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Do you find yourself ending each month wondering where all the money went? Do you find yourself coming home from a shopping trip with a feeling of excitement that lasts for only a few brief moments? Do you find yourself anxiously awaiting your online order to arrive, only to bury the precious item in the back of your closet?

Shopping can be addictive. And like any addiction, it is destructive and incredibly challenging to stop. First attempts may fail, but persistence can get you there.

Just ask Cait Flanders.

Cover of 'The Year of Less'

Cait’s book, The Year of Less chronicles her journey through a one-year shopping ban (which eventually extended to two years) - sharing her mindset, doubts, missteps, and triumphs.

Cait’s shopping ban was such an inspiration for us, that it led to our own Nothing New Year Challenge, which permanently changed how we view consumerism, money, and what’s important in life.

But don’t think this book is just about the shopping ban - that’s just one piece of Cait’s much larger story. She opens up about her history with addiction, family issues, career questions, and ultimately shares her pathway to self-discovery. Cait’s willingness to be vulnerable is refreshing in a world of carefully curated Facebook feeds and picture-perfect Instagram filters.

The Year of Less is much more of a memoir than a how-to guide, but that’s precisely what makes it such a powerful read. Sure, you’ll find lessons on money and shopping, but you’ll learn much more about life itself - developing healthy relationships, investing in self-improvement, conquering demons, and figuring out what really matters in life.

I highly recommend Cait Flanders’s book, The Year of Less. You’re bound to connect with Cait’s journey and you’re sure to be inspired by her persistence, her attitude, and her relatability.

Have you read The Year of Less? What did you think? What did you take away from Cait’s journey?