A couple of years ago, when blog posts were more popular than TikTok, I followed an inspiring Canadian woman, Cait Flanders, on her journey to explore a year of less (spending), which was later published as the book "The Year of Less".
What struck me about Cait's journey was her rawness and honesty in her conversational way of taking you with her on her journey to find peace through life and experiences, rather than through buying 'things'.
I noticed this year a resurgence of Cait's book popping up everywhere I looked online (as I was also contemplating a year of less too) and was inspired to re-read the copy I had collecting dust on my bookshelf.
I would like to share my reflections with you upon reading Cait's journey for a second time, which may inspire you to consider your own low spend journey:
Low spend doesn't = no spending. In fact, it opened up so many new avenues for Cait to connect with others and find satisfaction in mending items, growing her own vegetables, and asking family members for tips on how they were successful in their own sewing and gardening pursuits.
Sometimes focusing on why we are buying things, can open up emotional triggers that can impact us in achieving our financial goals. Focusing on enjoying what life has to offer for free, like putting down your phone and getting outdoors with friends or sharing a home-cooked meal with family, can be better therapy than overfilling your wardrobe with items you may never wear.
Clearing clutter can give your mind and outlook the clarity that has been missing for a long time. It can make you appreciate what you have and reduce the need to purchase another of the same item because you know exactly what you have at home.
Replacing items with good quality (and well-researched replacements) can save you money in the long run and reduce the waste that goes with fast fashion society has become accustomed to.
Finally, my reflections on Cait's book and journey would be that even when times are tough, it is possible to have compassion for yourself and others and not use that as a reason to resort to retail therapy.
In my start to a low buy year, I have experienced a few slip-ups, rather than quit or say "I'll start again next month", I reflect on why I made an unintended purchase and try to notice the justifications I have told myself in making this purchase. I have also set a word for 2025 which is 'simplify' to think about everytime I start shopping online or watching ads and thinking how that appliance would make my life easier. Would it really?
Or would reducing the number of items in our home and time spent going down rabbit holes on shopping websites and replacing this with spending quality time with my partner family and friends and pursuing hobbies I've always dreamed of create a better life for me and the people who mean the most to me?
I am keeping track of how much I have spent on 'things' over the past 12 months and trying to reduce that by 10-20%. Next year, I will do the same, and all of a sudden, I will have reduced my impulse spending by 20-40% in 2 years.
If you're keen to try your own low buy year or even a low/no buy month, my tips include:
Consider what your values are in relation to life and to spending. What is important to you? What isn't?
Think about using cash and cash envelopes when it comes to spending on non-essentials. I find using cash makes it not only harder to overspend but also harder to hand over without thinking about it. The tap of a card can happen without thinking twice.
Check out low buy groups on social media to motivate you on your journey.
If you (like me) are trying to cut down on social media, another option is to have a no/low spend journal, I use The Financial Wellbeing Journal which you can use to:
Set goals.
Define your rules (e.g., reduce discretionary spending by 10%).
Have a no buy list and a list of items you are allowed to buy (e.g., you might not buy new clothing for the fun of it, but you may be allowed to purchase a new raincoat if your old one needs replacing, or you may choose to spend money on experiences (holidays, dinners out with loved ones or a theatre show) and reduce spending on things (new clothes to stay in fashion, new stationery if you already have a cupboard overflowing with it, and so on).
Create a '30 day buy list' to write items you think you need to buy on and review after 30 days before making the decision to purchase. Do you really need it, or is it more of a want?
Review your goals and journal each day and observe how you feel when you're tempted to make a purchase (and justify it to yourself).
If you want to stop impulse purchases or save towards an important goal, consider using a low buy period (a week, month or year) as a tool to achieve your goals while learning a lot about yourself on the journey.
Start by reviewing previous months purchases to decide on what areas fit with your values and give you satisfaction and what items you have purchased that you forgot about or didn't really add any value to your life. Set a goal and a start date and join many of us on this journey!
I recently reached out to Cait Flanders on social media when she announced that her book has now hit the top sellers list again, nearly 7 years after it was published. She was incredibly generous with her time and was grateful that I shared my intended journey this year, and I was able to congratulate her on continuing to inspire others to give a low buy year a go.
I plan to provide updates on how my low buy year progresses in 2025 and look forward to hearing from all of you who have been inspired to give it a go too. I would love to share your stories and reflections!
Warmest wishes,
Julie
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