Practice Buying Nothing - Economic Black Out Day Friday, February 28, 2025

Today is Economic Blackout Day. I put the exact date in the title of this blog post because I predict there will be more of them in the future. 

In the areas of the internet I inhabit, Economic Blackout Day information has been everywhere, but we all exist in different bubbles, so I want to share a quick primer on what is going on.

This differs from Buy Nothing Day (which is a counter protest to Black Friday and occurs on Black Friday). It is also separate but not incompatible with people who are boycotting businesses that dropped their DEI policies. It is USA specific. Though Canada and Mexico have other protests going on that you should explore if you live in those countries.

John Schwarz started economic Blackout Day on Instagram, but I saw many similar sentiments and frustrations merge into one collectively picked day. There's plenty of credit and momentum to go around. Schwarz has since started a group called The People's Union USA, which promotes the day and provides consistent guidelines. I'm curious to see how that organization grows.

The overarching point of Economic Blackout Day is to protest corporate greed and billionaires interfering in US government.

The day asks US consumers to spend no money and buy nothing today, February 28th 2025. There are mixed views on whether this includes all businesses or only corporations. The stance that makes the most sense (to me) is to only shop small and in cash if possible. Brick and mortar small businesses need community support! 

But you don't have to be perfect to have a positive impact. I won't be posting anything new on my storefronts today because I use Shopify, Ebay, and Poshmark which are all large corporations and work with credit card companies of imperfect behavior. 

Do what works for you! 

If most days are a buy something days, buying nothing can feel impossible. But it is not! And it gets easier with practice. 

I believe in thinking deliberately before making purchases. Can I make this at home? Do I have something similar at home I can use instead? Can I borrow this from a friend? Can I borrow it from a collective resource (like a library)? Do I have unused versions of this item at home? Can I buy it secondhand? Or refurbished? Or from an ethical source? 

Honestly, sometimes it's a bit exhausting, but I think it's worth it in the long haul to feel good about what your money supports. It can also be more expensive. But worth it if you have the means.

When I was first combatting my shopping and consumerism instincts, a practice that helped me a lot is going around my house and just looking around. Shopping my home if you will. If I already own items still in boxes, still with tags, unopened, or untried than I just grab that item and use it instead. Wow it's like I bought myself a little treat. :)

Another useful practice is to consider the end life of an item before purchasing it. How will I upcycle, recycle, or get rid of this item once it has served its purpose. Trying to recycle "perfectly" will drive you mad. It's much easier to avoid accumulating unneeded goods or packaging in the first place. Take it from the women trying to ethically get rid of my used up deodorant cartridges. 

There's no ethical consumption under capitalism, but I appreciate you being here and us doing our best together.

With love,

Caitlin