Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver BC in 1992 as a time to protest or take time to re-examine the consumerism in mainstream American (Canadian? Western?) culture. I know this is a little bit funny since I just posted about Black Friday deals. I usually don't try to grab all those deals specifically on the day after Thanksgiving, but I do know that I am just as guilty of accumulating stuff as anyone else. I try to keep things simple and baggage-free, but as I'm sure most of you know, it's very easy to end up buying stuff.

So take some time to think about the role of material goods in your life. it doesn't have to actually be on Friday, it doesn't have to result in a vow of poverty, but you should try to be more conscious about buying, keeping, and dealing with stuff.

Along those lines, be sure to check out the Story of Stuff.

Here are some clips from the (animated) film.

My friend Chun Mei sent this. I've never really done the Black Friday craziness, but if you're into that, this will definitely help.

Ridiculously thorough. Please share. Happy Thanksgiving.

Update: Sorry, it looks like the scribd embedding didn't work on that kind of spreadsheet. Here's a link where you can download it. Black Friday Buying Guide (xls)