The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store

by Cait Flanders

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 realised that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy, she decided to set herself a challenge: 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, petrol for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides
shopping. She decluttered her flat 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 realised 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.

• ISBN10: 1401954871
• ISBN13: 9781401954871
• Publish Date: 16 January 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 29 June 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Hay House Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 216
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Initial thoughts: Going into this book, I had no idea who the author was (the blogger behind blondeonabudget.ca before she rebranded). I'd simply logged into Overdrive and searched for new ebooks on minimalism. Cait's memoir caught my attention. I'm glad I got to listen to her narrate her audiobook. In many ways, that stage of her life reflects my own right now.

While I'm not in debt and I've never been drunk or been into partying, I am at a point where I'm wondering what I want with my life. I spent 2017 paring back a fair bit of my belongings and am a lot more mindful about what I spend my money on. Reading about someone who was on a year-long shopping ban put a lot of things into perspective. Quite a fair bit of things to think about.

[adamfortuna]

I've been reading Caits blog for longer than I can remember. Before the finance community was something I knew about, Cait's approach to heartfelt stories about minimalism and consumption was what drew me to read more. This book dives deeper with a narrative that winds through a difficult year.

Going much deeper into personal stories than I expected, the common thread is a story of growth – both towards having less stuff, but also for better understanding what leads to happiness. Editing down a life to focus on what matters is no small undertaking, and many of these stories have inspired me to look at areas of my life that could use a little editing.