Buy Nothing Day Saturday 29th Nov. 2014

Caterina

Here is a link to the official Buy Nothing Day (UK) website for this year. I know that many of us have several Buy Nothing Days per month, but it is worth looking at the site even just for the interesting and thought provoking video.

Spread the word!

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk

Greying_Pilgrim

Caterina - thank you for posting this link. I have just watched the video 'Live Rich' - which was very well done indeed. Great poetry and top notch video presentation. Let's hope it gets seen and engages a broad audience.

Greying

[Deleted User]

Not a problem I am keeping my purse tightly shut until Monday :)

ginnyknit

I have to take Dgs to the sweetie shop on saturdays but only spend £1.00 other than that I wont spend!

suzybloo

I will support this too, and do my shopping next Saturday on Small Business Saturday and buy from local independent shops only :-)

Caterina

I was going to have my hair cut on Saturday, even if this was a prepaid appointment I decided to postpone it. As it happens, they have a free slot on Friday, so it worked out even better.

Am planning a full no-spend weekend. Saturday dinner at a friend's, I shall bring foodstuff that I have at home. Sunday I shall actually pay for dinner out but it is a mystery shop which gets refunded in full so not really spending (and it's work).

PasturesNew

I have about 25 no spend days every month ... but if there's one day I WILL be spending money it'll definitely be the 29th November .... £7 on a special birthday treat of an indian takeaway

Caterina

PasturesNew Happy Birthday on Saturday, enjoy your treat!

I think that Buy Nothing Day is a bit irrelevant to us OSers as we have many of those every month. However it is interesting that there is the need for such thing, as many people (the former me included) spend and consume without a second thought every day.

Even as an OSer (lite ) I used to go out and think nothing of buying the odd cup of tea in a cafe, or go for a loaf of bread and come back with two carrier bags full of stuff. It has only been since starting this online diary that I have focused on what OS is really all about, after all these years. Now that I participate in the Grocery Challenge and count my NSDs I feel much more in control and, as such, much less influenced by the pull of commercial advertising.

In particular I love the idea of a Buy Nothing Day following Black Friday, it gives people some focus and it counteracts the immense and all-pervading force of the consumer world. Hope it makes sense.

Greying_Pilgrim

Caterina wrote: »

I think that Buy Nothing Day is a bit irrelevant to us OSers as we have many of those every month. However it is interesting that there is the need for such thing, as many people (the former me included) spend and consume without a second thought every day.



In particular I love the idea of a Buy Nothing Day following Black Friday, it gives people some focus and it counteracts the immense and all-pervading force of the consumer world. Hope it makes sense.

But that is why I think that the video 'Live Rich' was the best part of that website. For as many OSer's that say, 'easy' I don't need to spend, on Saturday, there will be as many 'clueless' who at best will go on spending as they've always done, or, at worst, spend, because 'ain't nobody gonna tell them what they can or can't do.....' Where's the win? Where's the seismic shift?

And whilst I agree that the lightbulb moment shines best and brightest when it's created by your own good self, there is also room for messages other than spend, spend spend. I think a bit of rap poetry and a slick video are just the sort of things to engage people, about the wider issue of spending patterns/behaviour; about the wider issue of living beyond means; about the wider issue of 'needing' to keep up with the Joneses.

Besides which, there will be the hypocrites who have spent, spent, spent on Friday, will polish their halo mightily on Saturday, scorning 'spendthrifts' and then go right back to consumerism on Sunday. No wonder independent shop-keepers get annoyed over 'non-spend day' promotions. Especially at the supposed start of the *cash-cow* over-indulgence fest.

I have to spend money on Saturday. I won't feel guilty about not joining in the 'day of action' (or should that be inaction?) Why? Simply because I am actually living the 'Live Rich' life - and loving it

Greying

Caterina

Greying, I couldn't agree more with your wise words! For a bit of real fun anticonsumer stuff, do a search on "Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping", too much stuff to put links to, but very entertaining!

rosie383

I'm looking forward more to small business Saturday if that's what it's called. Saturday 6th December. I went into my local greengrocer yesterday and was so pleasantly surprised. I have just got into the habit of buying elsewhere but I am definitely going there from now on. I needed one garlic bulb, 20p. Would have been at least 30-40p for one in a supermarket. And dd2 has been asking for sprouts. Got enough just for her for 20p. Perfect at the end of the month when my food budget has almost gone.