“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak” Hans Hofman
Cait Flanders is author of The Year of Less - the essence of this book truly is “Less is more.”
As a young adult, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in a cycle of consumerism: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she had worked her way out of tens of thousands of pounds of debt, she returned to her old habits. When she finally realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy—only keeping her from meeting her goals—she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year.
The Year of Less documents 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.
A 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.
