Sunday No Buy Day...can we do this??

[grannylib]

Hi all -
Couple of us have been talking about how to use our NON-purchasing power to send messages to corporate 'Murka.
We've talked about just STOPPING our spending habits.
One suggestion (and I realize it's not original; I've heard of organizations trying to get this going) is to STOP spending money on Sundays. It's a big shopping day for many, and if enough people just STOPPED, and spread the word and got others to STOP, the impact could be HUGE.

Imagine...empty Wal Marts on a Sunday...empty McDonalds...empty Big Box stores of all kinds...
we could really make our voices heard about outsourcing, cheap shit from China, underpaid workers, uninsured workers...

Anyone have any insights into this kind of non-activity???

Thanks!

[Redstone]

1. We do it most Sundays. But (I'm sorry to have to be the one to

tell you this): Ain't gonna happen.

Americans are too lazy and selfish to EVER be galvanized into anything like this.

Another pretty idea without a hope in hell of ever succeeding.

Would be nice if it were otherwise, though.

Redstone

[Llewlladdwr]

2. How would it make any difference?

If all you're talking about is shifting your purchases to another day then I don't see how this really changes anything. If you're talking about not buying the things I intended to buy on Sunday at all then I guess it would make a small difference but since Sunday is my grocery shopping day I don't think I can join in.

The only thing I can see this accomplishing is maybe allowing retailers to cut their Sunday staffing levels which just puts even more of a hurt on the workers. But you do what you think is best.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Idealistic thought

But unrealistic. Some people (including me) have about one day to themselves, due to work and family obligations. So Sunday it is. If it sounds selfish, sorry about that.

[mntleo2]

4. I Would Support This

I do not agree all the way that Americans are the way of your first poster, but many of them are ignorant. Because I am old (almost 54) I also remember a time when just about everything was closed on Sundays anyway. This was just a given that Sunday was not a time to shop.

Since its inception, I support the Buy Nothing Day that happens after Thanksgiving. I would LOVE for that to spread to other days.

My 2 cents

Cat In Seattle

[Donnachaidh]

5. one day isn't enough

What we NEED to do is target one of those WEEKENDS that the stores use when figuring their quarterly figures. Like
Memorial Day, etc.

And we CAN'T stop there. A one-time boycott isn't going to cut it. It has to be a strong, continual hammer on all the weekends the businesses rely on.

[grannylib]

6. Right, we were not thinking of a one-time thing...but an ongoing effort.

One of the thoughts behind it was the impact on the environment too, if people were not driving around to the malls, etc on that day...
I know it's idealistic, and probably nostalgia-driven...

I also participate in the no-buy-day-after-T-day thing...just hate the crowds and the whole commercialism of the 'lets spend MONEY to celebrate the birth of Jesus' thing...

[Pierogi_Pincher]

8. We too

don't participate in the day after Thanksgiving craziness, and did ratchet it up a notch by not buying ANY Christmas presents for a number of years now. Our immediate family has enough stuff to live decently, and we have no kiddies to buy for (except something small for the KITTY!) We like it this way. $$$ that would've gone for more stuff is donated/gifted to charities/causes, and that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I Like It, uh-huh uh-huh!


P_P


:dem:

[Donnachaidh]

9. T-Day is unbearable!

I don't go just because of the traffic. And quite frankly,
I've noticed a trend of the stores raising prices before that weekend, so that they can drop them down for the weekend and lie about the sales.

What astounds me is that people fall for this mess!

Also, another time that might be a really good time to boycott - my state has two weekends a year for No sales tax. It usually is just applied to school things. But if a really well-publicized boycott could be pulled off then - that would get the point across.

I don't know how many states have that, but it would be a real statement - especially as the stores go to great lengths to overstock on items that would be left on the shelves.

[TheWraith]

7. Not going to work.

For one thing, even if every single American did this, it would just shift purchases to Saturday, Monday, whatever. It would make zero impact to the bottom line for businesses. Second, what message can it really send? That you'll put up with all these things that you object to six days a week, but not seven? This reminds me of a thread I saw awhile back pushing the idea that you could protest high gas prices by keeping less gas in your car's tank. It's one of those things that gets people's blood pumping, but you're still going to need the same amount of gas, just like you still are going to need that new oven mitt on Monday.

[jobycom]

10. Probably increase profits in most stores.

First, no way we'd get enough people to do it to make any noticable difference. Second, people would just buy stuff on Monday or Saturday instead, if they went along at all. Third, stores wouldn't mind this. They could reduce staffing on SUndays, thus cutting worker pay and increasing their profits.

[madmichelle]

11. pessimistic here

I want to know how anyone can manage to get a group of anyone to do anything as a team? It seems no one wants to get together for a cause.

Also, I read on another thread about boycotting one gas station chain in order to make that chain lower prices, that will then drive all other chains to lower prices to create competition. But what good will that do (even if you can get a group together) if their is a demand elsewhere and others just buy what we don't?

Yes, pessimistic here. I really want to do something, anything, especially to help the working poor class. I get fired up, write letters, etc, then wonder, does it really matter anyway?