I must admit I was unsure I’d enjoy this book. I’m not a huge fan of the self-help genre, which often patronises its audience, not realising we’re all different and individual problems can’t be solved in a few chapters of preaching. I was pleasantly surprised then to find this book is more of a personal story centred around the struggles of modern life, a heartwarming tale about crafting a life you really want to lead, by turning your back on mass consumerism.

In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in a cycle of debt and unhappiness. A lifestyle of consumerism and spending money she couldn’t afford left her in a frenzied state of despair. With debts spiralling over the $30,000 mark, she knew she had to do something to pull herself out of the red. After much soul searching, she set herself a rather ambitious challenge: she would not shop for an entire year. The only items she allowed herself to buy were food, toiletries and petrol for her car. As well as enforcing a strict shopping regime, Cait also decided to give away most of her belongings and stopped watching television.

It was a tough year for Cait, especially when she learned of her parents’ divorce. Prior to adopting her frugal lifestyle she admits she would have spent fortunes on alcohol to numb the pain. This was a different time though and she resisted the lure of alcohol and instead concentrated on keeping up her promise not to waste money on non-essential items.

Cait goes into great detail exploring ways of saving money by cutting out the non-essential items. Interestingly, when she stops spending all of her monthly income, she discovers she’s happier living a minimalistic lifestyle. Her vast savings give her the chance to spend money on travelling and enjoying life away from fast food restaurants and trendy cocktail bars.

The style of the book takes a bit of getting used to. It reads more like a blog, which isn’t surprising because Cait is a renowned blogger on all things finance.

A real game-changer for anyone searching for major change in their lifestyle, I’d recommend this book if there’s something you want to do but have always put on the back-burner.

Cait proves there is another way to live, as long as self-restraint is something you possess in spades.