Buy nothing today
25 11 2006I’ve been posting about the corrupting and polluting effects of rampant consumerism, so to go a little way towards balancing the equation I’d like to ask the readers of this blog to take part in Buy Nothing Day.
Saturday November 25th 2006 is Buy Nothing Day (UK), It’s a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!
This year our message is simple, shop less - live more! The challenge is to try simple living for a day, spend time with family and friends, rather than spend money on them.
Buy Nothing Day also exposes the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries - only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.
Can you do it?
I’m afraid we have had to make one exception and that was to buy a copy of the ScotAds newspaper. I know, I know.
But, we’ve been trying to advertise Ginger, our Tamworth boar, for the past week and so far the ad has not appeared, so we had to buy a copy to check if the ad is in.
Other than that, we are trying to stick to it - even if it causes some difficulties.
The main problem is that both our cars are very low on fuel. We could have gone out last night and filled one or both of them, but that seems to defeat the purpose of Buy Nothing Day.
If you just shift your buying to a day in advance, then you have accomplished nothing.
So, please consider the message of Buy Nothing Day and spend more time with yourself, with your family and with your friends.
Share some real enjoyment from them and don’t look for a tawdry, short-term fix from a bag of consumer tat.
Dammit, I should have read this yesterday. The only thing we bought yesterday was a hugely expensive maple tree, but although we didn’t buy any petrol we used a shitload of it getting the tree.
Pretty much most days are “no buy days”.
I have my Tesco shopping down to a fine art. One big shop for double points. Produce (bought and own grown) frozen for when it’s needed. I have a friend who actually freezes milk!
We buy staples in bulk so that they last the month. Once a week Rosie might drop into a shop to top up on one week perishables.
Being a statistics freak I have a spreadsheet for all our spending so I can see when we buy and when we don’t.
The OH and I were having a laugh about about “not buying” as well. We do a weekly shopping trip (£30), fuel the cars as needed, buy milk once or twice a week, and buy the free ads paper. After that, it’s just the occasional big things like animal feed every two months, heating oil, car servicing and the like.
And as the OH says, “We couldn’t buy anything else as we haven’t any money to spend.”
Then she told me about losing her £1 spending money at school last week. It was a big deal as that’s three days of coffee.
When she finally found it, her students were amazed that she’d much such a fuss over £1.
Some said they’d make a fuss over losing £10, but other were blase about even a tenner.
Why? Because these are children, in S1 (first year secondary), who get £50 a week pocket money! Or who are given £2000 cash and a car for their birthday!
£50!
I got 50p and that went back into my parents’ pockets to pay for my first telescope. After I received it the pocket money ceased coming.
£50? You’re kidding, right? My eldest gets £3.50 and he’s 13! Mind you, he does get clothing and lunches provided. £50 though… oh, I really hope you’re kidding.
No, I’m not kidding. A Scottish child can get £50 a week pocket money to indulge themselves, while a Chinese migrant worker gets £50 a month to sort plastic in a haze of toxic smoke. Great world, isn’t it.