Monday, January 24, 2011

Less in the New More

Live More, Want Less
Live More, Want Less gives readers a user-friendly nonjudgmental approach to simplifying their lives. Covering themes like shopping addictions, procrastination, and more, Carlomagno's "been there, done that" approach reassures readers that greater clarity can be gained by voluntarily living with less.




The New Frugality
As a once-in-a-lifetime downturn deepens, our go-go economy has become an uh-oh economy. But as trusted finance reporter Chris Farrell explains, there’s a silver lining to this cloud: It is accelerating a trend already under way in America toward what he calls the New Frugality—a fresh way of thinking about how, what, and why we consume. In today’s economy, a “sustainable” lifestyle isn’t just one that’s good for the planet—it’s one that is based around core values and one that sustains your bank balance as well. In this friendly, approachable book, Farrell explains both the theory and the practice of living frugally. Frugality, he reminds us, does not mean old-fashioned penny-pinching. It means spending your money on quality rather than quantity—buying the best you can afford but the least you need. Drawing on his expertise as a financial reporter and his years of conversations with his public radio listeners, he provides down-to-earth, practical advice for every aspect of your financial life, including: • how to always maintain a “margin of safety” in your spending
• the frugal home: renting vs. owning
• the two best ways to save for college
• wise debt vs. foolish debt
• why giving your money away can be “newly frugal”

The New Frugality
amounts to a paradigm shift in the way we spend and save. The good news is, a frugal lifestyle is one of less waste, lower environmental impact, greater peace of mind, and, over the long run, deeper satisfaction.

The 100 Thing Challenge
An ordinary man's inspiring journey toward a simpler, more meaningful life.

In 2008, average American family man Dave Bruno decided to unhook himself from the intravenous drip of consumerism that fueled his life by winnowing all his personal possessions down to just 100 things. Little did he realize that he would be igniting a grassroots movement--soon after Dave embarked on his journey, media around the world took notice and others started to follow his lead.

A cause for pause, The 100 Thing Challenge is a response to the culture of materialism in America, one that has filled our lives with the constant and unsatisfactory desire for more. Dave Bruno offers compelling anecdotes and practical advice to help readers live more meaningfully, simply by casting off the unnecessary stuff that clutters their lives. The 100 Thing Challenge is a golden opportunity to experience the positive changes that occur as you defiantly hop off the treadmill of consumerism.

Lighten Up

It seems as though not a day goes by that we don’t think about money. We cut back on spending. We chase a bargain. We try to save more. We strive to use less credit. We worry about funding our retirement and our children’s education. Yet we continue to spend money on things that don’t matter. Peter Walsh knows that money and debt can overwhelm your life even faster than clutter, and he has a plan to help you deal with that emotional and financial chaos. Peter’s previous bestselling books inspired us to successfully evict the clutter in our homes, on our bodies, and in six key areas of our lives. But for many people, clearing the clutter suddenly exposes deeper issues—financial, physical, and emotional. Sometimes our problems are not really about the physical stuff but about the emotional fabric of our lives—from our relationships with money to our relationships with people and even how we define and find happiness.

In Lighten Up, Peter demonstrates that this reassessment of priorities is a great opportunity to examine our lives and circumstances and to make the changes necessary to focus on the things that really matter. Exploring the real source of happiness, Peter offers a clear strategy for finding the delicate balance between what we have, what we need, and what we want or feel entitled to. With three unique audits that cover every aspect of our well-being, he takes us step by step through sizing up not just our possessions and financial statements but also our thoughts, goals, use of time and energy, and even our innermost sources of tension. He then shows us how to embrace the changes we’ve experienced, set a new path for the future, and come to accept that living on less can feel—and be—so much richer.

Throw Out Fifty Things

"Our lives are so filled with junk from the past-from dried up tubes of glue to old grudges-that it's a wonder we can get up in the morning," exclaims motivator, best-selling author, columnist, and life coach Gail Blanke.

"If you want to grow, you gotta let go," is Blanke's mantra; and that means eliminating all the clutter-physical and emotional-that holds you back, weighs you down, or just makes you feel bad about yourself.

In Throw Out Fifty Things she takes us through each room of the house-from the attic to the garage-and even to the far reaches of our minds. Through poignant and humorous stories, she inspires us to get rid of the "life plaque" we've allowed to build-up there.


  • That junk drawer (you know that drawer) in the kitchen? Empty it!
  • Those old regrets? Throw 'em out!
  • That make-up from your "old" look? Toss it!
  • That relationship that depresses you? Dump it!

Once you've hit fifty-you'll be surprised how easy it is to get there-and once you've thrown out that too-tight belt and too-small view of yourself, you'll be ready to step out into the clearing and into the next, and greatest, segment of your life.

Toss, Keep, Sell

The American house is one cluttered place. Frugal folks need to get their homes in order "and" find ways to make money from the junk they no longer need or want. That's where this book comes in!

Organized by rooms of the house and tasks of the day, this book becomes a veritable clutter checklist. Each chapter in this reader-friendly guide features:

  • Cashing In: A profile of everyday people who have earned big while clearing out
  • Quick Clutter Challenge: Easy ways for you to declutter a space in thirty minutes or less
  • A Keep, Toss, Sell Chart: A visual organizer to help get every room of the house under control
  • Cash Back in This Chapter: What better way to motivate you than to point out potential earnings from one chapter's worth of tips?

You can forget paying big bucks for a professional organizer. With Leah Ingram as your guide, you'll have extra money--and a home you can be proud of--in no time!

No comments: