Buy Nothing Day(s)

For the first time in a few years, I've actually gotten thru a Buy Nothing Day without buying anything. Well, there was a tasty Indian meal, but I can't count that. If you weren't up to it on Friday, you can still do it on Saturday as it's now a 2-day affair. Just for fun, here are some shopping and consumption facts from their press release:

-Per capita consumption in the U.S. has risen 45 per cent in the last 20 years.

-Although people today are, on average, four-and-a-half times richer than our great-grandparents were at the turn of the century, Americans report feeling "significantly less well off" than in 1958.

-A recent article in New Scientist featured research suggesting that the more consumer goods you have the more you think you need to make you happy. Happiness through consumption is always out of reach (New Scientist, 4th October 2003, Vol.180, Issue 2415, p44. Available online after registering at www.newscientist.co.uk).