Remember: Friday is "Buy Nothing Day"

[mntleo2]

I usually do not start a discussion I mostly comment on others, but I felt this was an important discussion to begin. First of all the holiday greedfest has got to stop. It has nothing to do with the Christmas story and it is a huge guilt trip for those who do not celebrate this holiday for their own reasons, whether it is because they are not of that faith, they are too poor to afford anything, they have no one to celebrate with, or whatever the reasons. We could use a more even way of distributing our wealth than with so many businesses failing or succeeding because they depend on this time of year in order to make it through the rest of the year.

If you think that Walmart sale you wait in line for is going to save you very much money, think again. While they have one or two items on "sale" they then gouge you on the rest of their merchandise. Many of their prices are the same if not more than your local small business' prices ~ plus you will not have to waste gas driving as far and driving around and around in the parking lot trying to find a space. Walmart does not give one whit to your community in taxes, they do not use your banks and they illegally exploit their workers. Other "discount" stores are not much better ~ if any better at all.

Take it easy, relax and enjoy a long weekend laughing with your family, dozing over a good book, taking a long walk with someone you love, eating midnight snacks, and instead of jumping up and leaving all day, just letting the kitty sleep in your lap. Personally I wrote to those companies who are having "early" T-Day evening sales, etc and let them know the *last* place they will see me is where they have jerked someone from their family to make them money on the one day these employees have when their friends and whole family can get together. I also informed them I am going to tell all my friends about how they were exploiting their workers as well and encourage them to stay home. As a matter of fact that day I am inviting my neighbors over for a "leftovers exchange" where we bring our leftovers, eat, laugh and hang out together and then bring our own full plates home for more.

My DIL who works for Home Depot is going to have to leave her family in the middle of eating dinner (that she prepared) and go in Thanksgiving evening and she is expected to work all night into the mid-morning Black Friday. Her sister who works for Ross is also expects her to leave her little boy and do the same. This is beyond BS and I am calling it. I refuse to shop at anybody's store who exploit these dedicated hard working women like this!

On Edit: I have to add a story here. Last year two of my kid's friend who worked at the Walmart on Covington WA (that;'s right I am naming names) and one worked for 48 hour straight, the other 30 hours straight without even a break, which is totally illegal and these corporations get away with this crap to make the Waltons more $billions like the greedy people they are. The Home Depot owner is a complete douche and I am plain sick and tired of rushing around because THEY want more money than they need. They do not need to hoard everything in this country for themselves from living off the backs of dear hard working Americans who do not deserve such treatment!!!

I do understand those who have no other choice if stores like Walmart have killed their own communities and small businesses to make sure they are the only ones in town. Still you might ask yourself, do you have to go that day when they are open practically 24/7 anyway? Go another time!

My 2 Cents

Cat in Seattle

[niyad]

1. have been observing "buy nothing day" for years.

[enough]

2. Me too, but I'm happy to think of it as having some point. (nt)

[mntleo2]

3. Me toos!

[Travis_0004]

4. Ive only got about 3 things to buy.

Ill leave at 9am, and be home by 10.

[msongs]

5. buy nothing day since 10 years or so. relax and do something useful for society :-) nt

[mntleo2]

10. Yeppers me too ~ am working at my church's youth feed myself :) N/t

[LeftyMom]

6. Sorry, I need furniture and I have the day off, a truck and a buddy to help.

I don't think I'll have to trample anyone to buy a sofa and a dinette.

I might pop in the Lowes after things die down, just because I'll undoubtedly need things for weekend projects.

I've worked BF at big crappy retail stores and it sucked but come on...

[TorchTheWitch]

7. I'll buy what I want when I want thanks

I have no idea why this silly trend about Black Friday ever started. There's no reason for it, and it doesn't accomplish anything.

Don't want to work certain holidays? Don't get a job in retail. Some jobs are just known to require certain hours or long shifts or what ever other inconveniences they may not be inconveniences at all to those people doing the job. Don't sign up for if you aren't willing to do it. When will people realize that the entire fucking world does not work 9-5, Mon. - Fri. and that plenty of us actually LIKE to work weekends, nights, holidays, etc.?

You do what you want for whatever reason you want and leave the rest of us out of it. It's no one's business when or why anyone wants to shop or eat out or go to a bar or the emergency room or whatever.

Black Friday is also the benchmark sales day in retail. A poor sales day that day means a lot of workers get fired because they assume that it means a bad sales year.

Walmart didn't force those kids to work those hours without a break, they took advantage of scared kids that didn't take their breaks and threaten to report them if Walmart tried to retaliate. Walmart would have folded like an envelope. It would cost them far too much money then it would be worth over break periods for workers. Corporations always try to take advantage of workers, and if workers aren't willing to stand up for the bare ass basics their entitled to under the law than those workers need to quit letting themselves be abused giving the green light to more abuse.

Workers need to unite and use the power of their labor force to unionize, and make demands of corporations. We did it before and we then allowed it to fall apart. No business can function without the labor force. Workers HAVE all the power, we just don't USE it anymore. Workers even allowed the word "union" to become a dirty word.

[marions ghost]

11. Working holidays for no extra pay

or choice in the matter is abusive.

And you would blame retail workers for the failure of unions?

[mntleo2]

9. What other jobs are there anymore Ms Torchwitch?

Quite an adequate name BTW!

Errrrrm ...Lady, It isn't just "kids" who are working those jobs. College graduates, people whose jobs have been outsourced, former professionals, and seniors, work those jobs too because that is the only work available.

Go ahead buy anything you want, anywhere you want, anytime you want, obviously not only can you afford it you don't give a crap about the low wage worker or anyone else. Makes me wonder why you would want to be on DU when obviously you don't get it or us.

Couldn't help but notice your flaming got someone else as disgusted as I am and they had to remove their remark because it was~well ...very disgusting. I don't blame them.

Just sayin' ...

Cat in Seattle

[hunter]

12. I try to make every day a buy nothing day.

If I've got a roof over my head, some simple food and drink, my prescription meds, water to flush the toilet and wash my hands, electricity, and an internet connection, life's pretty good.

[mntleo2]

13. True for me too!

As a low wage worker all my life, I have been homeless with kids and it is not pretty. No I was not taking drugs, I do not drink, I went to church, and I did what I was supposed to do ~ as do most low wage workers I have ever known and advocate for (That was for TorchgWitch above you, lol ^^^).

Now that I have a home, one of the greatest pleasures I have is to be inside looking out my window on a windy, cold, rainy day. I am warm, not hungry, have the internet, and can curl up with my kitty, with a book.

Oh yeah!

Love, Cat

[FLPanhandle]

14. There is no amount of savings that could get me out to a store on Black Friday.

I'll pay extra later just to avoid the crowds.

[peasant one]

15. I love buy nothing day

Thanks for posting. I support this and am shocked that some are so insensitive and say "if you don't want to work holidays, don't work in retail". Really? When there are few jobs, and most of these are low-paying retail service jobs, workers don't have much of a choice. The threat hanging over every worker who doesn't want to work holidays is: I'll fire you & find someone who will. I understand that some must work--doctors and emergency workers but most others shouldn't be required to work holidays. We need to support strong unions and protect workers. Surely a holiday or two is not too much to ask.

P.S. I try to avoid buying anything from these non-union multinationals. (I am not always successful but make my own, buy used, rehabbed and farmers market whenever possible. For me, it is very satisfying).

[mntleo2]

16. I do that too!

One year after Christmas and because our family was getting too big, instead of Christmas, we had an "Unbirthday Party" in the summer. The rule was you could not spend more than $3.00 for a present (and less was better). Each family adult bought a present for everyone (it could be from the whole family this way). So at the most it would cost you $60.00 each for the whole thing ~ but there was lots of lead time, about 6 months where you could find things at your leisure. We had 20 relatives at that time and you should have seen the kid's eyes light up to see this heueueueuge pile of presents! 20 X 10. There were five families, 10 adults = over 200 gifts piled up. My BIL brought a fake tree, with lights, we bought 2 large birthday cakes from Costco and then pot lucked the rest at our local park. OMG it was fun!

Most of us cruised used stores, garage sales and other places like that to find treasures. MY brother-inb-law actually found a nice ruby ring he gave toour 16 year old niece. One found a pretty shelf he had also painted and decorated for my mom's collection of tea cups with the offer to mount it, (the cost for paint supplies was included in the 3.00) We found electronic toys and games for the kids, a $25.00 Starbuck's gift certificate (for 3.00!), my sister and brother-law made a beautiful nap sized quilt (with embroidery) for a then 8 month old newest family member, one gave home made jams, one even brought frozen deer roasts and steaks!

Anyways it was far more fun than standing in the rain or snow at some mega-store to save $25.00 for something that would probably break in the 6 months it took for each of us to find something special for our loved ones.

My 2 cents,

Cat in Seattle