Soukup - Living well, spending less : 12 secrets of the good life

Praise for

Living Well, Spending Less

Living Well, Spending Less is an inspiring book full of step-by-step instructions and spiritual wisdom. I love how Ruth is transparent about her mistakes as she leads us to reevaluate our priorities. This book is a great biblical guide to living well and finding joy!

COURTNEY JOSEPH, author of Women Living Well (the book) and WomenLivingWell.org (the blog)

In this book, you will be inspired by Ruths authenticity and honesty as she shares her own journey from constantly spending time and money chasing after more to discovering she already has all the makings of a rich and full life right where shes at. If you struggle to simplify your life and wish you could savor the here and now, this book is a must-read.

CRYSTAL PAINE, founder of MoneySavingMom.com and New York Times bestselling author of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

Ruths book inspires, motivates, and comforts at the same time. Her book is about far more than saving money; its about learning how to be content and satisfied, regardless of your financial situation. It made me wish Ruth lived down the street so I could meet her for coffee and a chat.

STEPHANIE NELSON, founder of CouponMom.com

Ruth Soukup knows firsthand how mamas like us live crazy busy lives, and she steps in as a friend to help us manage and love every minute of it. In Living Well, Spending Less, Ruth offers her best tips for gaining control over the chaos with wisdom-based insights on all things thrifty and family. Ill be reading it again and again and recommending it to friends who long to live and love the good life that God has for them!

RENEE SWOPE, bestselling author of A Confident Heart (book and devotional) and Proverbs 31 Ministries radio cohost of Everyday Life with Lysa & Renee

It doesnt take more than a trip to Target or a glance at People magazine for me to come face-to-face with my own insatiable desire for more. More beauty. More designer clothes. More gadgets. More happy. But, as Ruth Soukup discloses through her signature honest and down-to-earth style, more will never make you and me full. But heres the good news: The life you crave is far closer than you can imagine. Ruth will show you how to get there.

MICHELE CUSHATT, speaker and author of Undone

Living Well, Spending Less is relatable and helpful without being condemning. Ruth takes a complicated, emotionally laden issue like spending and makes it seem possible to come to terms with whats keeping us stuck both in our finances and in our lives.

EDIE WADSWORTH, author of Coming Home and blogger at Lifeingrace

Ruth Soukup has learned contentment does not come with a Pottery Barn label. Every woman who struggles with wanting more should read this book before she discovers a stack of receipts and a trail of regrets. Its never too late, as Ruth so engagingly and shares, to discover that the Good Life Gods best is free.

GLYNNIS WHITWER, author and executive director of communications at Proverbs 31 Ministries

I couldnt stop reading Living Well, Spending Less. I tried to only because I had other things I needed to do but I couldnt. Rarely is there a book so adept at weaving personal story with practical tips. I found myself craving this good life that Ruth writes of a life that is possible for anyone who reads this book.

EMILY T. WIERENGA (WWW.EMILYWIERENGA), author of the bestselling memoir Atlas Girl

Living Well, Spending Less is about more than planning a better budget or maintaining an organized home; it offers tips for easing stress and improving time management. Here, Ruth gifts us with a simple yet powerful blueprint for realizing true, deep contentment with all of the good things that this life has to offer.

KASEY KNIGHT TRENUM, blogger at time2saveworkshops.com

Living Well, Spending Less is an incredible book that will teach you how to spend smart without compromising a great life. Ruths stories and practical advice will make you want to be a better mother, wife, sister, and friend. Trust me, youll be happy you read this book.

RACHEL CRUZE, coauthor with Dave Ramsey of Smart Money Smart Kids

ZONDERVAN

Living Well, Spending Less

Copyright 2014 by Ruth Soukup

ePub Edition December 2014: ISBN 978-0-310-33773-7

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Soukup, Ruth, 1978

Living well, spending less : 12 secrets of the good life / Ruth Soukup.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-310-33767-6 (paperback)

1. Finance, Personal. 2. Budgets, Personal. 3. Saving and investment. I. Title.

HG179.S55255 2014

650.1 dc23

2014011390

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with The Fedd Agency, P.O. Box 341973, Austin, TX 78734.

Cover design: Dual Identity

Interior design: Beth Shagene

First Printing November 2014

To Chuck, Maggie, and Annie thank you for always reminding me what the Good Life is really about

Contents

A life well lived is not so much about what we have but about who we are

Longing for what we dont have keeps us from the Good Life

Finding that place where our passion and ability intersect

A clear long-term vision and written goals allow us to reach our full potential

The Good Life starts with personal discipline and good time management

Lower your familys stress level by clearing out the clutter

Why stewardship matters

Learning to live within our means affects every single thing we do

The simple changes that can save hundreds at the checkout line

The best reasons for keeping a tidy house, and how to get it that way

The things we want most in life are things we cant buy

The Good Life needs to be shared

O nce every couple of weeks, I interrupt my normally predictable morning routine and drive thirty minutes south to the city of Fort Myers to do a live three-minute segment on the local CBS affiliate. Sometimes Ill share my best tips for saving on groceries; other times it will be advice on how to get your budget back on track or suggestions for some great handmade gift ideas. And every time I go on the air, it never ceases to make me pause when I hear myself being introduced as the WINK News money-saving expert.