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As
a young adult trying to survive my 20's, I am faced with daily epiphanies which
force me to reevaluate and strive to change my lifestyle. I affectionately
refer to these occurrences collectively as my "Quarter-Life Crisis." Last year,
during one of my "episodes," I stumbled upon something called " Buy Nothing Day."
The name says it all. It's a day in which you participate in no form of
consumerism. You simply buy nothing. In the United States,
this day is scheduled for the biggest shopping day of the year, " Black Friday."
After I convinced my(largely materialistic)self that this would be a great way
to save money, I decided to participate. After all, how many of us get up
at the crack of dawn to make it to shopping centers and malls to buy things
that we don't need, simply because, on this one day, you can get a "deal"?
I can't be the only one who's guilty of it.
As a shopping addict, I must admit I felt liberated after
participating in “Buy Nothing Day.” I felt much like a smoker after going
an entire day without a cigarette. I decided to take this to another level,
and I made a pact with myself to have my own personal “Buy Nothing Day” once a
month. This day, which usually occurs on the weekend, is typically the
hardest day of the month for me. I’m an impulsive and often emotional
shopper. I shop to make myself feel better when I’m down. I shop to
preserve my happy mood. I even shop purely for entertainment. I’m the
sucker who buys all the “cool stuff” in the commercials! However, after
my one day a month, I always feel a sense of power and accomplishment.
I recently read an article about the Compacters. This
group has turned “Buy Nothing Day” into a way of life. I admire their
discipline. They only buy necessary items, and they buy used whenever
possible. Like me, some joined the group because they realized that
shopping doesn’t solve problems, and it often adds to them. Others used their
environmental concerns as their objective.
While I think that
they are an interesting group, I don’t see myself becoming a true Compacter
anytime soon. I do plan on integrating more discipline in my life when it comes
to consumption, but if we were all Compacters, we’d begin saving the environment
and possibly risk destroying the economy. And, in all honesty, while I realize
I need to cut back some, I don’t think I could (or would want to) ever totally stop keeping up with and shopping for the newest trends out there!
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