You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Perhaps it is the time we are going through which made me pick up this book which has been there in our shelves for quite some time. It’s a memoir of how the author embarked on a journey of downsizing her life which eventually culminated in a lifestyle where she has been able to “Buy” happiness. It was a journey of consciously letting go of material possessions and a mindset that eternal growth of possessions is the only sign of progress and in turn happiness.
Although her story and journey is very radical, definitely hard to be replicated even in her world, and down right impractical in our part of the world but the idea of living with less if well worth a try. There must come a time when you should stop yearning for bigger and better stuff. In fact the very crux of the book is quite close to what the spiritual thought process of East strives to preach. If we buy less “stuff’ , to have that high of getting something new, we buy ourselves more financial stability, less debt, more time with people, less distraction all of which culminates, albeit bit by bit, into a feeling of content. So full marks for the idea and anecdotes which compel you do adapt your own lifestyle.
Here are some golden rules or micro actions Tammy proposes, which will help you downsizing your life.
- Use your credit cards sparingly or cut them up
- Create a spending plan and obviously eliminate non essential spending
- Let go of stuff you don’t use, take care of yourself and not your stuff
- Declutter, live with less
- Devote time to your passion and prioritize how you spend you time
- Single task because multitasking is for computers
- Differentiate between what you need and what you only want
- Spend time with your loved ones and communicate
- Do something kind everyday
- Take pleasure in small things
- Above all always be curious and keep learning
There is a lot of value to a simpler life – one that focuses on small acts of kindness, developing social connections, expressing gratitude, being mindful, and even purchasing a few tiny pleasures