Buying Happiness

Chapter 8 Time Is the Only Real Wealth 117

Chapter 9 Money vs. Experiences 131

Chapter 10 Relationships Matter, Not Things 141

Chapter 11 The Art of Community Building 153

Chapter 12 The Power of Tiny Pleasures 165

Epilogue: Love Life, Not Stuff 179

Endnotes 183

Resources and Further Reading 193

Index 199

About the Author 209

Editorial Reviews

This cheerful handbook offers the emotional and practical lessons Strobel learned while radically downsizing her living space, disposing of most of her possessions, and simplifying her lifestyle. Through her RowdyKittens blog, Strobel and her husband have shared their transition from a generous two-bedroom apartment in 2004 to the TV-free, refrigerator-free, 128-square-foot house-on-wheels parked in a corner of a friend’s Portland, Ore., yard. She makes a persuasive argument for simplification and is careful to offer advice not only to Small Living movement radicals but to anyone looking to “right-size” their life. Social relationships, she argues, should be both the core of personal satisfaction and a way to share resources. Additionally, Strobel urges budgeting for experiences rather than objects and finding ways to spend less time commuting and working just to pay for unnecessary goods.A list of “micro-actions” that anyone can do—like the “100 Thing Challenge” or the “one in, one out rule”—is offered to aid in re-evaluating one’s relationship with space and ownership. Although her personal choices may seem extreme, the environmental politics and magnitude of change Strobel asks of her reader is distinctly moderate, making this a practical book even for those who only want to live a little bit lighter. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

What do you need to be happy? It’s a lot less than you might expect. Read this book and prepare for change!”
— Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup

“One of the most important books you’ll read. If put into action, it will change lives.”
— Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less

“This inspirational guide to creating a life of simple contentment is packed with real-life stories and practical tips for finding happiness. It’s thoughtful and engaging, a road map to a postconsumer world. I loved it.”
— J. D. Roth, editor of the blog Get Rich Slowly

“You will immediately connect with Tammy Strobel’s transparent and vulnerable storytelling. As a result, you will be challenged deeply by her discoveries about money, possessions, and happiness.”
— Joshua Becker, writer of the blog Becoming Minimalist

“Tammy Strobel’s new book should resonate with millions of Americans. She has articulated what has become a movement in these changing times: simplification of our lives, less stuff, smaller living spaces.”
— Lloyd Kahn, author of Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter

“This powerful book reminds all of us that happiness is a choice and that when you choose time over money and people over stuff, happiness awaits.”
— Courtney Carver, blogger and author of Simple Ways to Be More with Less

“This cheerful handbook offers the emotional and practical lessons Strobel learned while radically downsizing her living space, disposing of most of her possessions, and simplifying her lifestyle....Although her personal choices may seem extreme, the environmental politics and magnitude of change Strobel asks of her reader is distinctly moderate, making this a practical book even for those who only want to live a little bit lighter.”
— Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher