Ever since TreeHugger started, we have argued about Buy Nothing Day. It is all about doing something other than shopping:
But is this really a good thing? My first thoughts years ago were “nice idea, if you don’t work in a shop.” And then my kids were in school; now they both work in shops. They need people buying cheese and coffee. Then there are the good things one can buy; TreeHugger emeritus Warren wrote a dozen years ago:
TreeHugger Emeritus Ruben disagreed. But then, he is from Vancouver where Buy Nothing Day was invented.
Ruben also wrote a great post about how he celebrated it. With perogies.
In the depths of the Great Recession, I worried that for many, every day was Buy Nothing Day.
Adbusters/CC BY 2.0
In the end, the TreeHugger consensus is that we should all buy less and buy better, support our local makers and vendors, perhaps splurge in experiences instead of stuff. And given all the current uncertainties, perhaps some preserved food might be a good idea.
