Cait Flanders is a former binge consumer turned mindful consumer of everything. Through personal stories, she writes about what happens when money, minimalism, and mindfulness cross paths. Cait’s story has been shared on Oprah.com, Forbes, Yahoo!, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, CBC News, and more. She inspires people to consume less and live more, on her blog www.caitflanders.com. Cait lives in Squamish, BC, Canada, with her three loves: the mountains, the forest, and the ocean.
A Year of Less – Stopping the Cycle of Consumerism
What happens when one woman buys nothing for a year? We speak with author Cait Flanders about how she stopped shopping, gave away her belongings, and discovered life is worth more than anything you can buy in a store. Stories about what happens when money, minimalism, and mindfulness cross paths.
How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away All 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 realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy. The Year of Less documents Cait’s life during which she bought only consumables. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices, she changed habits and discovered what truly mattered to her. 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.
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.
