Comments on: Hypocritical me & the stuff issue

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 06:38:24 +0000

@Robin, agreed. I’ve talked about this with others here before. If you live each day with a buy nothing mindset, or at least buy not too much of anything non-useful mindset, it’s a whole different story. I think that BND is a good jumping off point for people who have NEVER considered how their consumer actions affect the world at large. I’m totally not even against stuff. I’m just for having what you need plus a little extra, vs. having it all or having stuff to beat the Jones’s.

@Katherine – When I first got into green years ago, I did carry a little card around with me; I just made one. It said something like; do you really need it, do you already have one, is there something you own that does the same, and how many life hours is this item worth? It really helps you to think.

By: katherine

katherine — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:38:45 +0000

Good post! This is the topic that encourages me most on THF. Last year I heard a Lent slogan from a church in the UK: “Buy less. Live more.” They even had little cards to replace a credit card in your wallet. I would love one of those.

By: Robin from Green Energy Efficient Homes

Robin from Green Energy Efficient Homes — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:09:19 +0000

Buy Nothing Day is a great concept, and I keep it in mind more than one day a year, as a way to remember to ask myself, before any purchase: do I really need this, or is this just another gadget or luxury item I could live without?

But if the spirit of Buy Nothing Day is to learn to do more with less, then is it hypocritical to advocate the day and still make a living selling things? And is it hypocritical to go shopping on Buy Nothing Day (for bread, milk and eggs, which is what I bought last year on BND), if you live all the time with the spirit of that day in your choices?

And what if you were to spend Buy Nothing Day shopping for sweaters (so you could turn down the heat in winter), window fans (so you could use less AC in summer), or CFLs or LED house lights (so you could cut the amount of electricity you use to light your home?

It’s useful to question one’s own actions and wonder if hypocrisy is involved. I think as long as you live the spirit of Buy Nothing Day, you shouldn’t imagine yourself a hypocrite for publicizing that special day, all the while making a living (or part of one?) selling worthwhile products to people who actually need them!