Madeline’s Reviews > 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 > Status Update
Madeline
is 93% done
“One of the greatest lessons I learned during these years is that whenever you’re thinking of binging, it’s usually because some part of you or your life feels like it’s lacking and nothing you eat, drink, or buy can fix it. Instead, you have to simplify, strip things away, and figure out what’s really going on. More was never the answer.”
— Jan 09, 2026 07:56AM
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Madeline’s Previous Updates
Madeline
is 89% done
“It forced me to stop living on autopilot and start questioning my decisions: who was I? What was I already good at? What did I care about? What did I really want in this life?”
— Jan 09, 2026 07:43AM
Madeline
is 89% done
“The ban uncovered the truth which was that when you decide to want less, you can buy less, and, ultimately, need less money.”
— Jan 09, 2026 07:38AM
Madeline
is 84% done
Some of the vacation stories are a bit long, but I get the vibe that she wrote this for herself as much as for readers. Some of it is good insight - how to avoid spending money on a trip
— Jan 09, 2026 07:22AM
Madeline
is 46% done
“People would always make comments. They would always make little digs at my intentions that would try to put cracks in the tiny bit of willpower I was still standing on because people will always make comments when you decide to live a countercultural lifestyle.”
— Jan 07, 2026 10:41PM
Madeline
is 36% done
“One thing I’ve learned countless times over the years is that whenever you let go of something negative in your life, you make room for something positive.”
— Jan 07, 2026 08:25AM
