reallivingthing's reviews
63 reviews

challenging hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author pulled connections between (realistic) minimalism and religious texts (mostly Christian, but as a non christian I found them interesting), and life experiences of himself and others to paint a picture of how it really is possible to live with less than you think. The book isn’t encouraging you to give away everything you own, it’s encouraging you to change your perspective on what you own, and why you own it.
This is one of the first books I’m reading going into 2024, which is my first No/Low Buy year, and I’d say it was a great read. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to buy less, spend less, save a little, gain some sanity, who hates consumerism and is anti-capitalist (very much me), and take your life back.

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

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

This book was a great read to start my low/no buy year. I listened to Cait speak on a podcast about her experience, joined a server of other people wanting to do a shopping ban, and picked up the book. While I found certain parts unnecessary (like comparing alcoholism and being fat to being in debt or overspending), the overall book was a great memoir detailing her experience of only buying necessities for a whole year. It was very inspiring, and made me realize that this is something that’s possible for most people probably, including me who lives on low income disability. If reading just remember it IS a memoir and not a how-to, but you can gain some really valuable information from her experience.

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