The Low Down On Green Living
November 21st, 2008
Celebrate Buy Nothing Day on Nov. 28
Stumble it!
Black Friday’s out — because Buy Nothing Day is the new black, especially in this economy. At least for one day, your penny-pinching style can become a cause for celebration — or a form of protest against our rampant consumer culture.
Participating in Buy Nothing Day’s simple: Just don’t buy anything on Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving. You’ll find this one-day break from shopping a lot more relaxing than fighting for a parking space at the mall and elbowing through the crowds at Wal-mart. And best of all, the celebration is free!
No, Buy Nothing Day isn’t like those “don’t buy gas today and topple the oil conglomerates!” type scams we hear about so often in chain emails. One day alone will not completely transform our economy, our spending habits, or even our consumption-driven holiday traditions.
But you can use Buy Nothing Day to your benefit by reflecting on and rethinking your own money decisions. Maybe a day of no-shopping is exactly the downtime you need to figure out how best to spend or save your money, whether for financial, environmental, social, or emotional reasons. Are the holiday gifts your buying and getting really making you and your loved ones happy? Is the extra time you spend working to pay for those gifts the rest of the year worth what happiness the gifts actually bring into you and your friends’ lives? If the answers are no, Buy Nothing Day’s a good time to figure out what you can change.
Of course, buying nothing’s also one of the best things you can do for the planet — and you won’t even have to get up from the couch to do this eco good deed!
So kick back and relax on Nov. 28 — and maybe watch “What Would Jesus Buy?,” a documentary by Morgan Spurlock (of “Supersize Me” fame) that follows Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping through their hilarious assault on rampant consumer spending. Netflix members can even watch “What Would Jesus Buy?” instantly online, making the free film the perfect complement to Buy Nothing Day.
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Comments
Stephanie kokas
November 25th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I don’t go shopping on Black Friday anyway. Its a waste of time and energy, Especially getting frustrated in over crowded store. I avoid shopping on that day the best I can.
Siel, green LA girl
November 26th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Good thinking
I’ll be relaxing with a movie and leftovers –
CB
November 26th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
It is not a stretch for me to stay home on Black Friday… But, for those people magnetically drawn to the savings after Thanksgiving- BRING YOUR OWN BAGS!
No can fault you for wanted to save your hard earned money, even if you want to brave the retail chaos. But, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN BAGS!
FilterForGood
November 28th, 2008 at 8:05 am
[...] been observing this one-day unconsumerist celebration** for a few years now, and wanted to offer some tips for keeping Buy Nothing Day fun as well as [...]
Phil
November 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
To add a suggestion for what to do after Black Friday when Christmas comes around, http://www.TisBest.org offers gift cards you can buy for someone to then pick which charity they want the money to go to.
Great way to give a gift without buying something worthless.
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