Tree Hugging Family » buy less

Tomorrow is Buy Nothing Day

Jennifer — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:11:31 +0000

Tomorrow is Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day. I already know what I’m planning on doing. Have you decided? If you’re leaning toward Buy Nothing Day, but still need a little help deciding what you can do, here are some activities you can try tomorrow…

Find a BND event.
Do the obvious – hang with the family, have a cookie baking day, play games, go for a walk, plant a tree, play dress-up, sing, make some crafts, it’s a great day to find a family activity.
Go to a store, but not to shop, instead stick one of these up quietly.
Get started on a Buy Nothing Christmas. As BND advocates note, if a Buy Nothing Christmas is too extreme, try selling your family on, “A Buy Less Christmas. Or a $100 Christmas. Or a Regifting Christmas. Or a Green Christmas. Or a Slow-Down Christmas.”
Join the New Dream Community (all you need is an email). Once you join you’ll gain access to FREE booklets on the following topics:

Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture
Good Times Made Simple: The Lost Art of Fun
Simplify the Holidays
Back to School Buying and Action Guide
Alternative Gift Fair Guide

Other good reads:

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

November 2008 Green Challenge: Buy Nothing Day

Jennifer — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:00:49 +0000

You may remember the popular BYOB Challenge – the bring your own reusable bag challenge and the Paper Towel Challenge. In any case, we haven’t had a green challenge in a while here at Tree Hugging Family, but this month, it’s on.

Your green challenge, for November 2008, should you choose to accept it, is…

To buy nothing on Buy Nothing Day 2008.

Steps to take:

Buy Nothing Day happens on November 28, 2008 for North America and on November 29, 2008 internationally.
This small action step challenge consists of you buying nothing on the big day.
Another action step you can take would be to spread the word, tell your friends and family. Convince at least one other person to ban shopping on Buy Nothing Day.

Difficulties with this challenge:

For some of us, Buy Nothing Day will be a snap. However Black Friday is seductive to many. Some people are going to have to use massive will power to avoid the sales. To help you avoid caving in, I’ll be writing posts during the month that discuss Buy Nothing Day, ideas for simplifying, how to avoid shopping temptations, and how to be a good green shopper when you do shop.

The end result:

Of course this challenge is about avoiding Black Friday; but there’s more to the end result than simply that. Part of being an earth-friendly individual is lowering your overall consumption, and buying ethically when you do shop. While Buy Nothing Day is a good first step, it merely kicks off a specific sort of mind-set. It’s not about NEVER buying items, it’s more, in my mind, thinking before you purchase. What the eventual end result should be is a change in your overall thinking; a knowledge that there’s a difference between needs and want, and that living simply can be a worthwhile endeavor, both for you and the planet.

To get started:

Soon I’ll be posting about Buy Nothing Day – it’s history, the basic gist, and so fourth. Watch for that post.
Start thinking about what challenges you may face on Black Friday – what might make you head to the stores. Let me know so I can provide you with helpful ideas.
Start telling your pals. If you participate in Buy Nothing Day, that’s swell, but if you can convince someone else, well, that’s a double accomplishment.

Now, are you going to try and participate in the Buy Nothing Challenge this month? Let me know in the comments. I’ll have update posts all month, including a wrap-up post to see how everyone did.

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

One Small Step: Quit Chasing Sales

Jennifer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:20:11 +0000

I’ve decided that Sunday paper advertisements are evil. I know quite a few folks who do things like say, “Look at all the sales – I have to go see!” Drive, drive, drive, all over town. It’s a little silly, a huge waste of gas, and a pollution producer. Shopping for the sake of a sale vs. shopping for something you need, really isn’t very green.

Try to pick one or two main stores that have decent prices and always shop there. Preferably choose at least one store that carries both grocery and home items, and make sure they’re as close to your house as possible. I actually shop at two stores. One that carries groceries and home items plus some organic items, and another that carries all the organic and natural items that the first store doesn’t.

The first store I shop at carries food, home, office, electronics and more. Sometimes a few things are more expensive, I’d likely save a little if I shopped around, but I’d also waste gas and time. To me, saving fifty cents here and there isn’t worth it.

Well, that was actually two small steps. Shop at fewer stores and quit chasing sales. You’ll save resources, money, and time.

Where do you shop?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family