Re: Buy Nothing Day
[email protected]
I enjoy John's essays too. Thank you for sharing them! I can appreciate
the sentiment behind Buy Nothing Day and also agree that overall
consumption really is the main issue. In the long run it doesn't make
any difference WHEN you buy stuff, if you continue to buy more than you
need!
I've been doing a lot of soul-searching in the past year on simplifying
and one of my major issues continues to be STUFF! Although I and my
children have received many wonderful, thoughtful gifts from family and
friends, we have also received a lot of stuff that we never would have
chosen to bring into our house. Dh and I are both genetically pack rats.
It's very hard for us to get rid of something that someone special gave
to us (or to the kids). We have boxes in the garage that dh actually
said "we are saving so our kids can store it in their garages". Our
decorating style is "that used to be mom's and we will find somewhere to
stick it"!
Although I appreciate those who are motivated to hand-make or find the
right gift at a thrift shop, I would prefer to just plain NOT RECEIVE
more stuff that I don't need. (Hope I don't sound too Grinchy. It's not
the giving of gifts itself that bothers me. It's the *mandatory* gift
giving that comes with this holiday season.)
Speaking of thrift shops, I found a pair of brand new GAP jeans, my size,
for $3. Someone raised a good point about not buying things that support
poor labor practices. Well, we can each only work on so many cause at a
time, but the whole "gotta have the name brand issue" is sure food for
thought.
Mary Ellen
Who is trying to change herself for the better, but still has a loooong
way to go!
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the sentiment behind Buy Nothing Day and also agree that overall
consumption really is the main issue. In the long run it doesn't make
any difference WHEN you buy stuff, if you continue to buy more than you
need!
I've been doing a lot of soul-searching in the past year on simplifying
and one of my major issues continues to be STUFF! Although I and my
children have received many wonderful, thoughtful gifts from family and
friends, we have also received a lot of stuff that we never would have
chosen to bring into our house. Dh and I are both genetically pack rats.
It's very hard for us to get rid of something that someone special gave
to us (or to the kids). We have boxes in the garage that dh actually
said "we are saving so our kids can store it in their garages". Our
decorating style is "that used to be mom's and we will find somewhere to
stick it"!
Although I appreciate those who are motivated to hand-make or find the
right gift at a thrift shop, I would prefer to just plain NOT RECEIVE
more stuff that I don't need. (Hope I don't sound too Grinchy. It's not
the giving of gifts itself that bothers me. It's the *mandatory* gift
giving that comes with this holiday season.)
Speaking of thrift shops, I found a pair of brand new GAP jeans, my size,
for $3. Someone raised a good point about not buying things that support
poor labor practices. Well, we can each only work on so many cause at a
time, but the whole "gotta have the name brand issue" is sure food for
thought.
Mary Ellen
Who is trying to change herself for the better, but still has a loooong
way to go!
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[email protected]
In a message dated 00-11-28 12:55:25 EST, megates@... writes:
<< Although I appreciate those who are motivated to hand-make or find the
right gift at a thrift shop, I would prefer to just plain NOT RECEIVE
more stuff that I don't need. >>
The older I get the more I appreciate consummable gifts--candy, cookies,
homemade cheese, candles, homemade soap...
Sandra
<< Although I appreciate those who are motivated to hand-make or find the
right gift at a thrift shop, I would prefer to just plain NOT RECEIVE
more stuff that I don't need. >>
The older I get the more I appreciate consummable gifts--candy, cookies,
homemade cheese, candles, homemade soap...
Sandra
Kathryn B Cauley
Re:Mary Ellen, Who is trying to change herself for the better....
We have lots of the same issues over here.
we celebrate christmas with the whole family (so far 7 grandchildren) and
the other
family (already up to two great -grandchildren). Every year it is
completely insane!
In both families we have decided to exchange names for getting gifts for
the adults which isn't so bad because you get to really think about what
that person would want.
I have decided on things that can be used (pottery, candles, towels,
clothes,etc..) or consumables. You usually can not go wrong with
food...especially something they can freeze for later. Also, I started
two years ago making family calendars. I collect pictures throughout the
year and in december I make them into a calendar with a different picture
for every month. This is a big hit, esp. with the grandparents. This has
become a family tradition on both sides. It has even brought my family
together more and encouraged group photos at Thanksgiving. I don't like
to shop. I like to make things (and I hope to instill this in my children
as well).
So, this year I suggested we let the children exchange names because they
always get entirely tooooooooo much stuff! And people are actually
counting gifts and paying attention to spend the same amount of $ on each
person. It's ridiculous! But, I got horrible looks and "but it's for the
children." Now really, Is it for the children? Because I would hope that
my children would not learn this holiday habit.
Anyway, we're lost, my husband and I feel like the only one's in our
family that get it!
We are truly happy with not having so much stuff. My garage is out of
control and that's how I feel too.
Soory to ramble but the need was there
Kathy in Houston, but moving soon!
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We have lots of the same issues over here.
we celebrate christmas with the whole family (so far 7 grandchildren) and
the other
family (already up to two great -grandchildren). Every year it is
completely insane!
In both families we have decided to exchange names for getting gifts for
the adults which isn't so bad because you get to really think about what
that person would want.
I have decided on things that can be used (pottery, candles, towels,
clothes,etc..) or consumables. You usually can not go wrong with
food...especially something they can freeze for later. Also, I started
two years ago making family calendars. I collect pictures throughout the
year and in december I make them into a calendar with a different picture
for every month. This is a big hit, esp. with the grandparents. This has
become a family tradition on both sides. It has even brought my family
together more and encouraged group photos at Thanksgiving. I don't like
to shop. I like to make things (and I hope to instill this in my children
as well).
So, this year I suggested we let the children exchange names because they
always get entirely tooooooooo much stuff! And people are actually
counting gifts and paying attention to spend the same amount of $ on each
person. It's ridiculous! But, I got horrible looks and "but it's for the
children." Now really, Is it for the children? Because I would hope that
my children would not learn this holiday habit.
Anyway, we're lost, my husband and I feel like the only one's in our
family that get it!
We are truly happy with not having so much stuff. My garage is out of
control and that's how I feel too.
Soory to ramble but the need was there
Kathy in Houston, but moving soon!
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Valerie
So, this year I suggested we let the children exchange names because they
always get entirely tooooooooo much stuff! And people are actually
counting gifts and paying attention to spend the same amount of $ on each
person. It's ridiculous! But, I got horrible looks and "but it's for the
children." Now really, Is it for the children? Because I would hope that
my children would not learn this holiday habit.
Kathy, we draw names for the adults and the kids on one side of the family,
because there's so many of us (16 adults and 21 children). It's the only way
to go in a large family, IMO. We set a $$ limit on the gifts, also. The kids
still get a haul.
--Valerie in Tacoma
always get entirely tooooooooo much stuff! And people are actually
counting gifts and paying attention to spend the same amount of $ on each
person. It's ridiculous! But, I got horrible looks and "but it's for the
children." Now really, Is it for the children? Because I would hope that
my children would not learn this holiday habit.
Kathy, we draw names for the adults and the kids on one side of the family,
because there's so many of us (16 adults and 21 children). It's the only way
to go in a large family, IMO. We set a $$ limit on the gifts, also. The kids
still get a haul.
--Valerie in Tacoma
Olivia
Deirdre, I am applauding your passionate speech!
Having said that, I have to admit that I have not been as mindful as I
could have been in the past about consumer issues. (I was raised as a
shopaholic, bargain hunter.) I have been trying to change that in the last
year and a half, but it is sometimes so very confusing and
difficult...especially ridding oneself of plastic stuff. It's everywhere!
Making changes in one's lifestyle requires a lot of research and
decision-making and I often feel overwhelmed with the information I have
gathered; the choices are often not clear. Sometimes I think I'm making the
"best" choice but it turns out later that I was misinformed. Plus our
shopping choices are sometimes limited by selection (big stores are taking
over), or by what we can afford. You can't always find your size or fit in
a second-hand clothing store. My son needs new underwear every year; I
would love to buy organic cotton but that Hanes is on sale 2 3-packs for
$5.00. Do I take my organic vegetables home from the store in a plastic
bag? What can I substitute for polyester fleece (made from petrochemicals),
which is so warm, if I'm allergic to wool and so much cotton is full of
pesticides? I ordered a really good-quality pair of pants from a
mail-order place, thinking I will spend a little more to get a pair that
will fit right and last a long time so I only need to buy once, only to
find out that they are making most of their clothes overseas. You get the
idea... As an average person, bombarded with advertisements and inducements
to want more (as you said, even harder for kids who are assaulted with toy
ads and Happy Meals), trying to make ends meet, and trying to sort out
information that changes daily, I can see why a lot of people give up
trying to make a change. Of course, public confusion aids those big
companies trying to make the biggest profit.
It seems like my one action isn't even a drop in the bucket. BUT I am still
going to try! It's just that it will take lots of little steps forward,
with the occasional slip backwards. Buy Nothing Day and similar campaigns,
to me, ask people to think twice about what they really need before making
a purchase, which lots of people on this list already do, but so many
people in America don't. I would always like to learn more. Is there a
discussion group on this topic that you could recommend?
Olivia
Having said that, I have to admit that I have not been as mindful as I
could have been in the past about consumer issues. (I was raised as a
shopaholic, bargain hunter.) I have been trying to change that in the last
year and a half, but it is sometimes so very confusing and
difficult...especially ridding oneself of plastic stuff. It's everywhere!
Making changes in one's lifestyle requires a lot of research and
decision-making and I often feel overwhelmed with the information I have
gathered; the choices are often not clear. Sometimes I think I'm making the
"best" choice but it turns out later that I was misinformed. Plus our
shopping choices are sometimes limited by selection (big stores are taking
over), or by what we can afford. You can't always find your size or fit in
a second-hand clothing store. My son needs new underwear every year; I
would love to buy organic cotton but that Hanes is on sale 2 3-packs for
$5.00. Do I take my organic vegetables home from the store in a plastic
bag? What can I substitute for polyester fleece (made from petrochemicals),
which is so warm, if I'm allergic to wool and so much cotton is full of
pesticides? I ordered a really good-quality pair of pants from a
mail-order place, thinking I will spend a little more to get a pair that
will fit right and last a long time so I only need to buy once, only to
find out that they are making most of their clothes overseas. You get the
idea... As an average person, bombarded with advertisements and inducements
to want more (as you said, even harder for kids who are assaulted with toy
ads and Happy Meals), trying to make ends meet, and trying to sort out
information that changes daily, I can see why a lot of people give up
trying to make a change. Of course, public confusion aids those big
companies trying to make the biggest profit.
It seems like my one action isn't even a drop in the bucket. BUT I am still
going to try! It's just that it will take lots of little steps forward,
with the occasional slip backwards. Buy Nothing Day and similar campaigns,
to me, ask people to think twice about what they really need before making
a purchase, which lots of people on this list already do, but so many
people in America don't. I would always like to learn more. Is there a
discussion group on this topic that you could recommend?
Olivia
> Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 21:47:26 -0500
> From: "Deirdre Malfatto" <yafael@...>
>Subject: RE: buy nothing day
>
>Did you know that the majority of the clothes made by Nike, The
>Gap (which includes Old Navy and Banana Republic), Guess, and
>Oshkosh are made in overseas sweatshops that treat, often
>underaged, workers miserably? When we buy clothes, toys,
>housewares, gadgets, etc. that are made in China, Malaysia,
>Vietnam, etc., etc., we are very often buying items made by workers
>who are payed less in a month than we pay for a single Gap t-shirt
>here? Workers are made to work incredibly long hours, often
>seven days a week, in terrible conditions, and then can afford only
>to go home to their rat-infested shantytown without running water or
>electricity? The Gap, for one, says they are doing something about
>this, but a little research (try Coop America's site for a start --
>http://www.coopamerica.org/) shows that what they are saying is
>mostly doublespeak. Often even items that say they are made in
>USA (and the Gap is a prime offender here) are made in Saipan,
>which is under US rule, but still is home to many sweatshops.
>
>And what happens to all the things we buy "cheap" in order to save
>money? What happens to all the cheap plastic toys that break or
>clothes that fall apart are too grungy after the kids have outgrown
>them to pass on? What happens to all the plastic shopping bags
>that we bring things home in and all the plastic that pretty new things
>are wrapped in? We toss it all, and it adds to landfill and pollution.
>
>And where does all this plastic come from? And where does the
>energy come from to run the factories these things are made in?
>Most often from our waning petroleum stores. And what about
>wood toys and paper bags? Only a small percentage of that is
>being taken from sustainably managed forests. The rest comes
>from old forests that are being chopped down so that we can have
>things cheap.
>
>And why do we need all this stuff to begin with? Often because we
>are told we need it. Commercials, advertisements, prominent
>logos, peer pressure, etc. etc. all make us feel there is something
>lacking in our lives if we don't have the latest this or enough that.
>Our children are hit especially hard by this, and it wreaks havoc on
>their self-esteem.
>
>When we make do without or buy things used or buy products
>made with sustainably managed materials and support companies
>that treat their workers well, we are doing our part to support human
>rights and a clean environment and a better world (a world at all) for
>our children and our grandchildren to grow up in.
>
>Buy Nothing Day reminds us of these things. If enough people
>refuse to be coerced into buying new things on that day, it can send
>a message to the big corporations that we don't want sweatshops
>or child labor or so much waste and that we don't want them to
>coopt our children. But even if only one person participates in Buy
>Nothing Day, it can remind that person that there are things we can
>do on a personal level to remove ourselves from the cruelties being
>inflicted on other human beings and our planet.
>
>Stepping off my soapbox :-)
>
>Deirdre in NYC
[email protected]
"Christmas is for the Children"!!!!
Oh, Kathy, you hit that nail on the head! I struggle with wanting to
fulfill my children's wishes and use Christmas as an excuse to buy them
things (the way I was raised) - and keeping the whole gift thing very low
scale so that is not "what the holiday means to them" - and dealing with
relatives who agree on no adult gift exchanges but let's all still buy
for the kids because Christmas is for the Children! So even if I only
got one gift for each of my kids they would still end up with a lot of
stuff (not necessarily stuff that we even need or want). And I am stuck
with feeling guilty if I don't buy for nieces and nephews since their
folks are buying for mine.
With dh's siblings and some cousins, we have an annual white elephant
party. Each person brings one gift and leaves with one gift. There are
variations, but we draw numbers and starting with #1 each person selects
and opens a gift. #2 can choose a new gift or "steal" #1's. Then #1
would get to choose again. It is a blast and fulfills the need to
select, wrap, and open gifts. The best part is that we all enjoy each
other's company for a day with a big potluck meal to boot. We usually do
this a week or two before Christmas. (In spite of this, they still buy
more for the children.)
I think gifts that are edible are amongst the best, too!
Mary Ellen
Nobody had a watch, so they ate lunch when they got hungry.
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Oh, Kathy, you hit that nail on the head! I struggle with wanting to
fulfill my children's wishes and use Christmas as an excuse to buy them
things (the way I was raised) - and keeping the whole gift thing very low
scale so that is not "what the holiday means to them" - and dealing with
relatives who agree on no adult gift exchanges but let's all still buy
for the kids because Christmas is for the Children! So even if I only
got one gift for each of my kids they would still end up with a lot of
stuff (not necessarily stuff that we even need or want). And I am stuck
with feeling guilty if I don't buy for nieces and nephews since their
folks are buying for mine.
With dh's siblings and some cousins, we have an annual white elephant
party. Each person brings one gift and leaves with one gift. There are
variations, but we draw numbers and starting with #1 each person selects
and opens a gift. #2 can choose a new gift or "steal" #1's. Then #1
would get to choose again. It is a blast and fulfills the need to
select, wrap, and open gifts. The best part is that we all enjoy each
other's company for a day with a big potluck meal to boot. We usually do
this a week or two before Christmas. (In spite of this, they still buy
more for the children.)
I think gifts that are edible are amongst the best, too!
Mary Ellen
Nobody had a watch, so they ate lunch when they got hungry.
________________________________________________________________
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[email protected]
-=-we draw numbers and starting with #1 each person selects
and opens a gift. #2 can choose a new gift or "steal" #1's. Then #1
would get to choose again. It is a blast and fulfills the need to
select, wrap, and open gifts. The best part is that we all enjoy each
other's company for a day with a big potluck meal to boot. We usually do
this a week or two before Christmas. (In spite of this, they still buy
more for the children.)-=-
That is so cool. I want to do that with my friends. And it doesn't matter
in such a situation about the relative value or size of the gifts or anything.
In the SCA we have tournaments sometimes (medievalish combat <g>) and each
person brings a prize and they're all laid out (visible). When the
tournament's over, the person who scored highest picks first. Prized
typically range from a helm or a pair of gauntlets on down to a roll of duct
tape (which they use to wrap the rattan swords) or a beer, but it doesn't
matter. A guy who makes gauntlets (or who donated those! <g>) won't want
that prize, and the guy who comes in last takes what's left. It's a way to
get some good prizes at no expense to the sponsoring group, and to
facilitate an exchange of artistry for those things which were handmade
(hoods, the beer, the dagger maybe) and people can still furnish a prize even
if he goes and buys a dozen candles. No problem.
Sandra
and opens a gift. #2 can choose a new gift or "steal" #1's. Then #1
would get to choose again. It is a blast and fulfills the need to
select, wrap, and open gifts. The best part is that we all enjoy each
other's company for a day with a big potluck meal to boot. We usually do
this a week or two before Christmas. (In spite of this, they still buy
more for the children.)-=-
That is so cool. I want to do that with my friends. And it doesn't matter
in such a situation about the relative value or size of the gifts or anything.
In the SCA we have tournaments sometimes (medievalish combat <g>) and each
person brings a prize and they're all laid out (visible). When the
tournament's over, the person who scored highest picks first. Prized
typically range from a helm or a pair of gauntlets on down to a roll of duct
tape (which they use to wrap the rattan swords) or a beer, but it doesn't
matter. A guy who makes gauntlets (or who donated those! <g>) won't want
that prize, and the guy who comes in last takes what's left. It's a way to
get some good prizes at no expense to the sponsoring group, and to
facilitate an exchange of artistry for those things which were handmade
(hoods, the beer, the dagger maybe) and people can still furnish a prize even
if he goes and buys a dozen candles. No problem.
Sandra