WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy–only keeping her from meeting her goals–she decided to set herself a challenge:Â she would not shop for an entire year.
The Year of Less documents Cait’s life for twelve months during which she bought only consumables: groceries, toiletries, gas for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping. She decluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings; learned how to fix things rather than throw them away; researched the zero waste movement; and completed a television ban. At every stage, she learned that the less she consumed, the more fulfilled she felt.
The challenge became a lifeline when, in the course of the year, Cait found herself in situations that turned her life upside down. In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol, and food–and what it had cost her. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices, she changed habits she’d spent years perfecting and discovered what truly mattered to her.
Blending Cait’s compelling story with inspiring insight and practical guidance, The Year of Less will leave you questioning what you’re holding on to in your own life–and, quite possibly, lead you to find your own path of less.
I wanted to like it, but wasn’t what I was looking for I REALLY wanted to like this book. To give you an idea of my head space prior to reading: I’m in the mode of clearing out my possessions and transitioning into a life of less shopping and consuming; looking at this book’s cover, I was like “YEP, reading this.” Lately, I’ve really gotten into books like “The Life-Changing Magical of Tidying Up” and “Good-Bye Things”. I didn’t expect this to be a how-to (Ala Marie Kondo), but I did anticipate that it would really dive into…
To the uninitiated: trust your instinct to “buy less” and pass on this. First I’ll observe that this book seems to be garnering praise from those already familiar with the author’s blog: I was not one of those ready-made fans. Despite (or maybe because of) my lack of priming, the irony of buying a book about the benefits of buying less was not lost on me, and yet I was hopeful that the content would make it a worthy purchase. No.The most minor flaws are editorial. In the introduction, the author suggests that what follows is the stuff and story from…
This book should come with a disclaimer! When Cait first started her year-long shopping ban I thought she was just a little bit crazy. How was a shopping ban REALLY going to help her create a meaningful life? To say I was skeptical is an understatement. But after getting my hands on her book (and reading it non-stop!) I FINALLY see why she’s always challenging herself and why the shopping ban was so important for her. This book isn’t about minimalism or decluttering (although it will inspire you to pursue those goals!), it’s about…