Buy Nothing Day!!!

Saturday November 27th 2004 is Buy Nothing Day, the self proclaimed festival of frugal living and culture jammers jamboree. It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Celebrated as a holiday by some, a street party by others - anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Basically, for a day you buy nothing. Simple Living. Will you accept the challenge? Hey! It's free!

In Canada and USA Buy Nothing Day falls the Friday after the American Thanks Giving Day. In Europe we hold our celebration The last Saturday in November. We're always out shopping on Saturday, so it makes sense.

Buy Nothing Day isn't about changing your lifestyle for just one day - it's a lasting relationship - maybe a life changing experience!

I for one will take the challenge...

Buy Nothing Day

I'm doing something for Buy Nothing Day on Thursday, November, 25 at my school.
A group I'm a part of will be having a table set up with information, as well as giving people the opportunity to exchange items for things we have and donate items.

If this takes off, it will give the Corporations something to think about - you can definitely count me in

Sweet! I'm buying nothing on november 27th. Let's see how far of a dip we can make in the stock market! WHOOO!

Originally posted by Pisky
If this takes off, it will give the Corporations something to think about - you can definitely count me in

The Friday after Thanksgiving in the US is the biggest shopping day of the year. Retail stores open as early as 5am on this day and it is the day that begins the 24hour a day shopping season for the Christmas holiday! Count me in!!!! Maybe it will provide a two-fold lesson. Maybe it will not only get a message to the corporations but to the American people who seem to have forgotten what the season is about.....

I have never heard of this before! Count me in!!! I'm going to start e-mailing everyone I know.

Sweet! I'm buying nothing on november 27th. Let's see how far of a dip we can make in the stock market! WHOOO!

The market is closed on Saturdays ... and maybe I'll rethink this ... if the purpose is to make the stock market dip that would hurt our economy. I thought the purpose was to get away from materialism and realize that you don't need that extra cashmere sweater or those 1000 thread count sheets (which are amazing by the way).

I liked this idea when I thought it was about getting back to basics. When it has a 'let's go after the market' spin it sounds very malicious and vindictive.

Jemison

Originally posted by Jemison


The market is closed on Saturdays ... and maybe I'll rethink this ... if the purpose is to make the stock market dip that would hurt our economy. I thought the purpose was to get away from materialism and realize that you don't need that extra cashmere sweater or those 1000 thread count sheets (which are amazing by the way).

I liked this idea when I thought it was about getting back to basics. When it has a 'let's go after the market' spin it sounds very malicious and vindictive.

Jemison

It is about getting away from materialism. How much of the stuff that we purchase do we actually NEED?
Especially this time of year.

Let me urge you to REALLY think this one through.

Example: I have two stores I shop at for food -- the large Tom Thumb chain store and a tiny little "eat organic" place called The Cupboard.

When I go into Tom Thumb, I seldom see fewer than 10 shoppers and quite often I'll see 50 shoppers during the 20 minutes I'm there. When I go into The Cupboard, I see perhaps 3 shoppers in there -- and I've never seen more than 8 at a time in a 20 minute period.

I buy my books from Amazon and from a little bookstore around the corner that has only one employee. Zillions of folks shop on Amazon every day. The bookstore may see 8 -10 customers in a day.

If there's a "no shopping" day, WHO gets hurt worse?

That's right -- the little businessman, not the big corporation.

I refuse to join in a "no shop day." Instead, my pledge is to buy my stuff from the little guy on that day.

It is about getting away from materialism. How much of the stuff that we purchase do we actually NEED?

Good point. I'm trying to explain the difference between 'wants' and 'needs' to my children and it's a tough concept to get through to my 3 year old twins. Even my 5 and 6 year old have to think about it when I ask them if it's something they need or want. It's tough being a kid.

But, it bothers me that some people feel the need to turn this into a 'stick it to them' campaign. While I love the idea of getting back to the basics I don't love the idea of intentionally trying to sabatoge the market. Even if that is not MY motive, to know that there are people out there that will do this as their motivation, maybe I'll just make Friday my 'buy nothing day' and go ahead and shop on Saturday.

Jemison

[edit on 6-11-2004 by Jemison]

You make a good point, Byrd.
But I don't think the point is necessarily to hurt businesses, but just to experience life without constantly buying.

You're absolutely right in supporting the little guy, and they get my support year round, and this day has nothing to do with hurting them - I'd say the smaller businesses are more likely to participate in this day of their own will. I've seen stores that refuse to sell to people because it's buy nothing day. It's about focusing on our lives and not spending and making money, in my opinion.

Jemison, I know how you feel. When the kids are young they feel they need everything, and if they don't get it, it's the end of the world. bring it up when they're older and understand, hehe.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of
the year. This is the time that retailers attempt to pull themselves out
of the red. If they are not able guess whom is hurt? The small guy that works
for them gets laid off. No matter how large or small the retail chain is, the small guy
will get the ax.
So do we help our economy, or hurt our economy?
You decide...

I'm with Byrd. But not just on that day. I try and make an effort at all times to buy from the little guy. Now I'm not going to drive 20 minutes out of my way to buy a $5 item. That would be silly. But if there is a small store in the area I'd rather pay more to buy from them than I would be to buy the same item from a chain store and save money.

Originally posted by Jemison
I have never heard of this before! Count me in!!! I'm going to start e-mailing everyone I know.

Sweet! I'm buying nothing on november 27th. Let's see how far of a dip we can make in the stock market! WHOOO!

The market is closed on Saturdays ... and maybe I'll rethink this ... if the purpose is to make the stock market dip that would hurt our economy. I thought the purpose was to get away from materialism and realize that you don't need that extra cashmere sweater or those 1000 thread count sheets (which are amazing by the way).

I liked this idea when I thought it was about getting back to basics. When it has a 'let's go after the market' spin it sounds very malicious and vindictive.

Jemison

ahhhhhh I said it in a tone of sarcasm and jest. Ha! I'm sorry, I am giddy. Never meant to be malicious, simply making a joke. Obviously, I am a clownfish with no personality.

Sheesh, the economic situation is crappy enough here that "Buy Nothing Day" is the norm.

I recall having a few "Buy Nothing Years". Fortunately those days are gone and I am now stuck in the middle of "Buy Nothing Good Years"

I think it depends on what you're not buying. Thinking about your economy, which ever one it is, boycotting spending is going to hurt the working person. Less sales = layoffs. Layoffs = recession. I can see "Screw Walmart" to a point but their employees have to feed their families too. This is not a good idea.

I am one of the most frugal persons on the planet and in my education days (years), it became nearly a religion. This so-called holiday could be practiced on any day of the year, if it was all about frugality, but the truth is, it is all about social and economic disruption, as the day following Thanksgiving is historically the most active shopping day of the year. Most businesses do about 40% of their yearly business during the Christmas season.

I usually don't shop on those days or times when the stores are packed and really wish that Christmas had not become such an orgy of commercialism, but it is the spirit of giving that we celebrate at Christmas, as much as the birth of Christ, because it was Christ who, according to Christian belief, gave his life to save the world from the slavery of sin.

As much as I would like to see the world return to a much less material way this sounds like a pretty bad idea. If you want to hurt the mega corporations organize against the illegal things that they do to try and keep them in check. Why anyone would try and make the stock market dip is beyond me. I never dabble in the stock market but I do know that a higher stock market = more jobs and we all prosper. A lower stock market = less jobs and you know who suffers, the middle class not the heads of these huge companies. I agreed with the don't buy gas for a day (even though I knew it wouldn't work) because I hoped it would raise more awareness of our oil dependence. This ,though, doesn't sound like a good idea for a capitalist country. I just wonder if there isn't any political motivations here behind this idea.

Originally posted by skychief
I just wonder if there isn't any political motivations here behind this idea.

You better believe it's politcal. It has nothing to do with frugality and everything to do with social and economic disruption and I'm glad to see that most of the posters can see through this charade.

I will buy nothing. Not that I really have a choice. I'm living in poverty!