Buy Nothing Day 2009

I haven't decided yet whether I'll participate in BND this year, but I'll promote it here like I do every year.

I 've heard that In This Economy, you need to take advantage of every sale, and retailers will be giving babies away with every purchase, and you don't want to miss that. Hell, I saw one major retailer who claimed to be open today, on Thanksgiving, to try to pick up a few more dollars.

And I don't know who you are, maybe you have a real need, and if you do, friend, go buy something tomorrow.

But if you're closer to my situation, you could stand to take a day and think about the stuff you already have in your life. New stuff will neither improve your condition, nor make your relatives love you more.

The act is only symbolic, but symbols have power when you give it to them. And you're probably going to give that power to some symbol. Why not make it a symbol you choose instead?