Lighten Up: Love What You Have, Have What You Need, Be Happier with Less

Organizational guru Walsh (Enough Already!) coaches readers in dealing with psychological clutter tied to money and finances so they can live thrifty lives that are also liberating, pleasurable, and rewarding. In a book brimming with case studies, pop quizzes, letters from Walsh's fans testifying to the joys of living with less, and exercises probing what readers want from their financial lives, careers, and relationships, Walsh says we must discern our wants from our needs so that the overpurchasing of goods and services doesn't just consume our energy and bank accounts but also our happiness and our chances of achieving peaceful lives At the crux of this book are three audits designed to instigate life changes: a financial audit combined with assessments of the physical junk filling our homes and the emotional junk causing tension in our lives. Throughout, Walsh challenges readers to face not just the physical clutter overwhelming their homes but also the psychological underpinnings to their habits and attitudes, to confront family members, and to establish tough boundaries within the limits of their family's means. Although the advice is familiar, motivated readers will find plenty of helpful tips to jump-start their self-transformations. (Jan.)