Living With Less So Your Family Has More

by Jill Savage, Mark Savage

Our culture believes that bigger is better, but Jill and Mark Savage believe that being satisfied with less materially can allow you to give your family more -- emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Jill and Mark Savage, a husband and wife team who have made it on less than society says they need for more than twenty years, lay out a three-step plan for investing in the things that really matter. First, they help you identify a long-term vision for your family, and then they show you the attitudes that you'll need to adopt to make that vision a reality. They then share practical action steps to help you make small and big changes -- from organizing coupons more effectively to changing a career path or transitioning to a smaller home. Whether your goal is allowing both parents to cut back work hours and stress, making it financially feasible for one parent to stay home full-time, or simply carving out more time in the day for family, Living With Less So Your Family Has More will help you get there. Sprinkled with true stories from families who have used Jill and Mark's techniques for living richly, the Savages' honest, straightforward, in-the-trenches approach will inspire and encourage you to live well while still putting your family first.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Finance, Self Help, Money, Christian

209 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: LIVING WITH LESS SO YOUR FAMILY HAS MORE
Authors: Jill and Mark Savage
Publisher: Guideposts
March 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8249-4801-6
Genre: Inspirational/nonfiction/finance

The world we live in believes that the more we have, the better off we are. We’re striving for bigger paychecks so we can have that fancy bass boat, the big house in the good part of town, designer shoes, and our sixteen year old daughter can dress live a diva. But all that it really does is bring more stress into our already stressed lives.

But—if you have made any of the following comments, you might want to consider reading this book:

. I’m tired of living with constant stress.
. I feel disconnected from my spouse and kids.
. I want to laugh again.
. I’m earning more, but I feel like I’m living less.
. I’m tired of rushing from one activity to another.
. I wish our family could sit around the dinner table talking and laughing.
. There are not enough hours in a day.
. There has to be a simpler way.

In LIVING WITH LESS SO YOUR FAMILY HAS MORE, the Savages help families:

. Identify a long-term vision for your family.
. Show the attitudes you need to adopt to make that a reality.
. Share action steps to make small and big changes.
. Determine if its feasible for one parent to stay home.
. How to live on one income.
and more.

If you want more time for your family and less stress, then LIVING ON LESS SO YOUR FAMILY HAS MORE is a book that you will want to read. I highly recommend it to families that are looking to cut back and live a quieter life, yet one where they can develop relationships with their family. Discussion questions are included, as well as notes. $12.99. 210 pages.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is preachy, but in a nice way. I didn't realize it was preachy when I picked it up. The middle reads more like a bible study.

The last couple chapters deal with more practical subjects but it is written from the perspective of a particular couple, their family and friends. They didn't come up with anything different that my husband and I came up with. I guess I was hoping for more suggestions on places we haven't thought about cutting back. I already stopped buying paper towels a few years ago which was their example they gave of needs vs. wants (paper towels are a luxury).

[Lynnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only does this book give money/budgeting tips, it reminds the reader of God's great love and sacrifice. It is recommended to read this book with your spouse (if applicable) and discuss the questions at the end of each chapter.
There were many personal stories shared by the Savages to remind us that we all struggle in different areas but god is willing to help us if we ask. Some chapters I just skimmed and others I soaked up. Also in reading this book I found many more resources to look into.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book filled with a ton of great information. It definetly is hard to go against what society tells us. One income families are rare and to not have daycare and homeschool is even harder. This book was a nice treat to see that people can live with less and learn important lessons with their children and get quality time with their family. They did talk on coupons and I always love that! This is a must read for any mom and especially and family considering downsizing and living on less.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was fine. Happily, our family is already doing a lot of the things in this book. There were a few times that I shared stories or ideas with my husband, but most of the time that was because we had experienced almost the identical thing and I found it bizarre.

We are 6 years into "living with less", but this would be a good book for a family thinking about cutting back, going to one income, or just getting ready to have a baby.

[Sienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is entertaining and helpful, but I honestly think that it would not be fun to live like they recommend. They are excellent writers and I do believe that living with less is great, but I also think spending some money to have fun as a family or to have convenience/save time once in a while is OK too.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. It will affirm families that choose to have one parent at home as well as give families great ideas on living more simply and building better relationships.

Loved the last quote from G.K. Chesterton who said "There are two ways to get enough: One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less."

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so bad. It was written by a husband and wife of kids that just want to share some words of wisdom on what works for them. They admit they failed at the college thing for their first kids in being totally unprepared. They admit they are not experts, and added scripture here and there. I just didn't get anything new out of this book and couldn't take it seriously.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it discussed so much more than money. It hits on all the things you gain when you don't live for a paycheck. My biggest take away was having more margin in my life. And more intentionality for the things that matter. And to not over schedule myself just because I don't work outside the home.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good ideas but I found it very repetitive. Maybe that's because we're already doing a lot of things the book suggests and I don't need to be convinced that a simpler life is a happier one...Overall I enjoyed it.

[Jennifer Sawyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not what I was expecting. It was about putting your faith in God and that's it. No helpful hints on how to live with less and the more is family time. What if you have that already and you still need to know how to live with less. Not very helpful for me.

[Sheri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing new here. If you're already living a somewhat frugal lifestyle, you probably already know all these strategies. Although I like the Christian perspective of the book, I actually much preferred Simplicity Parenting, a secular book but with more fresh ideas.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors shared an insightful perspective on the trade-off between time and money in their lives. They chose to live with less money, so that they could spend more time together as a family. It's a refreshing view with some tips to help you decide what trade-offs to make in your own life.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the information in this book was nothing new to me, but it was presented in a way that was encouraging. There were a couple of ideas that I plan on implementing in my family as we continue the practice as a "less is more" family.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay read, a bit heavy on the spiritual quotes for my personal preference. Nothing earth shattering -- but a nice boost to my already frugal ways. Skimmed a library copy over the course of a lazy summer afternoon.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had good points its the how to that usually gets complicagted because it is unique to every person.

[Tweller83 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all what I was thinking. All about leaving it up to God to plan for future and living in the current. Not that it is bad, just not what I was expecting.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have ever read. Great for helping to get your priorities straight when trying to provide for your family on a limited income. Makes the focus on God not the income.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good common sense stuff. Helped me to focus on what's important and remind me of what's not.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am living most of what is preached in this book. My income necessitates this. However, I did learn a few tricks and found some great websites that will help in other endeavors. Thanks!

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I put it down bc of the religious assertions.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great practical ideas and principle.

[kaiielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly can't remember exactly why I didn't finish this book. Probably because I thought it was "meh". Super disappointing.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took lots of notes while reading this book. Jill and Mark Savage share real and practical mistakes and solutions that inspire me to purge unnecessary stuff from my life and home, so that we can live more responsibly and set better examples for our kids. They think outside of the norm, like living without paper towels (gasp!) while advising about what things (especially insurance) you truly need. They incorporate ideas from other reliable resources and cover all areas of living. A great resource and read!

[Hayley Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very encouraging book for women and men that that place their families as their priority! It really lifts up the Titus 2 woman! The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because they use the Message translation for the Bible which is not an accurate translation. So I recommend looking up the verses sited in the ESV.

[Ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has practical tips for simplifying expenses and is encouraging in shifting from a 'more is better' to a counter-cultural 'less is more' mindset.

[Sanz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book proved one thing to me: I'm a frugal person. Most of the recommendations for simplifying life are things I already do and it made me feel like we do a pretty good job of stretching each dollar and having a lot of fun and lots of experiences on a budget.