Buy Nothing Day

11 Responses to “Buy Nothing Day”

1. Nov
   23
   2007
   

   At 12:37 am Adventures In Babywearing says:

   I’m there. It’s actually Buy Nothing Weekend for me. And it feels good!

   Steph

   Reply
2. Nov
   23
   2007
   

   At 12:23 pm Jenny says:

   We’re doing a Buy Nothing Christmas as well. This mad dash for low prices is disturbing. I don’t even know why people put themselves through it at all.

   Reply
3. Nov
   23
   2007
   

   At 4:58 pm Laurie B says:

   We’re avoiding the shopping malls, but we did stop at the bakery and the grocery store today–just for food!

   I am amazed by the radio ads for the stores opening at midnight, or 4 am, or 5 am today. What is the point of getting up in the middle of the night to shop? Are they going to rnu out of things for people to buy? Bizarre.

   Reply
4. Nov
   23
   2007
   

   At 7:01 pm RT says:

   I don’t comprehend the true principles of Buy Nothing Day–and it appears that there are quite varying ideas of why folks are supporting such a day (from the link you posted).

   Here’s why I enjoyed shopping this morning:
   - I have a limited budget and, as a homemaker, I try to stretch my dollars. Getting up early was a small sacrifice to make for great deals.
   - I made a list, planned ahead, and stuck to my choices for Christmas presents. The gifts I bought were practical and will bless my loved ones on December 25!
   - There was a real communal spirit of fun and camaraderie in shops this morning. From driving in the dark with my dad (my go-to guy for early rising adventures) to helping other shoppers find the right styles and sizes, I didn’t run into one angsty, aggressive or competitive person.

   I love your site, and your Live Lightly tour, too. Your ideas have definitely influenced my thinking in the past several months. But I suppose I’m tired with people complaining about all the “crazy” early morning shoppers. I wasn’t crazy at all and I loved making a new holiday memory with just me and my dad.

   Reply
5. Nov
   24
   2007
   

   At 12:20 pm Christine says:

   RT — I don’t think you’re crazy at all! It sounds like you make a very concerted effort to wisely take advantage of the specials that were offered. My impression of the majority of people, though, is that they aren’t as well-prepared as you are, and that they wind up buying a lot of things on impulse that are neither needed nor wanted.

   I do participate in Buy Nothing Day, because getting up so early and standing in the cold with crowds doesn’t appeal to me at all. So I try to create a list of gift items for my family that are both practical and within my budget and buy them in early December.

   I recently read about The Advent Conspiracy, where people try to limit the amount they spend on Christmas presents so they can give additional money to charity. They also work to create “relational” gifts for each other, such as knitting a scarf for your sister, etc. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and while I don’t knit, I think we’ll plan to increase our charitable donations this year and lower the amount we spend on presents.

   Reply
6. Nov
   25
   2007
   

   At 8:37 am Weirdbunny says:

   Oh dear I love to make a purchase ! Guess I’ll have to stay in bed all day not to risk buying !

   Reply
7. Nov
   25
   2007
   

   At 7:33 pm Rachel says:

   Sara,

   I just found your blog through mothering.com and I am inspired! I will be interested to read more.

   Reply
8. Nov
   25
   2007
   

   At 8:32 pm anon. says:

   RT et al:

   There’s nothing preventing stores from offering good deals starting at a more humane hour, e.g. 9am. By going early, we’re telling store owners this is ok behavior. When will it stop? Why not just open on Thanksgiving day, too?

   If I were to participate in the 4am (or 1am here) madness, that would suggest that I condone stores making folks (parents, etc.) get up at g-d awful hours to leave their families. In some cases, this means people can’t leave to go visit family for the holiday. I don’t condone this treatment of workers or disrespect for families, so I don’t go, and likewise try not to do business on Sundays.

   I’m on a budget, too, but I find that there are other ways I can trim my holiday bills, e.g. giving less gifts, homemade ones, gifts of time, etc.

   “Blessing” our friends and families on Dec 25th doesn’t have to mean buying cheap goods, which are likely cheap because they are made in sweatshops or in places with poor human/workers’ rights and environmental standards. This seems blatantly antithetical to Christian values.

   Reply
9. Nov
   26
   2007
   

   At 11:39 am Kimberly says:

   My sister-in-law is the manager of a major retail store. They opened at 4am Friday morning, and she had to be there at 2am to get everything ready. Her entire yearly bonus is determined by the sells on that day. Happy Holiday, indeed…

   Reply
10. Nov
    26
    2007
    

    At 3:59 pm anon says:

    One more thought: I’ve spent some time working in West. Europe (mostly France), and was both surprised and pleased to see that businesses were closed on Sundays and many on Mondays, too, to allow workers a real weekend while allowing consumers the option of weekend shopping. It seemed like a fabulous, reasonable, human/family- friendly way to do things. And this coming from a secular state! Here I go to church and see more cars parked at the Church of St. Home Improvement across the street and what’s become a never-ending strip mall. I think it’s sad.

    Part of this is policy-based (i.e. it’s for the most part illegal to open on Sundays in France), but it’s also consumer driven. If we don’t go, they won’t open. I think it’s important not to forget just how much agency we have.

    Reply
11. Nov
    26
    2007
    

    At 9:09 pm Clair says:

    I did participate in buy nothing day and have a card giveaway on my blog in honor of the day. I spent time with my niece and nephew and went to the library.

    Reply