16th July 2008 is Buy Nothing Day.  It is a day where you challenge yourself, your family and your friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. 

The challenge is easy – try simple living for a day.  Spend time with family and friends, rather than spend money on them. It may sound boring and cliché, but love is one thing money cannot buy.

Buy Nothing Day is also a day of self-reflection of your values, especially in relation to consumerism.  It is a time to think about your values in relation to the importance you give to your family, your friends, and the goods you acquire.  How much do your possessions define you? How much do you define yourself by who you are rather then what you possess?

It is also a time to think of your spending patterns.  How much of money do you spend on your “real” needs and how much is being spent on your media defined “wants”.  Can you spend less for certain goods and services at the same relative quality or are you stuck with certain brands because you think it is “below your standard” to use anything else.  It is a time for reflection.  You decide.

BUY NOTHING DAY isn’t about changing your lifestyle for just one day – we hope it will be a lasting relationship – maybe a life changing experience.