Year of Less great handbook for stressed out Millennials
Though the writing is more suited to a blog than book it is still a relatable read
The world the Millennial generation has inherited is a notoriously unstable one. Long working hours, stagnant wages, soaring costs of living and a shift toward solo households have all conspired to create sky-high levels of anxiety and alienation in Gen Y. For some, the solution is to numb out — with fast food, alcohol, social media, Netflix, retail therapy, you name it — while others become seekers, casting about in search of other, more satisfying, ways to live. Squamish, B.C. blogger Cait Flanders falls into the latter camp. Her new memoir, 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, is located within a growing Millennial counterculture that’s turning its back on consumerism and exploring radical alternatives. It’s a fascinating — and extremely timely — line of inquiry. (As evidenced by the fact that this title is now among Amazon’s top 100 memoirs, and has been singled out by Vogue as one of “7 non-fiction books to change your life in 2018.”)
The book chronicles the 20-something writer’s yearlong ban on shopping.
Something of a self-improvement junkie, Flanders has already gotten sober and quit junk food, losing 30 pounds, and she’s already managed to pay off $30,000 in student loans — all of which she’s documented on her popular personal finance blog, Blonde on a Budget. But discontent lingers and she finds herself working marathon hours and shopping mindlessly.
The rules of her experiment are simple: for 12 months, she can buy only consumables such as groceries, toiletries and gas for her car. The results, meanwhile, prove pretty transformational.
Particularly since the year turns out to be a difficult one, packed with the kind of distressing life events that would have previously driven her to the mall (or the bar!).
Most interestingly, when Flanders stops spending, she discovers she’s happier living on less. Approximately 51per cent of her annual income, in fact. With the surplus, she saves $17,000 in a single year, and travels extensively.
Add to that, her lowered overhead gives her the freedom to reassess her gruelling tech startup job and make some big life changes.
The writing here, it must be said, is more suited to a blog than a book. The voice is not especially mature or developed and, at times, can be overly confessional. But the upshot is that this is a relatable read, and one that manages to make cultural movements such as mindfulness, minimalism and zero waste easily accessible.
At this point in history, one really can’t overstate the value of providing alternative living models that prioritize well-being, community and the health of the planet.
The Year of Less offers a handbook for stressed-out Millennials everywhere. Tara Henley is a writer and radio producer.