[ | | | 8 interested person(s) ]

Remember today is the day you don't buy anything. Participate by not participating. Stay at home eat your leftovers from yesterday and watch football, read a book, listen to some music or talk. Something that this economic collapse of our system has told us is that we need to make changes. We need a massive mindshift on how an average American thinks about success and what is important. Many Americans have simply consumed too much, built too big of homes, driven luxury cars that they can't afford and all of this addiction this mind numbing materailism has been enabled by greedy morally anept credit card companies, banks and other financial institution.

Fight back against Black Friday by not purchasing anything. Think about how this year you are going to save money, think about how you are going to donate money, rather than spend it. Most importantly relax and think about whats important to you I think you'll find its friends and family or a pet and not your new car in the garage.

8 interested person(s)

Afterthawt said... @ 11/28/2008 01:28:00 PM

totally agree with you 100%

Unknown said... @ 11/29/2008 12:23:00 PM

Going to have to disagree, not 100% b/c your heart is in the right place. You don't necessarily have to make any purchases today/yesterday, and yes, saving money is always a given. Should be done with any income you receive. Prudence will dictate that you horde you income so you can whether out the recession, but bear in mind that that also fuels the continuation of the economic state we're in. Though it is a cliche thing to say, moderation is key. Don't overspend, but don't horde every last penny. It would be counterproductive to the whole point of an additional stimulus package Obama is fighting for

Anonymous said... @ 11/29/2008 01:54:00 PM

marcelo you should not defend these companies, or governments stimulus. its all an illusion. to build consumer confidence. to luir us out of our lairs into they're stores of overpriced products.. we don't need any of these products to survive. non of it... just the simple things pointed out to move our civilization forward the correct way.. in an obviously changing playing field.

K said... @ 11/29/2008 05:53:00 PM

Im not advocating hording. What I am advocating is the curbing of rampant materialism in American culture. Sure buy yourself a nice pair of shoes. Get yourself a nice handbag but just dont get 50. Spend money at the local store down the street that is managed by the dude in your neighborhood not at Walmart. That is what is important. Don't stop spending but think about how you can use your consumer power to make this country a better place.

K said... @ 11/29/2008 06:16:00 PM

Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/business/29walmart.html?em

Unknown said... @ 11/30/2008 08:15:00 PM

Good clarification on all sides gentlemen. I am in complete agreement.

We need more and more people to have rational discussions like this, perhaps then America will turn 21 and start to mature

Unknown said... @ 12/01/2008 07:25:00 PM

not spending during a recession, isn't such a fabulous idea. not buying stuff at all is almost as bad as buying stuff you cant afford and defaulting on your payments.

i see what you're saying about how "materialism is bad," but you seem to be confused with notion of materialism vs buying things you can't afford. college tuition, starting a viable small business, buying a house (within reason), and buying a car (within reason) are just some of the things that you should be ALLOWED to go into debt for. basically, if it can pay you more than the loan amount, then go into debt for it. otherwise, buying pointless crap on credit and defaulting is horrible.

materialism, on the most part, is a GOOD thing. it gives a lot of people a tangible form of goal-creation. like "one day, i'll have the means to have this, this, and that." materialism, along with gravitational pull, makes the world-go-round.

so get out their and buy stuff that you need, and that you cannot do without THAT IS WITHIN YOUR BUDGET. if you cant buy it in cash, and if its not one of the important investments i mentioned above, don't buy it.

so while i disagree with your over-generalizations and lack of macroeconomic understanding, i do appreciate your blog and the music you post on it. thank you and keep it up

K said... @ 12/01/2008 07:57:00 PM

well a two paragraph statement will surely be full of over-generalizations and I dont think you should take that you shouldnt buy anything from my post. what my post was getting at was that for the two days were over consumption is rampant you should take a step back and ask yourself for what?

materialism is NEVER a good thing. true in a recession simply not spending wont solve things but would injecting this economy with jobs say in education or building infrastructure be a better idea than people going to walmart and buying a flat screen tv that is made in China?

again i believe we agree more than we disagree Thomas. i think we are more or less arguing about the facts on outliers.

thanks for the kind words about the blog.

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