Spend the day spending nothing!!!

[doulamomvicki]

November 28, 2003 is international Buy Nothing Day. This is an international event in protest of overconsumption and consumerism.

[MelMel]

what a wonderful day!!! i will definately relish in celebrating that....does it also go for WAHM's stocking???? probably:

:LOL :LOL :LOL

[TiredX2]

Sorry, can't do it that day!

Gotta get my 50% off socks at Fred Meyer (like I do every year that day)!

[Greaseball]

Does that mean gas, too? I've always wondered about that.

[village idiot]

Sounds great! I hate shopping anyway. No way would I go out shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Don't want to fight the crowds.

[doulamomvicki]

Yes, that includes gas! To us (our family) Buy Nothing Day is not just a way of protesting overconsumption and consumerism. It is also a "consumer fast", it makes us look at our own consumption. Instead of spending our money, we spend the day with family and friends.

[daylily]

I never shop on the day after Thanksgiving. I agree with protesting over consumption, but that issue aside, I don't know how anyone can stand the crowds and the traffic!

Dh has to work on Thanksgiving, so we're celebrating it on Friday instead.

[Dragonfly]

Add me to the list. I hate shopping on the best of days....

What would also be cool is, instead of a day of no spending, to have a day (at least) of patronizing only small local shops.

[luckylady]

Dragonfly, now THAT'S a good idea.

[AdinaL]

We are going to go to the zoo....does that count? But shopping, no way!!! Too many damn people....though going to the mall does provide interesting people watching!

[AmyB]

I love Buy Nothing Day.

It turns out it's nearly impossible to totally avoid spending money. Even if you turn off the lights and the furnace, you are still running up a bill for garbage pick-up or magazine subsrciptions or some other continuous thing.

But It's so cool to concentrate on conscious spending. What are you buying with that money? Is it going to support some oil company that wants to drill the Arctic or in the Utah desert? Or it renewable wind power? Is that sweater made by slave labor in China? or by a ILGW union shop where the workers at least stand a chance at fair treatment? Is that egg from a chicken-torture factory farm? or did you manage to find a local farmer with a flock of chickens?

It has totally changed my everyday shopping habits to start considering these questions. What you really buy with your money isn't the product in your shopping cart-- every penny you spend is a vote for the type of world you want to live in.

--AmyB

[Gemini]

I dislike shopping as it is, and there is no way in hell that I will go out shopping the day after Thanksgiving. No way.

Haven't heard of Buy Nothing Day. I like the concept.

[doulamomvicki]

AmyB, I couldn't have said it better! Buying and consuming are here to stay. Buy Nothing Day is all about being a conscious consumer, making the big corporations become socially responsible and supporting the companies (esp the "little guys") who are.

Here is a great link: www.lets-linkup.com. It is site that lists national and international local economic tading systems.

[applejuice]

I never shop on that day.

I hate crowds.

I stay at home and polish the silver.

[luvmy3boys]

I won't be shopping that day I will be spending it with my hubby and boys

[sweetpeasmom]

I won't be shopping that day, now way. I worked retail, i know how it is. I actually celebrate this day very often, i hate shopping.

I like the idea of spending w/family, we need more of those days.

[magnoliablue]

AmyB said it exactly..... rather than not spend at all.. CONSCIOUSLY spend... wonder who made what, who was paid fairly, where that egg came from....and put your money where it is distributed fairly. ... that is how we as consumers should live everyday...not just on the biggest spending day of the year. Sigh..I suppose my net will drag on Friday as well..seems the internet is the new mall, and many who stay home will be taking up my servers....:

[mirlee]

We have always practised Buy Nothing Day. Not just because we don't like the atmostphere and hate the crowds, long lines, and rude people. I have also felt that if they are willing to sell something at that low low price, why does its regular price have to be so darned high!

Our other, probably less important reason for practicing this holiday is that we just aren't able to get out of bed and do much of anything other than sit at my MILs and move slowly. After a big dinner, snacks, and four bottles of wine, you would too....:LOL

[PM]

Ugh! I'm so glad I don't have to witness the day-after-Thanksgiving!

I have lots and lots of days when I don't spend money. I think it was part of the difficult transition in those early months, but now I love it.

It will be really interesting to see how my family reacts to Paris/London/US.

[Shenjall]

I was just coming to post about this!
Heres some links with more info:

www.buynothingchristmas.org
www.adbusters.org

Very interesting sites!