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You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap)


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Have you heard of Tammy Strobel’s You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap)?

It’s a book she just released today.. I just got my copy on Amazon a few minutes ago. In this post you’ll get to read my thoughts, notes, and highlights while reading the book. In it, Tammy tells the story of how she and her husband went from a normal life, to living in a tiny house on wheels with almost no stuff. You can buy it now and read it instantly on your Kindle in moments.

Here’s the book description that’s published on Amazon:

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 more conscious and connected, sustainable and sustaining, heartfelt and happy.

You Can Buy Happiness (and it's Cheap) by Tammy Strobel

Get your copy of You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap) now on Amazon.com.

Here’s what other authors are saying about her book:

“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

Get your copy of You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap) now on Amazon.com.

Some of my Highlights and Notes from Reading

– “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is a spiritual experience of living every moment with love, grace and gratitude.” ~ Dennis Waitely

– Interestingly, the more we gave away, the better we felt. Happiness researchers call this a “helper’s high,” in which helping others through volunteering or giving reduces stress and releases endorphins.

– The idea of living with less goes by several names and movements; a few are the simple living movement, the small house movement, voluntary simplicity, downsizing, and minimalism.

– Living with less is a life philosophy; it’s not about the number of things you own.

– “Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Norman MacEwan

– ..materialistic people hold very high expectations for what their stuff can or should do for them. In short, materialism distracts us from two main facets in life that actually make us happy — strong relationships and doing work you love.

– ..there is no “one size fits all” approach to living simply.

– ..the stuff you own owns you.

– ..even if you know what’s best for you, it can be hard to act on that knowledge.

– ..it took five years of shedding stuff and three moves to get where we are today, which is living in a 128-square-foot house on wheels and loving it.

Get your copy of You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap) now on Amazon.com.

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 8 comments… add one }
  • Stephen
    September 23, 2012, 8:14 pm

    Just got this in from Amazon,looking forward to reading it 🙂

    • DaleD
      October 4, 2012, 7:32 pm

      I just bought the Kindle edition and received it on my iPhone Kindle reader. I’ll be spending the next week or so reading it.

      P.S. Stephen… check your inbox on the other forums.

  • sesameB
    September 24, 2012, 10:53 am

    Thanks for the ‘heads up’ on this book. I will borrow it from my local library or request a copy via the local univeristy.

  • Dixie Hacker Hurley
    October 4, 2012, 8:43 pm

    I’ve not yet read Tammy’s book, but do plan to do so. Though I have in my life experiences lived with an on practically nothing an on a lot at different times throughout my life. I raised my two children on practically nothing, an you know as I’ve told many people before, they now remember some of our worst financial times when I could not buy things for them at all, as , well pretty Mapuche the happiest times of their childhoods. Because though we did not have things , I thought them we did have each other, an our love for each other, an family an friends who loved us, an whom we loved. An we always learned spiritual values togather as well.

    We participated in things of our community, an gave of ourselves where av how we could, an we spent a lot of time togather, an I always had their friends over as well. Not so much now, but when my children were young .t.v. Dinners used to be quite cheap, an I never fed them T.V.dinners very often . But about once a week usually Saturday nights I’d let them stay up late with me after I got home from work at ten p.m. An we’d have what we came to call out midnight T.V. Dinner party. It was just myself an my two children when we’d do this, an they would get to stay up late with mom, we’d have our dinners, an just talk, visit , laugh an have fun with each other as a family.

    Wed usually sleep in the next day, or if we went to church which we often did, we’d take a nap after church the next day togather too.
    Everyone sprawled out all over the living room floor couch , easy chair or wherever we landed. Then we’d have a nice Sunday dinner, often by ourselves, sometimes at an older neighbors who mothered an looked out for us all . But, my children remember these times as the most meaningful an happiest of their growing up years. An to the outside observer, we really had little to nothing.
    Yet to us we had everything. I’d say it does depend to an extent on the curcemstanses an on wht kind of reson you are, etc. But for the most part I’d say we’re really happier an better off as people if we done allow excesses to rule our entire exhistance an overtake our lives. An I think it’s really important for children to learn that people an love are far more important than things. An how they learn that best is when we show them that in how we ourselves live.
    I’m in the process again in my life now, of getting rid of many things, an the more Ive been able to get rid of so far the better I’ve felt about myself an my life.

    Thanks, Dixie Hacker Hurley.

    • October 5, 2012, 9:28 am

      Thank you so much for sharing Dixie!

  • Shauna Gerke
    October 4, 2012, 10:19 pm

    I just finished reading Tammy’s book and I admire her ability to recognize what I’m only beginning to. I have started getting rid of my “stuff” and was greatful to see it took her several rounds to declutter her life; I was feeling overwhelmed at the thought of doing it all at once.

    We have started building our own “tiny” (265) house. I am looking forward to being debt free!

    • October 5, 2012, 9:26 am

      Glad you’re getting a lot out of the book Shauna and thanks for sharing. Congratulations on starting to build your own tiny house!

  • Devon
    October 5, 2012, 1:57 pm

    I hope I can get this through our library; we’ve been downsizing drastically for about two years, now, and aren’t finished by any means. Would you believe we still have two storage units (yes, you read that right – TWO)? We hold onto things, hoping to recoup some of what we paid for it, but meanwhile, we’re paying for the storage unit rents, and no one is buying right now. So next weekend, I’m taking my daughter over to them and saying “here, take what you can use”. Then, the rest goes, as we are able to release it. I’m not kidding you – it’s hard at first – especially when you come from parents that surround themselves with stuff in order to feel shielded from the world. It’s ok, tho – we all do it at a pace that’s comfortable for us, and that’s key. We currently live in a 780 sq ft. mobile home, which we’re fixing up. We have a garden and lots of flower gardens and are in a nice, small community. But we will probably downsize yet again, house-wise, as we’re getting older and don’t want the upkeep of even this size space. I’m thinking something along the line of a 12×20′ place, as I “have” to have a studio!
    Alex, it’s a big service you and others provide who write about and promote the Tiny House movement. Thanks so much and please keep the great ideas coming!

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