Happy Buy Nothing Day!

Thanks to my fiscal restraint policies, I managed to avoid the lures of Black Friday yesterday, even though I was in the big city of Halifax with ample opportunities to spend tempting me all around. On my way back to Cheryl's place, Xmas lights twinkled in shop window displays on every street corner, but with unimaginable willpower I kept walking past them. Leaving the city yesterday evening, I took a deep (meditative) breath and zipped past the exits for MicMac Mall AND Dartmouth Crossing without looking back. 

By Truro I was starting to feel sorry for myself - what girl doesn't want to go shopping??? - when a 6 o'clock news clip on CBC Radio mentioned that today, November 24th, is World Buy Nothing Day. As it turned out, I was unknowingly (and a little reluctantly) part of an international movement to buy less/live more and to draw our attention to the fact that 20% of the world's population is consuming over 80% of the world's resources. I began to think of not spending as being a good thing? Maybe.

The World Buy Nothing Day website has a toolkit with downloadable posters and ideas for Buy Nothing parties. I wish I had found out about this in time to plan an event (remind me next year).

posters you can download from the Buy Nothing toolkit

So other people are going to have to keep the economy running this season and raise the next generation/gift-getting expectations of little consumers. Oh I'll Deck My Halls and go A'Wassailing, but my yuletide is going to be low-to-no-stress and uncomplicated. In fact, here is my gift to you; just print it out and fill in your name: