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CSflim · 10-17-2005, 01:41 PM

Exactly HOW does not buying something raise your moral worth? I've seen this concept thrown around quite a few times (Buy nothing day! Stick it to the man!), but I never quite understood it...

Perhaps you want to go with the whole "delayed gratification" thing and spend your money on other things which are perhaps more worthwhile (like a nice holiday). That's fine. We all do that to a greater or lesser extent at times, it's called 'saving'. But I don't see how this is a "moral" action, that grants you "condescension rights".

If you want to gain "moral credits" for your buy nothing actions, you can take the money saved and give it to a worthwhile charity.

I find shopping quite stressful. I can not think of anything so pointless and frustrating as to go through the whole rigmarole of it and not have anything to show for it at the end of it all. Reminds me of this joke.

As for the bartar suggestions - again, not getting it. What is the difference between you going to the office, working for a number of hours, receiving payment for that work, and using that to pay for your roof repairs, versus going out into the garden, working for a few hours and using the produce to pay for your roof repairs. They are both fundamentally the same, the only difference being that in the former case your hours of labor are converted into a more liquid intermediary form (money). Also, I would be willing to bet that you earn a hell of a lot more "buying power" per hour with your time in the office than you do with your time in the garden, so the claim that you will actually save on the deal, by avoiding taxes is short sighted.

As for the barter networks; You will need to find a match up where a)you have something they want that you are willing to give away and b)they have something you want and that they are willing to give away. How much time and effort will this take? How much is your free time worth? Does it justify the saving on tax? Wouldn't it be easier and more efficient to just use ebay? That way you reduce it from a and b to a or b.

Now, some people do have a problem with compulsive spending, and should learn to throttle back. Others probably do not realise that if they were a bit more sensible about their consumption they could save themselves a lot. Aiming to improve the management of your personal finances is quite a desirable thing. But I don't think that this list of tips is particularly helpful in that regards.

Of course perhaps you enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air, in your garden growing vegetables. The thrill might even be amplified if you got to exchange the fruits of your labor for some tangible goods or services.
Or maybe you enjoy prenteding to buy things from the stores, and get a kick out of "spending" money that you don't really have.
Or perhaps you enjoy being creative, by taking old unused objects and putting them to some good use.
In that case, by all means, go for it. Have fun. Just don't think that it makes you a better person because of it.

10-17-2005, 01:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
CSflim Sky Piercer Location: Ireland	Exactly HOW does not buying something raise your moral worth? I've seen this concept thrown around quite a few times (Buy nothing day! Stick it to the man!), but I never quite understood it... Perhaps you want to go with the whole "delayed gratification" thing and spend your money on other things which are perhaps more worthwhile (like a nice holiday). That's fine. We all do that to a greater or lesser extent at times, it's called 'saving'. But I don't see how this is a "moral" action, that grants you "condescension rights". If you want to gain "moral credits" for your buy nothing actions, you can take the money saved and give it to a worthwhile charity. I find shopping quite stressful. I can not think of anything so pointless and frustrating as to go through the whole rigmarole of it and not have anything to show for it at the end of it all. Reminds me of this joke. As for the bartar suggestions - again, not getting it. What is the difference between you going to the office, working for a number of hours, receiving payment for that work, and using that to pay for your roof repairs, versus going out into the garden, working for a few hours and using the produce to pay for your roof repairs. They are both fundamentally the same, the only difference being that in the former case your hours of labor are converted into a more liquid intermediary form (money). Also, I would be willing to bet that you earn a hell of a lot more "buying power" per hour with your time in the office than you do with your time in the garden, so the claim that you will actually save on the deal, by avoiding taxes is short sighted. As for the barter networks; You will need to find a match up where a)you have something they want that you are willing to give away and b)they have something you want and that they are willing to give away. How much time and effort will this take? How much is your free time worth? Does it justify the saving on tax? Wouldn't it be easier and more efficient to just use ebay? That way you reduce it from a and b to a or b. Now, some people do have a problem with compulsive spending, and should learn to throttle back. Others probably do not realise that if they were a bit more sensible about their consumption they could save themselves a lot. Aiming to improve the management of your personal finances is quite a desirable thing. But I don't think that this list of tips is particularly helpful in that regards. Of course perhaps you enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air, in your garden growing vegetables. The thrill might even be amplified if you got to exchange the fruits of your labor for some tangible goods or services. Or maybe you enjoy prenteding to buy things from the stores, and get a kick out of "spending" money that you don't really have. Or perhaps you enjoy being creative, by taking old unused objects and putting them to some good use. In that case, by all means, go for it. Have fun. Just don't think that it makes you a better person because of it. __________________ Last edited by CSflim; 10-17-2005 at 01:48 PM..