Buy Nothing Day 2008

[stephstar]

Friday November 28th 2008 is Buy Nothing Day, It's a day where you challenge yourself to switch off from shopping and tune into life.

The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Buy Nothing Day is the biggest 24-hour moratorium against consumerism. People around the world will make a pact to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is - IT'S FREE!!!

Spread the word.

[Rbishop]

I plan on buying some beer that day, to celebrate the day!

[stephstar]

buy your beer the day before, plan ahead! Just try not to drink it all :)

[J double R]

yes! lets all participate and panic the stock market into crashing our economy into an even worse slump!

[jpappy789]

yes! lets all participate and panic the stock market into crashing our economy into an even worse slump!

Or we could all stop spending money that we don't have for one day...



I hate shopping anyways...

[247Plants]

Wow.....no shopping on the biggest shopping day of the year eh?

Good luck getting many followers.....

And not spending any money is the best thing you could ever do to crash a economy, the whole basis of the US economy depends on people spending money to support the market.

Arent we in a bad enough situation right now? Do you really want to make it worse?

[elks]

[ Or we could all stop spending money that we don't have for one day...]

For many that's becoming everyday:tombstone:

[Cheech]

soon we'll be looking forward to "just regular ol' day" days, seeing how all these "days" are getting in the way!

[FISHSHROD]

that's right !!!!!!!!

[wetwillyjoe69]

i for one WILL be shopping that day, under the condition that i will have money to shop with. best time to get deal. last year i woke up at 4am to buy my 42" half off. 5th guy in line too

[FISHSHROD]

what was that 21"

[petluvr]

I too plan to shop that day. Consumerism *sheesh* without it where would we all be?

[SchizotypalVamp]

On the contrary, November 28th is buy everything day. The rest of the days of the year are usually buy nothing days.

[Virtuoso2K12]

Many will but things of here that day...And i'm going shopping too.hahahhaha.

[stephstar]

OK, for all those that say we should spend more because of the economy, this no spend day has been happening for YEARS. It did not just pop up this year.
It is a chance to recognize your personal spending habits, and makes you think about putting down your credit card and give it a rest.

Here is why you should consider it:
*55 percent of credit card users keep a balance on their credit card
*The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortages.
*Average credit card debt among indebted young adults increased by 55 percent between 1992 and 2001, to $4,088.
*The average credit card indebted young adult household now spends nearly 24 percent of its income on debt payments, four percentage points more, on average, than young adults did in 1992.
*74.9 percent of the U.S. families surveyed in 2004 had credit cards, and 58 percent of those families carried a balance. In 2001, 76.2 percent of families had creditcards, and 55 percent of those families carried a balance.
*Total U.S. consumer debt (which includes credit-card debt and non-credit-card debt but not mortgage debt) reached $2.55 trillion at the end of 2007, up from $2.42 trillion at the end of 2006.


There some more stats I could quote, but I am do not want to lecture. My point here was to just make people aware.
You and I both pay for these kinds of debt, even if you do not carry a balance and you balance you check book every month.

[Eddiecorrea]

Friday November 28th 2008 is Buy Nothing Day, It's a day where you challenge yourself to switch off from shopping and tune into life.

The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Buy Nothing Day is the biggest 24-hour moratorium against consumerism. People around the world will make a pact to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is - IT'S FREE!!!

Spread the word.

This is a terrible idea. Look at the American Economy now and the world economy. It depends on spending. If we dont spend we plummet into a bigger spiral. Do you really want that to happen? I plan on spending more than I normally do. I havent changed my spending habbits at all because thats why our economy is crashing. People are saving money when in fact if they were spending we wouldnt be in any trouble.

[petluvr]

Your sig does it mean you are in British Columbia-BC?

[SchizotypalVamp]

I think it's a good idea to spend on black friday precisely because if you do, you will be in less debt than if you buy almost any other day of the year. It's the responsible thing to do. I say this as a stingy person with anti-materialistic tendencies.

It's also a great day to buy things for loved ones that you couldn't afford normally.

[Eddiecorrea]

OK, for all those that say we should spend more because of the economy, this no spend day has been happening for YEARS. It did not just pop up this year.
It is a chance to recognize your personal spending habits, and makes you think about putting down your credit card and give it a rest.

Here is why you should consider it:
*55 percent of credit card users keep a balance on their credit card
*The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortages.
*Average credit card debt among indebted young adults increased by 55 percent between 1992 and 2001, to $4,088.
*The average credit card indebted young adult household now spends nearly 24 percent of its income on debt payments, four percentage points more, on average, than young adults did in 1992.
*74.9 percent of the U.S. families surveyed in 2004 had credit cards, and 58 percent of those families carried a balance. In 2001, 76.2 percent of families had creditcards, and 55 percent of those families carried a balance.
*Total U.S. consumer debt (which includes credit-card debt and non-credit-card debt but not mortgage debt) reached $2.55 trillion at the end of 2007, up from $2.42 trillion at the end of 2006.


There some more stats I could quote, but I am do not want to lecture. My point here was to just make people aware.
You and I both pay for these kinds of debt, even if you do not carry a balance and you balance you check book every month.

You are from British Columbia. Why are you posting American facts?

I for one being an American do not have a Credit Card. I pay cash for EVERYTHING. I paid $23,000 CASH for my new car. Not a check or anything but cold hard cash. And Im only 19. If people were smart and worked hard and paid for everything with cash they would be fine.

[SchizotypalVamp]

Just a note: you need a credit history to rent and buy a house, so paying in cash really isn't a solution to everything. It's buying responsibly and really considering what you need vrs what you want.

American facts, as are most facts, are widely available on google.

[Eddiecorrea]

I think it's a good idea to spend on black friday precisely because if you do, you will be in less debt than if you buy almost any other day of the year. It's the responsible thing to do. I say this as a stingy person with anti-materialistic tendencies.

It's also a great day to buy things for loved ones that you couldn't afford normally.

I for one camp on Thanksgiving day at Best Buy for black friday! I spent 14 hrs there last year and plan to spend atleast 16 this year.

I dont think they are stingy. Just canadian.

[Eddiecorrea]

Just a note: you need a credit history to rent and buy a house, so paying in cash really isn't a solution to everything. It's buying responsibly and really considering what you need vrs what you want.

American facts, as are most facts, are widely available on google.

Oh I know I need Credit History. I pay for gas and tank stuff on a credit card. But I have a seperate account set aside to pay it off. So as I buy the stuff I take the cash and put it in that account. That way its gone. So I guess I lied. I do have a CC. Just for gas for my car and fish tank stuff.

[bettagurl]

I really could go without a new Tv or something, people act nuts on Black Friday.. If I want to get knocked around by a bunch of crazed people I will go to a fish convention where they are giving out free asian arowana's.
That would be worth getting beat up.
I leave the black friday shopping to my friends, let them fight the mobs and miss out on a good night's sleep. I just wait for them to come tell me nutty stories and give me cheap things.
:D

[Mgamer20o0]

black friday is my day with cyber monday.... i need my $20 chair from staples..... i want a new hdtv........ cheap blank dvds some usb sticks who knows what ill get...... i might stay in only for the fact that the deals may not be very good like last year. not buying anything on one day wont help anything jus tlike not buying gas one day will fix something some how...... there is nothing wrong with credit cards if you use them right..... people need to learn to speed with in their means skiping one day wont change anything........... wait.......

yes everyone in the world stay in....... yes..... this is a good scam...... less people in lines less people to fight with..... this is very good idea....... yes everyone stay in and out of my way on black friday...... leave the sales to me.

[SchizotypalVamp]

I spent two hours in line at Fry's last year, but it was completely worth it!

However, what she posted about americans is actually statistical fact collected by americans, and it's not fare to discriminate or generalize about a person because they come from a different country.

[stephstar]

OK, I am correcting my self here.

I am Canadian, but do not be fooled in not believing that the world is affected by the US economy.

All I am saying is be aware of your spending. Buy what you need. I am not stingy, I am not anti materialistic. I do not have excess things, but I do have kids so I have to compromise.
It is good to deny yourself of things once in a while.

[ChilDawg]

I know that they're aiming for the biggest possible impact by having this on Black Friday, but, uh, that kind of makes it hard to participate for people who would willingly do so on many other days of the year.

That having been said, I usually go four or five days of the week without spending.

[stephstar]

I know that they're aiming for the biggest possible impact by having this on Black Friday, but, uh, that kind of makes it hard to participate for people...

I did not make up this day, I do not know who did? Most likely it was an American because the rest of the world does not have this mayhem shopping day. I would have to research this.

[Reefscape]

You are from British Columbia. Why are you posting American facts?

People are free to post infomation about any country they choose, its not up to anyone to say who can and cannot post facts..

Thread has been cleaned up folks, lets keep this on topic now please...

[Eddiecorrea]

black friday is my day with cyber monday.... i need my $20 chair from staples..... i want a new hdtv........ cheap blank dvds some usb sticks who knows what ill get...... i might stay in only for the fact that the deals may not be very good like last year. not buying anything on one day wont help anything jus tlike not buying gas one day will fix something some how...... there is nothing wrong with credit cards if you use them right..... people need to learn to speed with in their means skiping one day wont change anything........... wait.......

yes everyone in the world stay in....... yes..... this is a good scam...... less people in lines less people to fight with..... this is very good idea....... yes everyone stay in and out of my way on black friday...... leave the sales to me.

LOL gamer. I love Black Friday. I plan on buying 2 or 3 laptops, a new Flat Screen TV, a HD Video Camera, and whatever else I can get my hands on. Last year I went nuts. I bought 3 laptops, 2 printers, 2 32" TVs, TONS of DVDs, 2 Cannon Cameras, and some memory sticks. Im sure I bought more but I dont remember. Granted I only kept 1 laptop and 1 TV and all the movies and memory sticks. I still went out and spent a ton of money. I then made a huge profit and bought fish stuff!

[alleykat0498]

This Idea doesnt really compute. If we all do no shopping for the holidays on black friday, doesnt that just help consumerism. If we all stay home when things are on sale, and then purchase them later at regular or at a higher sale price, doesnt that just generate more revenue for the retailer? Just my .02

[wataugachicken]

black friday, for the retailers, is not about giving us great deals. black friday is about 1. volume sales and 2. impulse buying. no matter how low the price is, there is always a markup and the retailers are still making money. people think they are saving money, but in actuality it seems like (read: personal observation) they spend more than they would have if they'd bought their tv or computer on a 'regular price' day. instead of getting in, buying that *one* item they planned on buying, and going home, they say,"Look! This is on sale and this is on sale and hey, i always wanted one of these!" and before they know it, even though they've saved $100, they've spent $300. The additional problem is that people (in general) don't stop there. That $100 they just saved? They're not really going to bring it back home and save it, they're going to spend it on even more stuff that they feel they can get a deal on. So instead of *actually* saving on a single major purchase, they've spent their whole allowance on a pile of stuff that was all on sale. With the way pricing and markups work (like how some places RAISE their prices before the rush and then when those things go on sale they're almost at regular price anyway?) it doesn't matter to the companies how much you buy at what % off. . . . they're just happy that you ended up at home with an empty wallet and your online credit card statement is flashing red when you log on to check your balance. But the people go home happy - "I spent too much, but at least it was all on sale!"

[Mgamer20o0]

but thats not everyone..... thats the suckers who dont know deals anyways..... black friday deals are good but if you know what your doing you can find deals as good or better all year long....

[SchizotypalVamp]

Exactly. The key to saving and not being in dept all the time is self control and if you exercise self control on black Friday, you save even more.

On the flip side, two black fridays ago, my parents did make an impulse gift buy-my monitor. It was on clearance for $200. Still retails for $500 and I needed one anyways.

[Virtuoso2K12]

O i'm going shopping on black friday for sure.

[Mgamer20o0]

Exactly. The key to saving and not being in dept all the time is self control and if you exercise self control on black Friday, you save even more.

On the flip side, two black fridays ago, my parents did make an impulse gift buy-my monitor. It was on clearance for $200. Still retails for $500 and I needed one anyways.
thats why you make up strike teams...... and a list before hand. i know every single item ill buy before i walk in..... i cant handle people who want to shop on black friday lol freaking nut jobs..... get in get out and move on to the next store........ its a art......

[Mindcrime121]

I'm still missing the point... If no one shops on black friday, who benifits, and how? This seems like an ill concieved "stick it to the man" plan, to kick the feds, credit companies and retailers in the crotch with no one truly benifitting from it, including those who participate in carrying it out. As was already repeatedly said, our economy is very dependent on cunsumerism, hence all those checks the feds sent out this past year to BOOST consumerism and thereby boost our economy. Who BENIFITS by trying to undermine that stimulus plan, and HOW? Lastly, isn't political issues taboo in all forms here? So why are we even talking about American economy, regardless of where we are each from?

[Virtuoso2K12]

thank you MG,just get it and move on to the next thing.

[Eddiecorrea]

its a art......

I agree with that. I know EXACTLY what I am going to get when I go into Best Buy. Thats the only store I go to and MAYBE Walmart. I might grab the extra memory stick or movie as Im walking to the register but I dont spend more than a 15mins in the store after waiting 15hrs.

[Chill]

okay I'll just loot and pillage http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/smile5.gif should be good pickings if everyone else is at best buy

seriously though I rather pay full price or do without rather than deal with the masses on these big sale days

[Sploke]

meh....i showed up to best buy at 3am exactly once on black friday before deciding that, there's nothing i really need THAT BADLY to spend that much time waiting for a sale. Esp with the internet, you look around enough and you can get stuff for those prices anyway. I have better things to do with my time.

[faun]

I think its a good idea to have a worldwide day when no one spends any money we don't have a black friday sale in this country so it won't bother me not spending any money on the 28th. But if i lived in the US it might be a different matter!

[snoopy65]

What is Black Friday anyway? It is very nice sales. It is shopping mayhem. It is survival of the fittest. It is for some family tradition. But most importantly it is the day which most companies go from the RED to the BLACK in their accounting ledgers. This is the reason it is called that. If no one went out on black friday the companies that rely upon getting into the "Black" on that day, would not.

I for one will not be responsible for a business not getting into the black and will be buying that day.

I buy responsibly and I buy with cash on Black Friday. I do not see how not buying on black friday will have any affect on a person's willingness to go into debt. People who buy impulsively do that every shopping day of the year.

[caitylee]

Unfortunately I will not be participating this black Friday. The company I work for just informed me that I have a job thru Christmas but no guarantees past that. My Christmas will be small this year. Its okay though its really for the kids and that is who I am buying for this year.

[snoopy65]

I here ya! I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old, not to mention 2 great nieces 3 and 10. That is who I will be out there for.

[Eddiecorrea]

So everyone that wants to go shopping knows check out this website (http://www.blackfriday.info). They get all the ads early and post them up. They were right on last year. Best Buy ad just went up today! I already know what Im getting!

[stephstar]

bump!

[Rbishop]

Yes..go out and buy all you can tomorrow...

[murraycod]

Well, I thoroughly endorse Steph's sentiment. I also think that a strong consumer base underpins effective business and high levels of employment.
The sentiment of good will is shown, over time, by consumers making choices which are effectively subtle demands, that producers employ fair trade practices in their business.
Buy fish which are bred specificallly for aquaria. Buy plantation sourced Christmas trees. Coffee from fair trade outlets. Local, in-season produce to lessen co2 emmisions ....
Spend Up Big, if that's your thing. Just make your dollars make a difference to the trader AND their suppliers. Good fun and good will.

[stephstar]

Spend Up Big, if that's your thing. Just make your dollars make a difference to the trader AND their suppliers. Good fun and good will.

And use your cloth or paper bags!!! :clap: Remember, plastic bags kills marine life!

[Rbishop]

weird-o greenies...lmao

[murraycod]

No...just recognise and use the full VALUE of the dollar.....Ethical investment is powering world wide. Because of the high levels of good governance required by adding a social and ecological rationale to company evaluation, fund managers have to be at the top of their game.
Spending's great. We all do it and mostly we enjoy it. We're just wanting to leverage the power of our spending to its best advantage. Better returns environmentally, socially AND financially. Spending....It's an opportunity....

[Rbishop]

lmao

[jm1212]

if anything you should be encouraging people to go buy stuff.

[Mgamer20o0]

everyone go buy plenty since there nothing much i want...... but ill buy stuff just to buy stuff to fight the power lol

[jpappy789]

Then you might as well buy me something mg...:D

[unvmyplecos]

it figures.............. i gotta go buy a couple things for a school diorama

[fwiffo]

lol, black friday is for nutjobs who want to leave their warm beds for deals. me, i stayed in bed and slept in!!! wooohoooo!!!!

[MisaHasTheEyes]

Does it count if you're selling? I've got to get these synodontis out to a guy today, and can't do it Saturday!

[stephstar]

Misa,
As long as you are aware of your spending, it is a start. There is a coffee shop that does not sell anything on this day to promote Buy Nothing Day, but is still open. The owner fills her store with diagrams and literature and speaks to her customers of the virtues of living with in your means and cutting back to save the planet. She hands out free tea.
If you HAVE to contribute to consumerism on this day, then do so. The point here is to just make the public aware that North Americans are so consumer driven, that the world can not sustain this. You do not NEED the new cell phone when you just bought one last month, you do not NEED the fourth TV in your home, you do not NEED the trinket that collects dust. For those who say, well we need to spend money to keep the economy going...wake up and smell your gourmet coffee beans (hopefully they were fairly traded). Capitalism relies on saving as well, it will not work with out it.
Here is a book, if anyone is remotely interested. The author was just on the radio this morning and is VERY interesting.
Consumed (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Consumed/Benjamin-R-Barber/e/9780393330892/?itm=1)

PS, do not buy it today though, or even better, try to get in on audio off the internet.
(http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Consumed/Benjamin-R-Barber/e/9780393330892/?itm=1)

[Rbishop]

BUY! BUY! BUY!

[Virtuoso2K12]

I woke up late,but o well.

[jpappy789]

At least the grocery store was quiet today.....

[FISHSHROD]

I spend all my money at the grocery store

[blue2fyre]

lol

Awesome thread. I personally avoid Black Friday plus I work through the early sale hours. I agree with the concept of spending within your means. Savers rule! lol Though I did need to buy gas today :(

[J double R]

people who save their money hurt the economy. :)

[petluvr]

OOOPPPPPSSSSS....I BOUGHT LIKE 20 SOMETHINGS:)