Simple Money, Rich Life: Achieve True Financial Freedom and Design a Life of Eternal Impact

by Bob Lotich

Overview

INSTITUTE FOR CHRISTIAN FINANCIAL HEALTH BOOK OF THE YEAR • A hope-filled money guide to increase savings, earnings, and giving and actually enjoy it all while designing a life of freedom and eternal impact, from the founder of SeedTime Money.

Broken down and stranded 1,000 miles from home with only $7 left in his bank account, Bob Lotich had reached his breaking point. He was stuck in a dead-end job, living paycheck-to-paycheck, and overwhelmed by debt. Bob had been following the world's advice with money and this was the fruit of it. In desperation, he cried out to God for wisdom, for a different way. The answer was a simple four-part formula, one based on timeless biblical principles, and, most important, it worked.

After applying this simple formula, Bob discovered that his financial stress melted away and he finally felt fully in control of his money. As he continued to follow the four steps, he paid off over $400,000 in debt, reached a personal goal of giving $1 million by age 40, and achieved a level of financial freedom he never dreamed possible. 

In his casual and approachable style, Bob (along with his fun-loving wife, Linda) shares everything he learned about achieving true financial freedom, including:
 
  • How to create a money system so you can spend less time and get better results
  •  The One-Category Budget: get 80% of the results with 20% of the work
  •  The four keys to earning more in the digital era
  •  How to automate your way to financial success in less than 10 minutes
  •  The secrets of a six-figure giver
  •  Three credit card rules that banks don’t want you to know
  •  How to save $100s each month while still buying what you love
  •  And much more!
 
Whether you are doing “fine” or are in a financial crisis, the included 21-day kick-start will leave you with specific action items to guide you to success. You can have financial security, peace, significance, and eternal impact. Let Bob show you how to reimagine money as it was meant to be: simple.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593193655
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	361,281
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

For the past 14 years, award-winning blogger and podcaster Bob Lotich, CEPF® has been a trusted voice for Christians wanting to find financial freedom the way God intended. He has shared timeless wisdom and practical strategies with more than 50 million readers, listeners, and students through his blog, online courses, and SeedTime Money podcast. Bob and his wife, Linda, live in Franklin, Tenessee, with their three children.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

The Battle Is His, but You Have to Show Up

For the past few years, four simple words posted on my office wall have served as a constant reminder of God’s role in the challenges I face:

The battle is His.

About 3,000 years ago, the people of Judah had three separate armies coming to wage war against them. They were vastly outnumbered, and they recognized their weakness: “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Judah knew they couldn’t win this battle alone. So they turned to God.

Then the prophet Jahaziel spoke up, saying, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ ”

He continued, “Tomorrow march down against them. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

Did you catch that? God required the army of Judah to march down to the battle line. If God was going to fight the battle for them, then why couldn’t they just sit inside the walls of the city, where it was comfortable and safe?

Yes, the battle was the Lord’s, but they had to show up. The same is true of your financial situation—the battle is the Lord’s, but you have to show up.


Let Him Fight Your Financial Battle

I know firsthand how discouraging it is when you’re looking at massive debt, insufficient income, or never-ending expenses and feel like you’ll never be able to overcome it.

I remember looking at my mountain of debt and thinking, I’m never going to get this paid off. Then I compared that with our tiny salaries, and it honestly felt hopeless. I mean, it seemed like there was only about $50 left at the end of the month. It seriously looked like it would take 30 years to become debt-free.

But here is the thing. Our God is in the business of freeing people from bondage. I know that includes the bondage of sin, but I’m convinced it also includes financial bondage—especially debt.

Let me share a secret with you. You want to know what testimony I have heard more than anything else from our SeedTime community? It goes something like this:

We had [a huge amount of debt] that we wanted to pay off. When we looked at our income, it looked like it would take us [a crazy amount of time] to get it paid off. We felt discouraged and wondered whether our effort would even make a difference. But we prayed and felt God leading us to do [an unconventional thing that we thought wouldn’t help at all]. But we decided to obey His leading. As we did, we saw the debt paid off way faster than we ever dreamed possible. We have no doubt this was God’s doing.

This is our story too. As we took steps and trusted God to do His part, we experienced miracles and watched our mountain of debt disappear within about three years.

No matter how big your financial challenge is, the battle isn’t yours. The battle is the Lord’s. But you have to show up. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because it’s His battle, He won’t require you to do something. And often that something has to be done before you see the miracle:

•Jehoshaphat and Judah had to march down to the battle line against a far superior army before God delivered them.

•Moses had to walk up to the Red Sea and stretch out his staff before it parted.

•The disciples had to begin distributing the food before it was multiplied to feed the 5,000.

If they hadn’t acted on their faith, do you think those miracles would have happened?

God is bigger than any financial problem we face, but we have to be willing to step out in faith to see the miracle. Oftentimes that step of faith is a natural step that allows God to do the supernatural.


How to Outrun a Chariot

I once heard Pastor Chris Durso preach a sermon with some insightful commentary on an easily overlooked verse. In 1 Kings, we see Elijah do something pretty crazy. “The Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.”

Elijah outran a chariot, but before he did, he tied up his cloak. If God had given him supernatural speed but he’d been tripping on his cloak the whole way, he probably wouldn’t have outrun the chariot. Elijah took the natural step so the supernatural thing that God was going to do wouldn’t be hindered.

God wants to do the supernatural in your financial life, but what steps are you taking to allow the supernatural to flow unhindered? King Jehoshaphat and his army had to march to the battle line in order to see the miracle. When we take the natural step while prayerfully asking God to do the supernatural, we open the door for the miraculous.

Could it be that some of the practical steps laid out in this book are going to allow God to do the supernatural in your life?

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Introduction xi

Part 1 Save All You Can 1

1 The Battle Is His, but You Have to Show Up 7

2 AUM: The Second Most Important Metric 11

3 The Never 100 Rule 19

4 Attention: When Performance Is Measured, It Improves 25

5 Automate: Never Depend on Willpower 33

6 Adjust: If You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging 38

7 Accountability: Make It Hard to Fail and Easy to Succeed 45

8 How to Spend More on What You Love 51

9 How to Spend Smarter (and the Bubble Taurus) 60

10 The Hidden Experiment We're All Part Of 73

11 Our Three Rules for Mastering Credit Cards 82

The Kick-Start: Part 1 88

Part 2 Earn All You Can 93

12 Money Is a Terrible Master but a Great Servant 104

13 Four Keys to Earning More in the Digital Era 111

14 Calling and Passion: Fish Don't Climb Trees 116

15 Education: Keep Learning and Honing Your Craft 125

16 Solve a Problem or Make Something Better 131

17 Demand: Give Them What They Want 137

18 Quit Living as If the Purpose of Life Is to Arrive Safely at Death 142

The Kick-Start: Part 2 154

Part 3 Give All You Can 159

19 Everything I Thought About Giving Was Wrong 164

20 Why We Began "Giving Our Age" 173

21 Giving Is like Gardening 179

22 The Dancing Gorilla 186

23 Secrets of Six-Figure Givers 192

24 Net Given: The Most Important Metric 198

25 Four Tips to Make Giving Easier and More Fun 206

26 The Butterfly Effect 216

The Kick-Start: Part 3 219

Part 4 Enjoy It All 223

27 Enjoy What Progress Actually Looks Like 227

28 Enjoy Spending 233

29 Enjoy What You Have 237

30 Enjoy Rest 244

31 Enjoy It All 248

The Kick-Start: Part 4 250

The Final Step to a Rich Life: The 1% Challenge 255

Thank You for Reading! 259

Bonus Resources 261

What Should You Read Next? 262

Acknowledgments 263

Notes 265

Editorial Reviews

In Simple Money, Rich Life, [Bob’s] giving away all the tips, tricks, and tactics he’s employed to personally overcome $400,000 in debt and hit his own generosity stretch goal of giving away $1 million. This book is full of big steps made in faith, and it’s also full of practical actionable advice to help you reach your own financial goals.”—Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of Win the Day

“Bob is uniquely gifted to take a topic (money) that most tend to find overwhelming and actually make it simple. If that isn’t unique enough, he (with Linda’s help) delivers the lessons with grace in a non-judgmental tone that leaves you gently challenged, excited, and inspired with your finances.”—Carlos Whittaker, author of Enter Wild

“Some books are exceptionally helpful; others can totally change your life. Simple Money, Rich Life is the latter. Bob Lotich will guide you through each step on the path of reaching true financial freedom. Buy it. Read it. Apply it.”—Chuck Bentley, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries

“Are you frustrated that it feels like you are always behind financially and every time you make some bit of progress, there’s another emergency that sets you back again? This book will teach you how to not just survive but thrive . . .”—Crystal Paine, New York Times bestselling author and founder of moneysavingmomdotcom

“Simple Money, Rich Life is approachable, yet packed with biblical inspiration, timeless wisdom, and fresh strategies and tactics that can help you create a truly rich life.”—Patrice Washington award-winning host of the Redefining Wealth podcast

“Bob succeeds where other financial gurus fail: he tells you not only what to do but how precisely to do it. And he does it all in a way that is centered on Jesus and his gospel. Highly recommended!”—Jordan Raynor, bestselling author of Redeeming Your Time

“Effective money management can sometimes feel like a daunting prospect, but this book is the perfect balance between principles, practical strategies, and inspiration, with actionable steps you can start applying right away.”—Ruth Soukup, New York Times bestselling author of Living Well Spending Less

“Bob and Linda see money and generosity through a completely different lens than most. I admire them greatly. Their authenticity, depth of wisdom, and heart to advance God’s Kingdom are deeply inspiring.”—Joshua Becker, founder of Becoming Minimalist and author of The Minimalist Home

“Within these pages lies the blueprint for you to move from merely surviving to thriving financially. The practical wisdom that you will learn will propel you to take action and experience the peace that comes with proper financial stewardship.”—Talaat McNeely, CEO of His and Her Money

From the Publisher