Image: Adapted from Canva Pro
I think I have discovered my favourite day of the year, National Buy Nothing Day. The event originated in Canada in the early 1990’s and is traditionally celebrated the day after Thanksgiving Day.
In essence, Buy Nothing Day, was established, by Canadian artist, Ted Dave, as an anti-consumerism protest against Black Friday (also today). Shoppers are encouraged to cut up their credit cards, hide their wallets and purses, and have a day spending nothing.
As a fully paid member of the S.N.M.S (Skinflint Northern Male Society), having a day spending nothing is music to my ears. Men from the North of England are RUMOURED to have deep pockets and tilt alarms fitted on their wallets. Possibly why some northern men turn to writing, attracted by writing’s low cost and minimum overheads.
Reasons to avoid Black Friday
When you read about the downsides to Black Friday, celebrating National Buy Nothing Day is a safer option. Consider these Black Friday facts.
Since its inception, 17 people have died and 125 people have been injured, shopping on Black Friday. Believe it, or not, there is a website collating up to date figures – visit here.
Injuries caused by shopping on Black Friday include concussions and broken bones from parking space disputes, crush injuries from queue stampedes, and instore injuries; crushed by boxes and slammed by trollies / carts.
12 per cent of Black Friday Shoppers are drunk.
Black Friday is the busiest day for plumbers (you can draw your own conclusions).
So today, the wallet and credit cards are going into the deepest draw. All Black Friday offer emails are pinging into my computer trash box. I am heading for the safety of a net zero spend day. Are you tempted by Black Friday, or joining me in a National Buy Nothing Day celebration? I would be interested to know.
Oh, I’m in! But I suspect I’m not the target audience. When we had younger kids, I was never the person to go to the store. My wife did that on her own. She didn’t want me anywhere around. I try to keep Christmas at the center of my thoughts and not to make it a commercial thing. I certainly get off track. I guess it’s like most things: balance, balance, balance. Thanks Davy. Good to know I’m in good company.
We must have similar wives, Brian. Apparently, I’m too unruly with a trolley and not much help on the shopping suggestion front. This national holiday seems suited to both of us. Have a good weekend and thanks for your thoughts.
I’m joining you on Buy Nothing Day! Great idea!
Thanks, Wynne. That’s three of us at least. We might have an army soon. 😂
please don’t tell my husband about this day 🙂 But to be honest, my experience from observing Black Friday is I want to avoid the chaos and haven’t been near a shop today (or online shopping) so guess I managed without trying. I have to say my husband leaves me at home when he does the grocery shopping as I spend too much – then insists I go with him for Christmas food shopping and then complains 🙂
Husbands are complicated creatures, Brenda. This sounds like one of the conversations I have with my wife. A man’s shopping preferences can change with the weather. 😂
I’m proud to say I have never participated in Black Friday. I did have to go out early this morning because I couldn’t face the Thanksgiving rush to get kitty litter this week. Today was also RAK Friday (Random Act of Kindness). I’m glad to know about Buy Nothing Friday…good stuff to think about as we head into the consumer madness of the holidays. 🙂 Alicia
Thank you, Alicia. This is certainly a start to a few weeks of madness. I never knew about RAK Friday being on the same day. Another much better celebration than Black Friday. Thank you for your thoughts.
I do participate in Black Friday deals, but only for items I actually want, and only from the comfort of my home computer. Sure, I have to wait for delivery, but I rather wait at home than go into town where all the craziness is.
Seems like a good strategy, Hugh. Behind a computer seems like a good place to be on Black Friday. I appreciate your thoughts.
I’m definitely with you on this one, Dave, so that’s a few of us at least looking at your comments. I disagree with Black Friday(s) or Cyber Monday(s) etc. as, although you can get a bargain if you need one, I feel it encourages people to go out and spend money on often unneeded things and usually from the big operatives like Amazon, whereas the smaller, independent shops, who can’t afford to have huge sales, lose out financially. I try to support small businesses unless I don’t have any other choice. Better still, I do, like you, try to spend nothing (apart from food and household essentials – and the bills, of course), not just one day of the year but most of the year if I can manage it. I’ve stopped buying clothes and fancy toiletries or makeup etc., but that’s also because it saves some of our precious planet’s resources (as well as not having much money in the first place). Have a lovely weekend, Dave.
Thank you, Ellie, and hope your weekend is going well. You are right in what you say. The concept of Black Friday brings into play so many other considerations. I am with you on supporting independent shops and changing our shopping habits to help the environment. In a way, Black Friday might, in the long term, make people think about these things.
Going shopping on black friday is about the last thing in the world I want to do. Therefore I’ve gone shopping the last two years in a row (first times in my life). Historically, I instructed a spin class with an anticonsumerism theme (think this land is your land by neil young), but I gave that up a few years ago. Yesterday, my kids wanted to go to the closest shopping district – not to gift shop but to buy some discounted stuff for themselves. I tagged along in the spirit of family unity but didn’t buy. I did go to the grocery store twice… does that count? The concept of black friday sort of disgusts me, as does owning a gas guzzling pickup truck, but I got one of those too.
Thanks for your thoughts, Jeff, and would have loved to have participated in your anticonsumerism spin class. There are many dilemmas pulling on us these days. It is difficult to know what to do and when to do it. The boundaries always seem to change.
I hate crowded stores. So, I have almost never been a Black Friday shopper. I probably miss out on some deals, but that is okay with me.
Thanks, Diana. I dislike crowded shopping stores too. It’s always a good excuse for me to find a quiet coffee shop and start a book which I inevitably buy first.
Buy Nothing sounds good to me. The less one buys, the less one has, the more one feels at peace. I don’t like shopping in general, find it boring and time consuming. I even zip through grocery shopping. Aren’t there better things to do? And save that precious money…Great question, Davy. 🙂
Thanks, Terveen. Anything that frees up more time for reading and writing gets a thumbs up from me. As for the money saving! I’m working on that. If only people would stop selling books. 😂