Buy nothing day

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Started 6 months ago by susanintexas
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susanintexas
Member

Today is "buy nothing day," the day to unshop. The ads have been overwhelming and pervasive. Even a little tempting. I haven't quite managed to buy nothing (we were dangerously low on fruit and vegetables, which is a staple of our diet) but have avoided everything else. Even the Eddie Bauer 40% off everything is the store sale. Even Shepler's (a Western dude store) boot sale + and additional 25% off this morning.

Before you nominate me for sainthood, I did succumb to Beall's pre-Black Friday bogo sale on Wednesday. Everything I got, however, was on my list so I don't feel too bad.

How's everyone else doing with the temptation?

Posted 6 months ago #
ninakk
Member

I have bought five books from Amazon; three Christmas gifts and two for me (one book on sleep by Scientific American and the other the first book on creativity by Twyla Tharp, the latter of which are two of the gifts as well). Other than that just food.

Posted 6 months ago #
Astreja
Member

I try to observe the spirit of Buy Nothing Day, if not absolutely to the letter. I have a coffee date for later, and I definitely need some potatoes, sour cream and a very few other groceries. Otherwise, no Black Friday for me!

Yes, now Black Friday has migrated to Canada too... **shudders at thought of getting anywhere near the manic mall crowds**

Posted 6 months ago #
lottielot
Member

Well, my kids needed haircuts, so I bought them some shorter hair, but other than that nothing bought whatsoever. Dh ordered 4 cases of wine and a filing cabinet though, so our house is cluttered with new stuff!

Posted 6 months ago #
ninakk
Member

I heard of the day on the radio and while I think it is great to raise the awereness in the general public, on the other hand I have so many days when I don't buy anything that I don't intend to feel bad about my purchase today. How do my fellow Unclutterers feel about this?

Posted 6 months ago #
pkilmain
Member

I have to go to the post officeand remail a small parcel that I had estimated the postage. Grrr. Otherwise, probably a little food (grocery next door to post office), but nothing more. I's snowing quite heavily here, so I want to get out and back and hunker down. We were going to a dance in Anchorage tonight, but unless the snow stops soon we won't,

Posted 6 months ago #
mugwump
Member

I got food and a haircut; both places were almost empty. I haven't decided yet whether to brave a store for 1 item at 50% off, instead of the usual 40% off. That's a savings of a grand total of 60 cents. Not sure if it's worth it.

Posted 6 months ago #
Rosa
Member

We have celebrated Buy Nothing Day for about a decade, but this year we failed; my partner didn't make it to Home Depot by the end of Wednesday for something he needed for the part of the kitchen remodel he's doing this weekend, so he's there right now.

The way all our major holidays have become shopping days really dismays me, and the Black Friday fights and deaths that make the news every year just makes me feel like this specific day is an especially good day to make the point of not shopping. But my partner's unwillingness to every take a day off work means we end up doing these remodeling/construction projects on major holidays, so we often do buy things.

Posted 6 months ago #
susanintexas
Member

ninakk: you cannot imagine the pressure in the USA to spend, spend, spend on the day after Thanksgiving. It's almost presented as a patriotic duty: it's called "black Friday" because it's the day many retailers go from being in the red to being in the black. If you buy nothing and your neighbor loses her job it's YOUR FAULT. If a business goes under it's YOUR FAULT.

People start camping outside stores on Wednesday so they can be the first for limited deals and, as Rosa pointed out, a year or two ago a sales clerk was killed by the stampede entering a big box store for cheap laptops.

There was about 5 pounds of ad inserts in yesterday's newspaper and another big stack today. And incentives to show up early -- like a $10 gift certificate to the first 50 customers (doors open at 4 am.)

For regulars on this forum, who have modest shopping habits compared to most in the US, a day of buy nothing is no big deal. But, as Rosa said, it is symbolic and for most people it would be a radical departure from the norm.

Posted 6 months ago #
sleepykitten
Member

I'm observing buy nothing day because I like to think if enough people here in the US didn't shop today, it might help us "take back" the day and the holiday season in general - or at least send a strong message that we aren't being fooled by all the rhetoric and ads.

I also don't like the idea of being trampled to death or dealing with crowds who are grumpy and sleepy from waiting up all night, so it makes sense to just avoid any sort of shopping center.

ninakk, I agree that the point is purely symbolic - especially since I need a few small things from the hardware store to make some home repairs, and I'm intentionally holding off to buy them until tomorrow, which is a bit silly. I don't think you or anyone else should feel bad about shopping today. But I like the idea of being part of a "counter-movement" so that when relatives start talking about all the deals, I can say, "I'm celebrating buy nothing day instead!"

Posted 6 months ago #
pkilmain
Member

I refuse to take part in any of the Black Friday business. I heard on the radio about several Wal-Marts around the country where there were incidents: of pepper-spraying at one, and a shooting at another (though this was outside the store, and believed to be a robbery). A FB friend reported that the police were called to our Wal-Mart early this morning. A good day to stay home, esp as it's snowing! I did go out to the post office, as I mentioned somewhere else. Silly me forgot my wallet, but fortunately I had $5 in my jeans pocket, so was able to mail my stuff.

DH has gone off to the gym and tanning parlor, and I'm working on getting my new laptop set up with all my favorites, etc. Also have some laundry going and will be working on Christmas bazaar sewing shortly.

Posted 6 months ago #
irishbell
Member

No shopping or spending, but Dad took us 3 sibs out for drinks and lunch
after visiting Moms spot at the columbarium, as it's her b-day today and she
passed away one year ago tomorrow.
It was a pleasant time and we've decided to make a yearly thing of it!
Not only did I not buy anything, we went through my folks Christmas ornaments/
decorations and recycled some of them amongst the 3 of us.
I did take more than I thought I would, but will have my girls choose
some also.

Posted 6 months ago #
Ella
Member

No shopping for me today. I have plenty of food leftover from Thanksgiving. But I live in the thick of downtown San Francisco so it's impossible to avoid the crowds on the street... if indeed there are any, I haven't dared to set foot outside yet today. Still, I need to go for my daily walk AND my daily ooo-ing at the kittens and puppies up for adoption in Macy's windows. :)

But Saturday... now that's another story. The nearby hardware store has announced a one-day 50% off sale, so I will buy a box of Miele vacuum bags for a mere $10 instead of the regular $20. And since I'm on a cash-only basis, I'll carry only enough for that one purchase. Don't need anything else.

Posted 6 months ago #
arthelemis
Member

Forgot it was black Friday today and went in a very well know Canadian store to exchange a car battery I bought 5 month ago that didn't hold a charge anymore. Almost got in a fistfight with a guy who thought I was trying to stole his special edition ''Team Canada'' power-washer, when I was merely displacing his shopping cart he left in the middle of the aisle. I just wanted to go near the parts counter... Then I had to wait 45min in line at the cash, because one lady bought Christmas ornament and one box didn't ring at the sale price. Turns out that the blue ones in the white box were the brand in sale but not the whites ones in the blue box, if you can believe that !!! (sorry, just being sarcastic). After a big tantrum and a cashier near he breakdown point, she agreed to buy a box of red ornament, in sale, instead of the whites ones. So much time and energy wasted for such a trivial thing... I mean...like really people...

Posted 6 months ago #
DivorcedMotherOf3
Member

No Black Friday here either - hate the insanity of people, it's pitiful. Spent the day in the happy comfort of my home.

Posted 6 months ago #
Anita
Member

I had no idea there was such a thing as Buy Nothing Day - cool!

I have plenty of buy nothing days, but today was not one of them. So far, I bought breakfast on the way to work, I paid to have 2 pairs of scissors sharpened (finally got them back, yay!), I bought 2 forks to keep at work (because the shared kitchen is always raided of forks by the time I have my lunch... and I usually have lunch with the boyfriend, who works in an adjacent building, hence 2 forks), and I bought a facial scrub brush thingy (ran out of my facial scrub and decided to try this thing out; it helps that it's half the price of a scrub).

Also need to buy a gift for a birthday/housewarming party I'm going to tomorrow as well as a bottle of wine, and a ticket for an event I'm attending tonight.

No Black Friday madness here - all my purchases were outside of malls/major stores, and I successfully dissuaded the boyfriend from going to the mall to look for a yoga mat. Hooray!

Posted 6 months ago #
pkilmain
Member

Anita, I bought DH a yoga mat a couple years - found in Barnes & Noble of all places. Came with a block and strap for a very reasonable price.

Posted 6 months ago #
luxcat
Member

I refuse to go near any stores on Black Friday or the weekend afterward (except grocery store, if needed). They opened some stores late on Thanksgiving night here, and we watched on TV news as some crazy lady pepper-sprayed people so she could be first into the Walmart.

Posted 6 months ago #
Ella
Member

Went out for a walk downtown. Gobs of people ogling the darling kittens in Macy's windows. A conga line of Hare Krishnas snaking through the mob. Streets blocked off to traffic so the flow of pedestrians was wall to wall, yet people were in a party mood it seemed. Girls on street corners handing out free cupcakes courtesy of eBay. Then as I headed toward home, an eruption of hovering helicopters and phalanxes of police surrounding the Occupy Oakland mob, which seemed intent on occupying Union Square where the Christmas tree lighting should be taking place right about... Now! I decided I didn't need to stay for the tree this year, despite the lure of all the surrounding street theater. Now I'm safely tucked in at home and about to tuck into those Thanksgiving leftovers. I didn't spend a single penny today, but I did take one of those free chocolate cupcakes and it was yummy.

Posted 6 months ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

We went out for breakfast this morning. We heard at the restaurant that there was a fist fight at a toy store. I still can't wrap my head around it.

Posted 6 months ago #

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