Buy nothing and be happy

“The day when you don’t buy anything” (in German it sounds “Kauf-nix-Tag”, in English – “buy-nothing-day”), was invented in Canada back in the 1990s, and then the initiative was picked up in other countries. It takes place every last Saturday of the last month of autumn and in 2019 falls on November 30, immediately after Black Friday.

On this day, critics of consumerism invite everyone to track their craving for emotional purchases and look for an alternative that will allow them to become happy. The excitement of the purchase passes rather quickly, and we again need doping … What will replace the surge of joy from the new acquisition? And how to satisfy the instinct of the hunter?

Under the pressure of proposals

A day without shopping was invented as a counterbalance to Black Friday: the closer to it, the more promotions, discount campaigns, pre-Christmas offers, and it is so difficult to resist their onslaught.

“Clean Saturday” falls on the next day for a reason. Adherents of conscious consumption urge buyers not to be led by advertising promises, which, by the way, are often deceptive. Particularly caustic consumers often fix artificially inflated prices shortly before Black Friday, which, on the appointed day, drop to the original level.

At first glance, giving up shopping for 24 hours may seem ineffective. But companies have a rough idea of ​​what could happen if the entire flow of customers, or at least a significant part of it, turns away from their counters. Our money is “ballots” and we have not only the right to vote, but also the right to choose what kind of world we want to live in.

The day of empty hypermarkets and unpaid online orders is a statement against the philosophy of overconsumption that has filled our lives. And it can be an incentive to take a critical look at your own buying behavior.

Unfortunately, many people feel defective without purchases and perceive the rejection of them painfully, sometimes experiencing physical discomfort, as when giving up a cigarette. To lose the habitual happiness of acquisition can be very difficult.

Why did I buy this?

But let’s face it: does a sixteenth pair of shoes or a fourth black sweater in the closet really make us happy? As a rule, the euphoria from shopping quickly disappears, and we perceive unnecessary things as ballast, we even feel guilty and ashamed that we could not resist and succumbed to the temptation. Why did I buy this…?

We don’t talk about the things we really need and enjoy every day. And yet it is worth regularly asking yourself the following questions: “Can I do without this?”, “Why am I buying this?”.

Sometimes shopping helps us kill time: a trip to the store usually takes several hours. Sometimes this is our opportunity to be among people, which means, at least for a while, to escape from loneliness. If so, then maybe we can find another way to meet these needs?

What can be done in 24 hours?

What alternatives to choose for a “crazy shopping day”? We have some good ideas for you!

1. Meditate with a photo album

Shopping, on the one hand, excites us as hunters, on the other hand, it relaxes us. We slowly walk through the galleries of the shopping center, wandering around the shop windows and shelves, snatching this or that bright spot. It’s like relaxing meditation.

What can replace a walk through the hypermarket? What can cause the same feeling of happiness? You can walk through the park or go to the opening day, where we will definitely not buy anything, but will only contemplate art. Or look through a photo album – who knows, maybe pleasant memories will overwhelm us?

2. Cook dinner

We are so busy with work and affairs that we don’t notice how we spend the lion’s share of income on semi-finished products that can only be warmed up. How long have we been preparing a salad or a roast at home? What about homemade ice cream? Cooking brings the family together as much as eating together. If you treat this process as creativity, happiness is guaranteed.

3. Listen to music or play by yourself

Many of us regularly dust off the guitar, but have already forgotten the last time we plucked its strings… Why go to listen to the radio in the hypermarket and in the car on the way when you can remember your favorite song or learn a new one? Music is something that gives joy and pleasure.

4. Explore new places

Nothing cheers up like awakening interest in something new and movement. To get fresh impressions, it is not necessary to go to distant lands. How well do we know our own city or region?

Wandering through abandoned estates, visiting a small museum of local lore, listening to the story of a history lover who is in love with his work, or participating in a basket weaving or embroidery master class – this will awaken an inquisitive child in us.

5. Clear up space

And how do you like this idea: instead of filling the house with new things, clean it of everything unnecessary and outdated? We always do not have enough time for general cleaning, our hands do not reach the far corners. Saturday without shopping is great for this. Who knows, suddenly something new will come to the place cleared of obsolete things – not only in our house, but also in our life?

6. Fix old useful things

When planning to go for a new coffee grinder or hair dryer, it is worth checking if there is a repair shop nearby. Or maybe we ourselves are able to sew up a torn curtain or lift a loose loop on a sweater?

7. Arrange an exchange of things and gifts

Perhaps we have what another needs, and he will have what we planned to buy anyway. Connecting with such a person is as easy as shelling pears – for this there are groups in social networks, chats of microdistricts and cities, specialized exchange sites. In the end, no one bothers to put up an ad on the entrance door or at the bus stop in the old fashioned way.

The pleasure from a gift – received or given – is no less, and sometimes more than from a purchase, because we made happy not only ourselves, but also someone else.