★TOP 49 on the ‘Book of the Day’ Bestseller List for Essays at kyobobook.
★TOP 37 on the Bestseller List for Essays at YES24.
★TOP 13 on the Weekly Bestseller List for Essays and a comprehensive bestseller at Aladin.
★Winner of the 9th KAKAO Brunch Book Contest, an original work that stood out among over 5,800 entries in the largest-ever competition!
★Kick the addiction to shopping apps, keep only necessary clothes, cut down on dining expenses, avoid buying impractical items, and declutter unnecessary social relationships... To achieve a ‘Spending Fast’, we need to eliminate the non-essentials in our lives. Take on the challenge of not buying anything beyond necessities! Stop consuming and make life easier!

One day, prices soared.

Gazing at the astonishing expenses on my bank card, my heart lurched, “Am I crazy? Did I really spend all this money?!”

One day, I received a credit card bill that left me dumbfounded, and that’s when my two-year journey of “consumption fasting” began. This is the award-winning work of the 9th KAKAO Brunch Book Contest!
One day, a man suddenly received a message that his bank card had exceeded its limit, and with his complaints, the story began. Staring at the shocking numbers on his card, the writer couldn’t recall where or how he had spent all that money. So, he made a decision. He would challenge himself to buy nothing but necessities! In other words, he was going to start “Spending fasting”! The writer, who had been immersed in the incredible expenses on his bank card for a whole month, recorded his headstrong consumption fasting life in a diary that was both passionate and laughably frustrating.

The thought of the expenses on his card made him feel bewildered. It had been a long time since he had spent all his salary, and although he had tried financial management many times, he often failed. Since that was the case, he decided to buy nothing at all! From today, he would challenge himself to “Spending Fast” to not consume for a whole year!

What is “Spending Fast”? It was first proposed by American writer Anna Newell Jones. It is a lifestyle and consumption method that challenges one to buy nothing but survival necessities during a fixed period of time.

Kick the addiction to shopping apps, keep only necessary clothes, cut down on dining expenses, avoid buying impractical items, and declutter unnecessary social relationships…

To achieve Spending fasting, we need to eliminate the non-essentials in our lives. You might think that a life with reduced consumption would be full of misfortune, but in fact, it can make our lives a little easier and freer. So, what awaits us at the end of Spending fasting?

This is the award-winning work that stood out among 5,800 entries in the largest-ever KAKAO Brunch Book Contest! In today’s society, my consumption reflects my identity. Chasing consumption, getting to know myself, and understanding the world around me… let’s explore ourselves through this process! This book not only includes some practical tips for the beginning of consumption fasting but also records the real changes that happen in life. In this era of high prices, affected by soaring prices and economic downturn, the writer reminds us to pay attention to our own lives through his story of cutting off consumption and creating a more relaxed life.

Seo Parkha,

Although he obtained a Ph.D. in business administration, he felt that he was not cut out for financial management. One day, after receiving his credit card bill and being taken aback, he embarked on a ‘Spending Fast’ challenging himself to buy nothing but essentials for survival and keeping a diary to document the experience. Through this fast, he realized that if he didn’t give up on the impossible, gradual improvements would occur, and eventually, changes might take place. From South Korea to Kenya, and then to Cameroon, he continues to ponder the issue of consumption in society to this day.