A Simple Choice : A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity

by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Book Overview

The number one complain of people today is the lack of meaning in their hectic lives. In her second book, A Simple Choice: a practical guide for saving your time, money and sanity, author Deborah Taylor-Hough addresses societal emptiness and the personal search for contentment. With an aim toward returning to emotional replenishment using clear, concise and uplifting examples, A Simple Choice not only examines the futility of keeping up with the Jones'...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891400495
• ISBN13: 9781891400490
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

The Personal Search for Contentment in a Materialistic Society

Do you sense that life is going by and you're not really living it true to yourself or your personal convictions? If so, you may be suffering from spiritual bankruptcy...While we can't ever free ourselves fully from all of life's demands, we can discover a sense of balance in our lives. Or we can identify ways to shift between the two extremes - finding a time and a place in our lives for contemplation, and then alternating that with other times of busyness and distraction." ~Deborah Taylor-Hough In order to simplify her life, Deborah Taylor-Hough had to rethink her entire lifestyle. With five children and medical bills that loomed over her, she made some tough decisions that required her to put away her pride and look more realistically at how she intended to survive. Her courage is inspirational and the decisions she made showed that her priorities were her family and her commitment to her belief system. If you are dealing with a lack of meaning even with great wealth or societal emptiness despite an elegant lifestyle, this book takes a look at survival on the edge of bankruptcy and a search for contentment in a less than materialistic lifestyle. If you long for a life of contentment, it may be a life of simplified choices and a life where family becomes more important than keeping up with every other family on the block. While this isn't as far as building your own house or "Walden Pond," it is a realistic view of life and how to avoid falling into debt by taking practical and necessary actions like avoiding the temptations at malls or not watching certain channels on TV. Deborah Taylor-Hough is a beautiful soul who has written a very practical guide for women who want to find a new balance in their lives. She also gives advice about tripling many recipes and freezing meals for the future (see her cookbooks), like before you give birth to a baby or know you are going to go through a time of stress. There are also recipes for making your own instant coffee mixes and homemade dry onion soup mix. Now I know why one house had closets that were scented with cloves - it keeps away moths. If you have children you may enjoy the recipes for craft dough, soap crayons and homemade paper crafts. If you want to refresh your laundry or even make your own laundry soap, this author has the recipes. I have used her recipe for Spa Milk Bath, but I also use essential oils. I found that sea salt is relatively inexpensive at a health food store and even the addition of oatmeal in a cheesecloth bag and buttermilk can make a completely wonderful spa experience. This book encourages you to be happier with less possessions and more quality family time. When you remember your childhood, what are the happy things you remember? I remember running around barefoot, swimming in African rivers and eating lemon meringue pie. I didn't care about the size of our house or the clothes I wore. I remembered the freedom to enjoy life and how my mother taught me to make

Fantastic! Warmly written and great ideas.

Since this book just arrived, it seems somewhat premature to be reviewing it already -- but it has already proven well worth the cost. I absolutely love the gift-giving chapter, filled with incomparable ideas for giving wonderful gifts from the heart that only a Scrooge wouldn't love, but that won't break the bank.Same with wonderful ideas for holiday traditions, decorations, etc. Although I have not yet had a chance to try them, the recipes for making your own mixes (both practical and suitable for gift-giving), cleansers, etc. seem especially good. I havn't even gotten to the chapters on saving money and cutting costs yet, but am already thrilled with my purchase. I love it!

A Simple Choice is Simply Excellent

A Simple Choice is a great book to read whether you are just starting out on the road to simple living or you consider yourself an expert. Debi puts her heart and soul in this book. She doesn't tell you to do this or do that. She tells you "this works for me." I have read almost every book about living the simple life and Debi's is one of the very best.

A Simple Choice

I would wholeheartedly recommend A Simple Choice to anyone on the road to simplicity. It is definitely a must-read. Taylor-Hough never assumes to tell anyone what "their" simplicity should look like, rather she inspires with creative ideas and her own experience. Her perspective isn't one of preaching but sharing. Reading her book was like having a conversation with a good friend--I didn't want it to end! The book's title is perfect: to be able to choose a simple lifestyle deliberately and purposefully is the definition of contentment and makes for a wonderful life. And it is a wonderful life, right?

A Simple Choice: A Practical Guide

This book is an excellent primer for those being introduced to the concepts of simple-living and for those, like myself, who are avid practioners. The book provides a reflective introduction to the concepts of simplicity,interspersed with personal anecdotes from the author, practical tips,and an excellent appendix which provides other sources for more research into the area of simple-living. The inclusion of tips,hints, and recipes makes this an excellent home resource guide. Many of the tips are geared towards families, but any of them can be adapted for those single or child-less households, and do not diminish the value of the concepts presented.