Cait Flanders is an author, podcaster, speaker, and conscious consumer. I love her book, The Year of Less, which came out this January 2018 and became a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

The book was an easy read, it had a conversational tone,  It felt as if Cait Flanders was right here in my living room, talking to me, sharing her experiences, her journey from mindless consumption to becoming a more mindful consumer. I was disappointed when I finished reading it. I wanted it to go longer.

Cait is rebelling against the social script. We are told that we should live our lives in a particular way. Marketers, family, and culture tell us what to do, how to behave in, and what to consume. Well, Cait is experimenting with opting out of the social script and discovering her own path.

Cait started blogging 18 years ago, Oct. 2010. She was 25 years old and had about $24,000 in debt. Her blog was called “Blonde on a Budget,” and she wrote it to create some accountability for herself.

At the beginning of her blogging endeavors, Cait posted often, she wanted to communicate the progress on reducing her debt. But as time passed by, she focused on writing less often but putting a lot more thought into the content she shared with her readers.

In an effort to declutter her house and become a more conscious consumer, Cait did a one-year shopping ban. She describes in her book her inspiration, her challenges, and the rewards of no shopping for one year. After she finished the shopping ban, she was interviewed by Forbes Magazine. Within 2 weeks of the interview becoming public, Cait had six literary agents contacting her to publish a book.