Buy Nothing Day, the brainchild of artist Ted Dave, was first organized in Vancouver in September 1992 as "a day for society to examine the issue of over-consumption." The campaign challenges consumers to go a day without buying anything -- "a 24-hour consumer detox." I remember being at the Railway Club one year on BND, when it was suggested that we wait to pay our tab till after midnight -- beer, after all, is something to buy (the irony was not lost on us that if we stayed later, we'd consume more.)

As soon as one heavily-marketed holiday is over, consumers are bombarded with the next.  In Canada, it seems the Christmas decorations go up in stores before the Halloween candy gets discounted.  South of the border, today, the day after American Thanksgiving, marks the launch of the Christmas shopping season.  It is known as "Black Friday" because it is the point in the year when retailers' books move from the red to the black.  The holiday season is often looked upon as make-or-break time, and can account for up to half of retailers' annual profits.

In the context of trying to be a conscious consumer, sometimes that is the question.  Of course there are further, interrelated questions, which lead to weighing options, then making the decision To Buy or Not To Buy.

The first might be: Why?  Why would I buy something?  Is it necessary?  Food is necessary but do I want to stock up on groceries or grab take-out?