No matter where you are in your financial life, you’ll be able to relate to Cait Flanders’ story: After paying off $30,000 of consumer debt in two years — and upping her savings game — she found herself shopping, and shopping, and shopping some more, because she never addressed why she got into debt in the first place. Her solution? A two-year shopping ban during which she discovered her spending was more emotional than anything else. In her book, “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,” she chronicles her journey and teaches us to hack our shopping habits for the better. Also, Kelly and I answer your questions on short-term and long-term investment decisions — and how to lower your credit card’s interest rate. Stick around for Thrive, because it’s spring-cleaning season. We’ll talk about what you need to keep and what you need to shred as you declutter this tax season.
