Buy Nothing!!

One of the posts I follow is ZenHabits.  And their posting today took how I feel to the next level -- and I am in complete agreement!!  Today is one of the worst days of the year: overconsumption day (or Black Friday as its called)  But it should be our "Buy Nothing Day".    I prefer the latter — it means we waste less, consumer fewer resources, stop looking to shopping to solve our problems and make us happy, and instead find simpler ways of finding contentment.

And so today I extend a challenge to all of you, and the world: Buy Nothing Until 2013.

Yes, I’m taking Buy Nothing Day and extending it through the end of the year.

Why the hell would you want to do this challenge?
Do it as a protest against consumerism and corporate influences on our lives.
Do it as a tool for contentment, for simplicity.
Do it to reclaim the holidays as a time of connection and love, not of buying and debt.
Do it just to see if you can.
And yes, you can still do it if you’ve already done some Black Friday shopping. We’ll forgive our past sins and start afresh. :)

Buy Nothing Until 2013 is about freedom.
Freedom from consumerism. Freedom from corporations (or a little bit of freedom, at least).
Freedom from debt and overspending.
Freedom from the need to shop to be happy.
Freedom from the use of shopping as therapy or stress relief.
Freedom from shopping as a way to connect with others.
Freedom from buying to show our love for others.
Freedom from sales and holiday madness and malls and huge chain stores and crazy shoppers.
Freedom from overuse of resources, from wasted packaging, from wasted fuel to ship all that junk to the store.
Freedom from crap we don’t need.

We are more than consumers. We don’t need to buy gifts to celebrate the holidays with each other — we can get together, make delicious food, go outside and do something fun, play games, talk, tell jokes, tell stories, give hugs.  We are alive, and don’t want to waste the hours we have in chain box stores and malls buying things we don’t really need
.
We know that just because stores have massive sales doesn’t mean we need to buy what they’re selling. Sales don’t mean we’re saving money — it means we’re spending it. We used precious life hours earning our money, and we want to use that to live, not buy.
We are free from buying, and free to live.
Join us, and Buy Nothing Until 2013.

There are no official rules. Make it up as you go.  Make a commitment to buy nothing except necessities until Jan 1.  And make sure you tell at least one other person!   Necessities are OK, like groceries and household supplies, just avoid buying gifts, new clothes and gadgets for yourself.

Find other ways if you really need something.  Can you make do for a few more weeks?  Can you borrow from a friend?  Get it at a thrift store (yes, that’s buying, but buying from Goodwill is better than buying from Walmart). Can you make your own?

Celebrate the holidays without buying gifts.  Maybe have a potluck with friends - everyone bring a dish and maybe a game to share!  Be creative!

Join me, my friends, and together let’s forge a new path that’s free from the burden of buying.