Tired of being in debt? Tired of hearing people say "money talks" when all yours ever says is goodbye? Tired of feeling dissatisfied because of some little thing you wish you had, and then feeling disappointed after you have it?
Why not take a break from all that? Celebrate International Buy Nothing Day! Spend just one day enjoying the many things you already have. Tomorrow you can always go back to chasing down more new things to clutter your life.
Buy Nothing Day is ingeniously scheduled on the day after Thanksgiving, when many people have enough leftover food in the house to last for at least a week. In addition to enjoying the fruits of all that cooking you've done (or at any rate, all that cooking somebody did) over the past few days, here are some other ideas for celebrating Buy Nothing Day with your family and friends:
- Play some of those games you already own
- Watch some of those movies you already own
- Read some of those books you already own
- Take a walk in the park
- Take a walk to the park
- Walk to the mall and smile at all the poor suckers
- Give away something you don't need anymore
- Post a comment on Blogcritics
You can certainly think of many other ways to have a fun, relaxing, enjoyable day without spending any of your hard-earned money.
And don't worry. All that stuff you wanted to buy will still be there tomorrow.
Article comments
1 - Bonnie
You know, I think it's telling how difficult it can be to participate in Buy Nothing Day. I'm always aware of the day but I have a hard time keeping my wallet in my pocket. Must have coffee, or lunch, or a new pair of socks. Tonight, I have concert tickets and will probably buy a drink or two. I think Buy Nothing Day is most significant because it makes us pause and consider our patterns of consumption, even if we don't actually succeed in buying nothing.
2 - Nancy
I've been resisting the blandishments & bullying of marketers & merchants for years now, and find I'm not only happier with less 'stuff' (too much detritus in my life makes me antsy) but I have more funds for important stuff, like charities.
3 - Bliffle
Quite so, Nancy. I've developed my sales resistance over the years so that I can walk into stores and out without buying. In fact I seldom buy anything. If there is something I Really Need, like a new PDA, I can take MONTHS auditioning PDAs at the electronic store and canvasing prices on eBay. Of course, I can make-do with my 5 yr old palm m505, but the screen appears dim and it pays to have a backup. But if I can't get the T5 I want at a reasonable price I'm willing to wait or go without.
Buy everything on the internet! It makes you stop and think, and most important, you have to wait. No impulse buying.
I went into a WalMart one time and soon fled in terror! Everyone therein is crazy! They are quite mad.
I go to the grocery store everyday, but only to the produce section. Buy nothing in a package!
4 - Victor Plenty
Impulse buying is a problem for some online shoppers, but the rest of your advice is spot-on, Bliffle.
And actually, online shopping is probably fairly safe for anyone who remembers to stay sober.
Remember, friends don't let friends surf drunk.
5 - Jackson
I succeeded in buying nothing today! Of course, I worked from 8 am to 5:30 pm and wanted nothing more than to come home at the end of that day because of the biting cold and torrential rain here in Boise, so I didn't really have the chance to buy anything. If I had visited a store, however, I think I would have been okay. I resisted buying food or tea, instead I brought food from home and used the coffee bar in the break room at work. However, if I would have stepped into the record store, I may have ran into trouble. I have a hard time resisting music.
6 - Victor Plenty
Well done, Jackson! And to everyone who at least thought about buying nothing for a day, remember that's the main point of the whole exercise: to become more mindful in our daily lives.
Even if you don't succeed in avoiding all purchases for the whole day, hopefully you were more careful to buy only things you really need, or at least will truly enjoy.
Ending the joyless automatic consumption of modern daily life is the goal here, not deprivation.