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

If I had simply stopped shopping for a year, I might have learned a lot about myself as a consumer. And if I had simply decluttered my home, I might have learned a lot about my interests. But doing both challenges at the same time was important, because it forced me to stop living on autopilot and start questioning my decisions.

Who was I? What was I already good at? What did I care about? What did I really want in this life?

I went through five sticks of deodorant, four tubes of toothpaste, two bottles of shampoo and two of conditioner. Knowing this about myself isn’t necessarily earth-shattering, but it does prevent me from ever thinking I should stockpile toiletries again.

do only buy things when I need them, and never simply because they are on sale.

I don’t waste money on anything.

Today I consider myself a former binge consumer turned mindful consumer of everything.

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. That’s what being a “mindful” consumer is all about.

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.

going through your home and getting rid of anything that doesn’t serve a purpose in your life.

decluttering first can open your eyes to how much stuff you’ve wasted money on in the past, which can serve as motivation to not waste more money during your shopping ban.

While you’re decluttering, I suggest also taking inventory of the items you own the most of.

The Essentials List:* This is a list of things you’re allowed to buy whenever you run out of them. The easiest way to create this list is to walk around your home and look at what you use in each room every day.

think about what’s coming up during the time span of your shopping ban and figure out what you might need to add to this list.

it’s time to remove as many temptations as possible—starting with what gets delivered to your in-box.