Buy Nothing Day: Shop Less, Live More

The mere idea of a day dedicated to battling consumerism excites me. I've always considered myself to be quite a frugal person, annoyed by members of my family who complain about their massive debts while gazing into their 60 inch televisions.

Sadly, we live in a truly "stuff" obsessed culture, where we define ourselves by what we own rather than by who we are. It seems we’ve lost sight of the difference between a "need" and a "want". Do we really need 400 television channels, or that new pair of Nike runners? Not really…but we sure as hell want them!

I’ve always been amazed that in our culture it’s absolutely normal to spend money we don’t physically have - to just “throw it on the credit card.” Our thirst for instant gratification has somehow overpowered our conscience, along with our ability to tell ourselves “NO!”

My hope is that “Buy Nothing Day” will somehow quench this absurd thirst, revive our conscience, and WAKE US UP (if only for 24 hours), because at the end of the day our lives will not be measured in our DVD’s, designer clothing, or automobiles, but in our knowledge, triumphs, and accomplishments.

How would you like to be remembered?
As a “…loving father and husband…”
Or as the “…owner of the sweetest flat screen ever…”


"Shop Less - Live More." 4 Oct 2008 . <http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/>.