A couple of months ago, I heard an interview of Cait Flanders talking about her year-long shopping ban and her book The Year of Less.  I was intrigued by the concept of giving up shopping for a year, so when I saw that the book was Audible’s Daily Deal last week, I decided to check it out.  I’m so glad I did, because it is a fantastic read.

When she noticed that she was continually failing to meet her monthly savings goals and had too much stuff, Flanders decided to prohibit herself from shopping for a year, subject to certain predetermined exceptions.  That’s the premise of the book, but this isn’t your typical book about decluttering, minimalism, or a self-help challenge.  It’s relatable, insightful, and vulnerable.  Flanders opens up about her drinking problem, binge eating, and relationship struggles, and draws parallels between those issues and impulsive shopping.  She reflects on how the shopping ban helped her to realize that she was buying things to distract herself from pain and to compensate for feelings of inadequacy.  She talks about how refraining from shopping forced her to learn new skills and become more creative.  The shopping ban even spilled over into a ban on binge-watching Netflix.

Flanders’ book is not at all preachy.  Listening to her tell her story was like talking to a friend.  She took an honest and hard look at the feelings that triggered her impulsive behaviors, and her book has prompted me to do the same.  For some time now, I’ve been working on spending less and paring down my belongings, especially clothes.  I’ve recently set some big savings goals for myself, and this book provided the added dose of inspiration I needed.

While I might consider doing a shopping ban like Flanders in the future, right now I’m taking a more moderated approach to transforming my spending (as well as my physical health).  I’ve discovered that the best way for me to make lasting changes is to set small, attainable goals and track my progress.  Because online shopping for clothes is my biggest problem area when it comes to acquiring unnecessary stuff, I’ve set a monthly limit for online shopping.

Now that I have a baby, I feel like my brain’s capacity to hold multiple thoughts at a time is diminished (I guess that’s what they call mom brain — I think it’s tied directly to interrupted sleep).  Because of this, my method for tracking my progress has to be quick and simple or it’s just not going to happen.  I recently discovered the Done app (pictured above), which is exactly what I need.  You set goals for your habits based on frequency (for example, exercise at least 4 times a week or eat out no more than 5 times a month), and then you just tap a bar in the app each time you do the subject behavior.  It’s a fast, no frills, effective way to hold myself accountable.  The app is free for up to three goals (my three are online shopping, eating out, and exercise); if you want to track more than three goals, you can pay about $5.

Have you ever done a shopping ban?  Have you read The Year of Less?  What are your best strategies for breaking bad habits and building good ones?

Further reading/watching:

• “My Year of No Shopping” by novelist Ann Patchett
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• TED Talk: “Try Something New for 30 Days” by Matt Cutts

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