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

Whether it’s these experiments or the shopping ban, I still hear some people’s concerns about how a ban feels too restrictive. While I understand how easy this is to worry about, my advice is always the same: Remember that all you’re committing to is slowing down and asking yourself what you really want, rather than acting on impulse. That’s it.

One of the greatest lessons I learned during these years is that whenever you’re thinking of binging, it’s usually because some part of you or your life feels like it’s lacking—and nothing you drink, eat, or buy can fix it.

More was never the answer. The answer, it turned out, was always less.

simply become a more mindful consumer.

Before you get started, I would encourage you to spend some time thinking about one thing: the reason you want to take on a challenge such as this in the first place.

I used to buy things for the ideal version of myself.

Remember, your ban should be unique to you.

I suggest unfollowing all your favorite stores on social media.

No matter what your ultimate goal is, you are going to save money by not shopping.

Here’s where mindfulness comes into play. When you feel the urge to shop, sometimes texting a friend and asking them to stop you isn’t enough. You need to pause and consider everything that’s happening in your current environment. How do you feel? Did you have a bad day? Where are you (and what brought you there)? Who are you with? And what justifications are you telling yourself? Any/all of these things can be part of the trigger that urges you to buy something, and spotting them is extremely important so you can ultimately change your reactions.

The more we share, the less that goes into the landfill.

If you think, This sucks, then you’ll probably end up going on a binge. But if you say, “This item is great but I don’t need it,” and choose to appreciate what you already have, my guess is you’ll never go back for the items you pass up on.

What do you really want?