Buy Nothing Day
By Cahaya
@cahaya1983 (11116)
Malaysia
November 17, 2015 9:00pm CST
Those of you living in North America probably have heard about this but I didn't know about it until today. It's actually a campaign that was first organized in Canada back in 1997 and today over 65 countries have participated.
Buy Nothing Day is held concurrent to Black Friday and the whole point of the campaign is to protest against over-consumption. So it's not a coincidence that it's held in the middle of a busy shopping season.
They do things like credit card cut ups, sit-ins, zombie walks, and so on. There's also another thing called "whirl-mart" where participants would form a long conga line, steering empty shopping carts around a mall or store.
Honestly, I'm not sure how effective such campaigns are or if they're even necessary. I mean you probably can go all out not buying anything for one day, but what about the other 364 days?
Any thoughts on this? Do you think campaigns like this actually help build a life-lasting commitment to reduce over-consumption?
23 people like this
25 responses
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
Haha seems like it's going to take forever until for your countdown to end. Or...wait, it probably didn't even start yet. 
3 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
18 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 I have it all done. Hoping that I get the numbers right this time. At the maximum, we go out to buy things on 170-180 days in a year.
Some supplies like milk, newspaper, Internet, Phone - these are paid on a monthly basis and delivered at home daily - So I think these can be excluded from daily buying.
The campaigns like the one you mention mean nothing. I mean come to look at it - if there is an illness and you do need to buy medicines, will you wait for the next day just because today was a No Selling/Buying Day?
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
@thesids Wow. I never thought about counting how many days in a year I do my shopping, interesting.
Well I think that's not the point of the campaign. It's about making people aware of over consumption, not about being an average consumer. So I doubt they would be too cruel to say no to buying medicines when you're sick. 
3 people like this
@everloving (439)
• Chennai, India
18 Nov 15
Yes, it's good to spread the awareness for overconsumption . But don't you feel that people would just buy items the next day. Everyone one does want to take home heaps of things especially when the price is cheap. What about having this day as most expensive day where the store can sell 200% , 300% , 500% of the max. selling price.People are gonna call the day off.
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
19 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 shoplifters have don't buy or at least don't pay for it days more often than most of us lol 
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
20 Nov 15
@arthurchappell Haha true, everyday is buy nothing day for them!
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
Haha that's in interesting idea. I wonder how that would work.
But yeah that's what I said in one of my comments, it's just going to make people want to go all out buying stuff the next day and onwards especially since most deals last up until the holiday season is over.
3 people like this
@marguicha (230334)
• Chile
18 Nov 15
For me that is not a matter that a day of sit ins can help. Any person who is against over consumism must fight against it at a 365 day basis. The thing is not to buy more than what we need. And to think about our real needs first.
3 people like this
@marguicha (230334)
• Chile
19 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 That´s exactly why I don´t like Woman´s Day. Employers give a rose to their secretaries on that day and treat them badly the rest of the years.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
Yes, it's a matter of how committed we are to that lifestyle. One day isn't likely to change anything if the next day everyone's back to their habit of overshopping.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
20 Nov 15
@marguicha Oh yeah. They make secretaries day a huge event here too, celebrating in 5-star hotels and all.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
18 Nov 15
What about online shopping. Is there moratorium there too?
3 people like this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
18 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 So no one can stop my little pleasures (lol)
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
Haha good point, I didn't think about that. Well that one would be tough to boycott for sure.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502190)
• Italy
22 Nov 15
@ridingbet No, this has nothing to do with Friday the 13th. The Thanksgiving is always on Thursday (the last Thursday of November. The day after the Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day, it's called Black Friday because so many people going to shop caused traffic accidents and sometimes even violence.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
Yes I'm not sure what countries have participated in that campaign, but I know there are over 65.
3 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
22 Nov 15
but what is black Friday? is it because Friday falls on the 13th of the month?
3 people like this
@spleendingo1 (799)
• Grand Haven, Michigan
18 Nov 15
I will participate in anything that lets me be in a shopping cart conga line. Best. Protest. Activity. EVER! 
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
Haha why am I not surprised. You just have to make sure you come out of the mall with an empty cart though. Just saying.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
@yukimori They're probably planning it already!
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
18 Nov 15
I think it would be awesome if we could organize a shopping boycott on a certain day, and a day like Black Friday would be the best. Unfortunately you won't get people to turn down the deals they see, they'll still go out shopping.
I'm not going out, but a friend of mine is picking some stuff up for me when she goes out.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
18 Nov 15
Yeah I believe that's the reason they chose to organize the campaign on that particular day. Good point about the deals. Many of them are usually available for a certain period of time so even if people boycott shopping on that one day, you can't guarantee that they wouldn't return to the stores the next day to take advantage of the deals.
2 people like this
@SinfulRose (3527)
• Davao, Philippines
18 Nov 15
Honestly, I wouldn't know. But I would like to experience Black Friday at least once. Like, I know the prizes of merchandise are so low, anyone can buy it. Honestly, been practicing Buy Nothing Day all my life. lawl.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
Your last sentence made me laugh. Yeah I think that's how most people see it.They've probably saved up their money to wait until they can get a good bargain on things on that particular day.
Yeah I think that's how most people see it.They've probably saved up their money to wait until they can get a good bargain on things on that particular day.1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
20 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 I suppose that one is not counted since it's a necessity .
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
I wish there's some kind of research done on how much things like this really have an impact on consumers, especially those who participate in all those activities.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
20 Nov 15
personally? i think such's a mute point. most'f those folks jest go out 'n buy what they wish't other times 'n don't truly cut back 'n their buyin' 'f schtuff not only 'emselves don't need, nor the folks they're buyin' gifts fer.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
20 Nov 15
Spot on. I've seen people shopping like nobody's business during the holiday season and they buy things just because those things are cheap, not because they actually need them.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
23 Nov 15
@crazyhorseladycx Right, the shopaholics. They can't stop themselves.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
20 Nov 15
@cahaya1983 we live in wasteful societies i fear. seems some folks're kinda flyin' 'bout'n auto-pilot 'r somethin'?? i aint ne'er figured such out myself.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
Yes I think so, too. I understand the point of the whole thing but I don't think one day is really going to make much difference for most people.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
I think so too. They might help increase awareness on that particular day but it takes more than just a one-day activity to make people change their habit.
2 people like this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
19 Nov 15
I have never heard of it before but it sounds interesting.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
It does, although I expect many people to turn up for the "whirl mart" thing for the fun of it.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
19 Nov 15
great idea and I wish more people would go for it - I have many buy nothing days due to having no money to buy things with on many days
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
20 Nov 15
You're not alone, I'm sure. In fact I think not all the ones who have the money to spend are really crazy about shopping anyway, holiday season or not.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
23 Nov 15
Same here. I hardly go shopping unless I really have things that I need to buy.
2 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
24 Nov 15
This might be something that could bring a huge response from sellers. It would be interesting to see it happen here!
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
26 Nov 15
I'm not sure how this would impact the sellers, since I'm sure a lot of people would still take advantage of the deals and discounts and shop on that particular day.
@fawkes62 (1276)
• United States
19 Nov 15
I don't think these types of campaigns help at all. Like you said, you can go a whole day without buying anything fairly easy, but can you go even a week? I often times go several days without buying anything, but I get groceries every week, so I can't go more than 6 days without shopping.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
20 Nov 15
I believe their main goal is to put an end to over-consumption, or basically buying things that aren't necessary. I think groceries are part of our daily needs so I'm not sure if they're against that. I can't imagine a week or two without doing groceries either.
2 people like this
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
1 Dec 15
I think this was an Adbusters initiative - I used to read their magazine now and then. It is probably going to have an extremely limited impact on consumer habits, and promoting he day widely is obviously a problem, but some of the activities do sound like fun.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
2 Dec 15
Yes that's right, I just checked. It was an Adbusters intiative. The founders were hoping it would spark a radical transformation somehow, but like you said, the impact is probably very small and insignificant.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40843)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Nov 15
Those events don't make a different to most people. However, it may help some people feel more comfortable cutting back on their consumerism.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
30 Nov 15
Yes I think it serves more as a reminder and a way to create awareness than a drastic measure to change people's habit.
