Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Holiday Weekend Sales, Pre-Christmas Sales, Post-Hanukah Clearance Sales, and Kwanzaa Clearance Events—it’s enough to make you go crazy as a consumer.
One organization, AdBusters, has a solution to help you retain your sanity—“Buy Nothing Day.”
The group’s website touts that “the journey towards a sane sustainable future begins with a single step” and sees capping your consumption for an entire day as that step.
AdBusters, which also publishes a monthly anti-consumerist magazine, is also a proponent of the Occupy movement, and offers online and printable ads to help spread the word. The website also features guides to organized protests like a Credit Card Cut Up, Zombie Walk and Whirl-Mart.
AdBusters claims that participating will find you joining “millions of us in over 60 countries on November 23/24.”
So, what will you do in the next few days—brave the lines at the stores on Black Friday, virtually shop on Cyber Monday or participate in Buy Nothing Day?
L.A. Wells
10:01 am on Friday, November 23, 2012
I will definately participate in Buy Nothing Day with one exception - a battery which I need. Sorry stores.
YvetteM
11:25 am on Friday, November 23, 2012
Buying necessities like groceries or clothes for kids should be exempt but I like the concept.
NatureLover
1:31 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
Oh dear, I certainly would not venture near a mall or any other store today. But I may have to order something from the internet ):-{{
John Floyd II
5:31 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
With these hard times we're living in, almost every day is "Buy Nothing Day" for me!
Derek Hale
5:24 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
John,
A plumbing repair for $600 for me was the Black Friday event. John, I totally understand. Do I want a new laptop or new TV or be able to use the two toilets in my house that have decided they are not working right?
mesham
5:34 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
I like it. I'm sick of the commercialism of Christmas that starts before Thanksgiving now. Gone are the days of thoughtful, unique gifts. Everything seems to be mass-produced with a short lifespan. How much longer can we keep churning out crap to buy and give and throw away? Do small-business Saturday instead, and shop local and unique businesses in your own community!
Gwen Vaccaro
10:13 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
Buying nothing is not the answer. Begining to really think about what you buy, where it is made, who is making it and under what conditions those people live is just a step in the right direction. I have been concerned for a long time that we Americans want things both cheap and good. The cheaper we have gotten, the more jobs have been lost and in general the poorer the quality. Each individual votes with his/her dollars on what lies ahead for our economy. At least buy local as much as you can...that keeps someone working here in your neighborhood, sending taxes to your city, county, state taxes.
Derek Hale
5:15 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
OK I only bought 20 Powerball tickets, as the jackpot is up to $325 million.
When I win, I'll let you all know.
Other than that, did not need anything. Got an ink cartridge at Staples today (Sat). That was kind of a "needed" thing.
I stayed away from the stores on Friday, just the craziness of it all, it astounds me.
I totally agree with Gwen, we need to examine our buying habits here in the U.S. Thank you Gwen for saying so eloquently what I couldn't say but wanted to.
Katie Griffith
8:57 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
I, too, am happy to say I didn't participate in the Black Friday extravaganza. Spent the day drinking coffee with my sisters, visiting my grandparents and eating leftovers :)
Peggy Anne
10:12 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Buy Nothing week would be better. Buy nothing day could go hand in hand with "Donate unwanted goods to charity" day, too. Just be sure to wear blinkers, so you don't feel tempted to BUY something on the way out on "buy nothing" day.