Buy Nothing Day

[skybytch 273]

In doing research for a paper I found this.

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On November 23, millions of people around the world will go on a 24 hour consumer fast and thousands of activists in 65 countries will engage in credit card cut ups, zombie walks and other pranks and shenanigans in an attempt to catalyze a mind shift towards sustainable lifestyles.

I'm in. Anybody else?

[BillyVance 34]

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In doing research for a paper I found this.

Quote

On November 23, millions of people around the world will go on a 24 hour consumer fast and thousands of activists in 65 countries will engage in credit card cut ups, zombie walks and other pranks and shenanigans in an attempt to catalyze a mind shift towards sustainable lifestyles.

I'm in. Anybody else?

I'd be happy if nobody bought skyride gift certificates and the phones went dead at Skyride's call center.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[McBeth 0]

But that's my birthday

[skybytch 273]

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But that's my birthday

No worries. I'll call Skyride the day before and buy a tandem for you.

[squirrel 0]

well, i just went to Costco, so i am all stocked up.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[turtlespeed 220]

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But that's my birthday

I could send you a Me.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[BillyVance 34]

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But that's my birthday

I could "flash" you.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Unstable 9]

hell I'm in. This stuff has been bugging me for quite some time.

Here is how I see the issue, and please post if you think I'm wrong and perhapsing we can get some good discussion going.

Major Credit card companies are pushing us towards a cash-free economy. (what, you haven't seen the commercials?? It's hard to even find a nice sit-down restaurant that accepts checks anymore, and credit cards are the standard.

Along with this, it seems to me that more and more Americans are living outside their means. Spending more than they have, not saving, and enjoying a higher standard of living.

So, let's see it. Large Banks are pushing more and more for debt-based transactions, whilst consumers are finding it harder and harder to do the things they do everyday without paying interest, at the same time failing to budget themselves properly.

Sumtins a Brewing...

=========Shaun ==========

[SpeedRacer 1]

I'm kind of a tightwad anyway. Most days are "buy nothing days" for me.

Speed Racer
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[NWFlyer 2]

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But that's my birthday

No worries. I'll call Skyride the day before and buy a tandem for you.

I love you on so many levels for this answer.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[McBeth 0]

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But that's my birthday

No worries. I'll call Skyride the day before and buy a tandem for you.

That might be the only way to get me current

[Snowwhite 0]

I am in, and have been for a long time. I HATE credit cards, and there are so many places where you can't do business UNLESS you have a credit card. If you travel, you are stuck, hotels, airlines, car rental places, none of them work in cash anymore.
I try to boycott anything that will not let me pay in cash.

skydiveTaylorville.org
freefallbeth@yahoo.com

[Muenkel 0]

Doesn't your debit card have a MasterCard logo on it? Works just like a credit card in the fancy restaurants, but it's still paying cash.

_________________________________________
Chris

[skybytch 273]

I don't think you're wrong, but I think there's more than one angle to look at.

The U.S. economy is based on never ending consumption. Does anybody really need 20 pairs of shoes? Of course not, but what would happen to the shoe companies if we were all content to have two pair that we have repaired instead of replaced when they start to wear out?

This may just be a California fruits-n-nuts thing, but I know several people who won't buy anything new if they can avoid it. Instead, they buy things they need used (at thrift stores or through sites like craigslist).

I believe they call it anti-consumerism.

[Snowwhite 0]

I find it a challenge to buy things only when I NEED them, not when I WANT them, and then to try to find what I NEED used or refurbished from something else.
When I first got all of the furniture in my house, it was considered to be "old castoffs" Now they are considered to be antiques. Kinda cool.

skydiveTaylorville.org
freefallbeth@yahoo.com

[tetra316 0]

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Major Credit card companies are pushing us towards a cash-free economy. (what, you haven't seen the commercials?? It's hard to even find a nice sit-down restaurant that accepts checks anymore, and credit cards are the standard.

Get a debit card, problem solved.

[skybytch 273]

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Get a debit card, problem solved.

But the issue there is, what about those who can't or for whatever reason won't have a bank account?

Sure, there are "prepaid" debit cards out there but all of them have fees attached.

[tetra316 0]

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Get a debit card, problem solved.

But the issue there is, what about those who can't or for whatever reason won't have a bank account?

Sure, there are "prepaid" debit cards out there but all of them have fees attached.

I don't see any reason why you would not have checking account. The whole 'big brother' paranoia thing seems to be a bit over the top for checking accounts to me.

[Esquilax 0]

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In doing research for a paper I found this.

Quote

On November 23, millions of people around the world will go on a 24 hour consumer fast and thousands of activists in 65 countries will engage in credit card cut ups, zombie walks and other pranks and shenanigans in an attempt to catalyze a mind shift towards sustainable lifestyles.

I'm in. Anybody else?

I sincerely doubt it'll make much of an impact on companies. People will make their purchases for that day the day before. The sum total is no difference at all.

Ostriches and rheas are the only birds that urinate and defecate separately. They read Parachutist while doing #2.

[skybytch 273]

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I don't see any reason why you would not have checking account.

People who have been reported to companies like ChexSystems are often unable to get a checking account anywhere.

There are also people out there who prefer to not have records of their finances that the government can easily access.

[skybytch 273]

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I sincerely doubt it'll make much of an impact on companies. People will make their purchases for that day the day before. The sum total is no difference at all.

I doubt that the organizers expect this one day to make a financial impact on any company... in the short term anyway. As it says in the section I quoted, it's "an attempt to catalyze a mind shift towards sustainable lifestyles."