The Day AFTER T-Day...
Also known as Black Friday. The day retail stores ostensibly go in the Black for the year.
Melanie has posted a link to the Adbusters campaign called "Buy Nothing Day."
Anyone who's been involved in the Voluntary Simplicity movement for any length of time, is familiar with the idea of "BND." Voluntary simplicity encourages us to recognize what YOU need, accept that you have enough (whatever YOUR "enough" might be, no one else can define that for you!), and then consciously make buying decisions based on those choices.
This has nothing to do with poverty. That's grueling, limiting, and free choice is seldom involved. I know. I've lived it (as many single moms have).
Black Friday is traditionally, for me, a day of staying home, working around the house to do whatever is in need of doing (like deciding how much I intend to decorate for the holidays, or using up leftovers, making turkey-bone soup (if I cooked a turkey!), or as I'm doing today, sewing for my business orders.
And I usually do some planning. This year, I'm really thinking about what I want to do for holiday gifts. A lot of us have been turned off by the products China has been submitting to our shores that are substandard at best, and downright dangerous at worst.
My commitment this year is to make as many gifts as possible, and to be as conscious as possible that I buy items made either by crafters or at the very least, are made in this country. I know that's not going to be easy.
I'm also going to be buying/giving less. Because as I look at my own surroundings, and work through boxes of things I've carried around for years, I know it's time to free up a lot of that - putting it back into the world through Freecycle and such, and paring down my own "stuff."
As I do that, I'm going to be asking myself regularly, "Do I need that? How much is "enough?" My personal "enough" allows me to add to my knitting "stuff" - yarns, needles, patterns, books. Because that is part of my "Stashing for Retirement" and 401(K)nit plan...(I am very serious about these plans.)
But it's a real eye-opener to work thru some of the exercises in these books and to think about your own life in relation to voluntary simplicity principles...
I'm placing a reading list for anyone interested in the philosophy of Voluntary Simplicity over on Nana Sadie's Place.
And then I think I'll go put up my holiday wreath!
Melanie has posted a link to the Adbusters campaign called "Buy Nothing Day."
Anyone who's been involved in the Voluntary Simplicity movement for any length of time, is familiar with the idea of "BND." Voluntary simplicity encourages us to recognize what YOU need, accept that you have enough (whatever YOUR "enough" might be, no one else can define that for you!), and then consciously make buying decisions based on those choices.
This has nothing to do with poverty. That's grueling, limiting, and free choice is seldom involved. I know. I've lived it (as many single moms have).
Black Friday is traditionally, for me, a day of staying home, working around the house to do whatever is in need of doing (like deciding how much I intend to decorate for the holidays, or using up leftovers, making turkey-bone soup (if I cooked a turkey!), or as I'm doing today, sewing for my business orders.
And I usually do some planning. This year, I'm really thinking about what I want to do for holiday gifts. A lot of us have been turned off by the products China has been submitting to our shores that are substandard at best, and downright dangerous at worst.
My commitment this year is to make as many gifts as possible, and to be as conscious as possible that I buy items made either by crafters or at the very least, are made in this country. I know that's not going to be easy.
I'm also going to be buying/giving less. Because as I look at my own surroundings, and work through boxes of things I've carried around for years, I know it's time to free up a lot of that - putting it back into the world through Freecycle and such, and paring down my own "stuff."
As I do that, I'm going to be asking myself regularly, "Do I need that? How much is "enough?" My personal "enough" allows me to add to my knitting "stuff" - yarns, needles, patterns, books. Because that is part of my "Stashing for Retirement" and 401(K)nit plan...(I am very serious about these plans.)
But it's a real eye-opener to work thru some of the exercises in these books and to think about your own life in relation to voluntary simplicity principles...
I'm placing a reading list for anyone interested in the philosophy of Voluntary Simplicity over on Nana Sadie's Place.
And then I think I'll go put up my holiday wreath!
posted by Nana Sadie at 3:18 PM
13 Comments:
So that's why they call it Black Friday. We have been wondering.
Hope your holiday was wonderful & relaxing. You deserve a little of that! I love the concept of BND and participated as well, as I do every year. (mostly because I hate to see people so cranky, mean, or violent over stuff.)
I'm going to go check out that book list right now.
Well, I bought a mocha and two patterns online today. But I didn't go shopping - so that's something!
Definitely food for thought!
I usually never go out on Black Friday unless I (goddess forbid) need to replace an appliance.
Altho I am eating some pretty pricey sushi as I write this. How's that for "I've had enough...TURKEY!!" :)
Thanks for the book list! Sounds like you are doing some of the pruning and weeding out that usually catches up with me after New Years, an inspiring thought to free up things that others might want to give as gifts.
Thanks for the links to the books!
Bought nothing yesterday. Did nothing really. We've been renovating for 3 weeks and yesterday was the first day I've had to sit and do nothing. It was wonderful. I'm rethinking the whole gift-giving thing, especially for our 5yo. I think I'll be leaning toward books and games for him.
Sigh.... I did buy something. I was in Borders at night, it was not crowded, and I spotted something I had to have: a Folkmanis Dutch Rabbit puppet. She just wouldn't leave my hand. In fact, she handed the 25% coupon to the rather nonplussed cashier...
Awesome post!
I hate the Christmas shopping rush! I am proud to say that we got all our Christmas shopping done this year BEFORE Thanksgiving!!
Great minds think alike!!! And kitties too, of course.
Huggs, G :<)
this is a good reminder of the things I find important and haven't been mindful of lately.
Thank you. *hug*
I never go shopping on Black Friday. I just hate crowds. I usually do most of my shopping online with indie shops. (Like you.;))
I did go to Starbucks on Friday though. Does that count?
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