Ashlee Piper’s No New Things is an engaging manual for anyone looking to break free from the cycle of overconsumption and embrace a more intentional lifestyle.

Piper offers a structured 30-day challenge designed to help readers reassess their consumption habits. The book delves into the concept of “conditioned consumerism,” highlighting how societal pressures and marketing tactics often lead individuals to accumulate unnecessary possessions, Piper’s witty and no-nonsense style makes light of what could be a dull topic. 

No New Things serves as an invitation to reevaluate our relationship with material possessions. Piper’s blend of personal anecdotes, practical tips, and insightful commentary makes this book a valuable resource for anyone seeking to simplify their life. Whether you’re a seasoned minimalist or just beginning to question the necessity of constant consumption, this guide offers inspiration and actionable steps to support your journey toward a more intentional lifestyle. 

I have been working on decluttering for over a year and thought the book would be a great inspiration. Although it was for sure, it would probably be a better resource for someone newer to their decluttering journey

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook. The beginning was slow for me because there were lots of facts and reasons to try this challenge and I was like, lady, I'm reading this because I'm already interested, you don't have to convince me!
I loved the actual challenge. Piper breaks it down and gives multiple goals for each section, and her advice goes far beyond just not having as many things. She talks about her relationship with money, using the challenge to create community connections, and how to monitor progress as time goes on, among other topics. This really really is a whole lifestyle.
Piper also talks about her personal experience with the challenge and her weaknesses. She's non judgmental, and offers advice on how to improve. She's a good narrator, staying personable and friendly throughout.

I was a bit sceptical about this going in but Ashlee Piper was entertaining and full of useful information. She blends personal stories along with facts and historical information about how the world became consumer driven via advertising after the second world war. I found this fascinating and had no idea how targeted we are by everything to buy new, replace old, impulse buy, etc. Her approach to pare down and be sensible was so helpful and eyeopening. The 30 day step by step no buy challenge made a lot of sense. As this was an audio version, I plan to buy the book to see the plan in writing as I think that will be more helpful to me. But it's presented clearly and makes it feel easy to follow and adhere to - not to daunting and very manageable. I'm already making changes to my spending, even though I hadn't planned on it originally. Lots of good advice, definitely something to think about more. If anyone need to evaluate their spending, this is the book for them. Highly recommend.

Thank you for the advance audio edition NetGalley and Celadon Books.

✨Review - No New Things by @ashleepiper

I’ve been a thrifter and wannabe minimalist for a long time for economic and environmental reasons, so the concept of this book intrigued me. As I approached this book, I wondered if Ashlee Piper had a new approach to living a frugal lifestyle.

Our planet is overwhelmed by human-produced stuff. Manufactured goods now outweigh the natural world, everything from concrete and rebar to McDonald’s’ toys, and very soon there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by weight. So a book like this is vitally important.

For someone who might be new to sustainable living, including consuming less and practicing the infamous Rs of reuse and recycle, this book is a great play-by-play of why this is important and how to go about doing it. For those who have been living this lifestyle for a while, it is full of good reminders and the inspiration to recommit to keep on keeping on, and maybe the nudge needed to go the extra mile for the sake of our planet.

Ashlee Piper’s writing (and narration) style is witty, a bit slapstick, and certainly no-nonsense, which I enjoyed.

This one hits stores on April 15, just in time for earth day…might I suggest buying it on Ebook or audio to save a few trees??

Thanks to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for this advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book is such a great tool for anyone that wants to declutter their life, sell or give their items ethically, focus on spending less money, and wants to learn “why” it is so easy to over consume. I am going to buy this book so I can easily refer back to it whenever I want to revisit the no new things challenge :)

I think this book is a must read for everyone digitally connected. The concept of coerced consumerism is something every active participant in society should understand. If we don’t understand how the system works, we are allowing our lives to be led by it whether we know it or not. While many people may claim to understand this, the success of corporations shows that the majority of society does not practice this. I believe a 30 day detox is a valuable way for anyone to not only identify areas to save money, but also rewrite our brains to establish contentment.

I’m not much of a self-help girly, but this one kind of spoke to me. Between the insanity around inflation and tariffs and the fact that I have spent the last six months spending an obscene amount of money on my new house and property, a book that pushes back on consumerism sounded like a good idea.

Confession time… I was doom scrolling through reels a couple of weeks ago and impulse bought some random bag of clothing. Shocker it showed up and none of it fit and there are no returns. So yeah this book was well timed.

The first ⅓ dives into why we shop, the cultural, biological and historical reasons for hyper-consumption, which is fascinating. Then the book turns to a 30 day No New Things shopping detox. There are caveats - like personal care items or just times that due to living in areas without some of the groups or options available in larger metro areas - that allow people to shop normally and purchase new. The steps are easy to follow and focus heavily on reflecting on the choices the reader makes or doesn’t make.

Piper is a funny, relatable potty mouth, so I loved her reading this book herself. I recommend this book the same way I like to go all Marie Kondo every few years. Like always these systems tend to be good opportunities to reflect and evaluate our choices more than a way to change your entire life.

I love the discussion on overconsumption and our society’s need for *things*. The author narrated the audiobook, which I love. She included research as well as funny quips. I thought the 30 day plan was easy to follow and could be helpful to people but they seemed a bit obvious to me. I did find myself noticing more directed ads on my social media and how I engaged with them.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This audiobook describes our overconsumption society well. The author challenges the listener to reuse and repurpose items, if possible, and to buy only if necessary (and select a gently used option in that case). Great rationales and motivation to make the changes needed for a healthier planet.

I am SO glad I found this book! The title says it all ...No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity. Who wouldn't want to save all 3 of those things?! Her guidelines truly are simple to follow, and doable for folks of all ages and stages.
Author Ashlee Piper is enthusiastic in her presentation; her tone conversational. I found her super motivating. This came through well in her reading of the Audiobook. (Warning: She does use a bit of profanity, if that is an issue for you. For me, it just highlighted her passion.)
Before she goes into the work for each of the 30 days, she gives an enlightening history of consumerism and the influence (manipulation?) of advertising.
I listened straight through, over the course of a few days, instead of following the day-to-day. However, I have already taken action on a few tasks (Unsubscribing and Unfollowing), and I have taken notes for when I actually start the 30 days.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read.

This book was exactly what I needed right now. Throughout the book I caught myself saying "Yes! That is me! I do that!" "Yes, I need to make those changes but just can't seem to do it!" I have been trying month after month to reset and control my spending. This book broke it down to a day by day way of attempting to slowly make those changes. Its hard to do a hard stop and that is what I was trying to do. This book broke a month down to just daily tasks to help you through and slowly make life changes and by the end of the month you could build habits that help you curb that spending. It also touched on decluttering and I truly needed that too. I have wanted to declutter and go through the basement junk for years and have just never found "time" or had "energy" for it but those are just excuses. This gave me some steps to slowly do it. It doesn't need to be do it today or nothing and you failed. I took notes and have made a plan to start this next month and I am hoping it will really help me make some major changes to curb my spending and declutter our tiny house and my tiny office!

I really liked this! The background info on how our rampant consumerism came about and the negative impact of it was interesting and informative. Read by the author, I liked her voice and found her relatable. There were clear, doable action items. I enjoyed listening to it and kept up with some of the tasks on my notes app, but I do feel like I need the physical book to really follow through with the tasks. This would be a great gift for anyone interested in the influence of fast fashion.

*The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Comes out April 15, 2025

As someone who is already budget-conscious and doesn’t struggle with over-consumerism, I was surprised by how helpful this book was. Ashlee Piper does a great job of getting to the "why" behind our habits without making it feel too heavy. She provides practical steps for living a simpler life and shifting our mindset around consumerism.

I listened to the audiobook, and I thought Ashlee’s narration was fantastic. She struck a great balance between being fun and funny while staying direct and to the point. Her voice was easy to listen to, and I’d definitely recommend this as an audiobook. However, to fully engage with the daily steps, I think the print version would be more useful.

Full disclosure: I didn’t follow the 30-day plan exactly as prescribed, but I did incorporate several of her suggestions into my life—like silencing notifications, selling and returning unnecessary items, and finding creative ways to reuse things I already own. One of my biggest takeaways was a newfound appreciation for buying pre-loved items instead of immediately opting for something new. For example, I have a 1950s-themed auction coming up, and rather than buying a cheap knockoff, I sought out a true vintage dress. Not only was it more satisfying, but it was also a beautiful and unique find.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that if someone followed all 30 days as closely as possible, it could be truly life-changing. I plan to revisit this book in the future and would highly recommend it to anyone who feels stuck in the cycle of comparison and consumerism.

Great read! Easy practical challenges all about targeting the root issues. Very achievable, action oriented and well structured with research and examples. I listened to the audiobook (thanks NetGalley!) and am excited to read again and do the challenge over the course of 30 days.

I really enjoyed that this audiobook was read by the author. That fit the conversational tone and personal asides that were in the text and Piper did a great job with the narration. I liked that while there are challenges and activities to accompany each day in this 30 day no-buy, she says upfront to do as much or as little as you want. Having something to do every day could be a motivator to keep people engaged and on track with the program. While a few might only be tangentially related to the challenge (looking at you, clean out the fridge), they are all things that relate to over consumption and which we could all benefit from.

Personally, I think this is probably a book that would be a bit easier to use in paper format because, if you're like me, I wanted to "read" it all instead of listening to a chapter a day and it's a little hard to refer back to things in audio. But if for one reason or another audio is your best option, this is definitely worth the listen.

This book really opened my eyes to the ways that social media can cause multifaceted harm to our mental health. I really loved going through the challenges and trying to work out why we do what we do and buy what we buy. Definitely recommend to everyone!

No New Things offers an interesting perspective on consumer habits, but it wasn’t quite what I expected. I had assumed it would focus more on decluttering, but instead, it primarily explores the philosophy of non-consumption. While Ashlee Piper presents a compelling case against excessive consumerism, the book didn’t feel particularly groundbreaking.

The discussion on “conditioned consumerism” is relevant, and the structured challenge may be helpful for those looking to reassess their spending habits. However, readers seeking practical guidance on organization or minimalism may find it lacking. While the book presents a unique approach, its impact depends on whether the reader aligns with its specific focus on avoiding new purchases rather than managing existing possessions.

This was a really good book with a mix of new ideas and familiar ones about why we should take a 30-day break from buying anything new. I liked how the author explained how our buying habits are taxing the planet, especially when it comes to fast fashion and the way we’re constantly being marketed to. Her examples were super motivating and definitely made me think twice before making impulse purchases.

The idea of journaling through the 30 days and gradually cutting back felt really reasonable and doable. I also liked that she wasn’t saying you have to cut out all joy—she encourages things like haircuts and manicures but suggests finding non-shopping rewards for yourself instead of chasing that quick dopamine hit from buying something new. That part really stuck with me.

That said, some things felt a little off—like saving $7,000 a week (I wish!) and the idea that you can sell all your extra stuff in a single day or week. But I did appreciate her focus on rehoming items through local groups so they actually get used, rather than dumping them in donation bins where they often just end up in landfills.

Some parts were a bit repetitive, but honestly, I think we need those reminders—like not diving headfirst into a new hobby by buying everything for it, unsubscribing from store emails, and being more aware of influencer-driven trends. This was a quick, easy audiobook that got me motivated to do some spring cleaning, get rid of things more responsibly, and rethink my spending habits. Even if you don’t commit to the full 30-day challenge, it’s a great way to start being more intentional about what you buy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really don't appreciate or respect an author who curses as much as Ashlee Piper does in the first two chapters of this book. It's a book about confronting consumerism -- why does it have to sound like a trucker is yelling at me? Vulgarity is the crutch of a weak mind, so it's a DNF (did not finish) for this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book, but it's not going to be one I recommend.