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Buy Nothing on Friday? How About Cyber Monday?

overtheshoulder.jpgEditor’s Note: Want more JDA? You can see all of her posts for GC here, her blog here and stalk her on Twitter.
I’ve got something lined up for Jr Deputy Accountant this morning on Cyber Monday that I just had to repost over here. Normally it’s the other way around but I wanted to make sure to get this point across.


I always think about the guy who posted the comment about “you idiots worried about flashcards should have been the ones laid off” on a Ernst & Young layoff post we did here when I think about the crowd mentality that motivates bizarre events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
We did Buy Nothing Day in the hopes that you all would stay home Friday and save your pennies but I want to make sure my point is being received correctly. If you can afford it, go get it, no one cares. But don’t go just because the shiny advertisements are trying to seduce you with 60% off if you can’t even afford 95% off.
As I said on JDA this morning:

I will be doing my best to resist Cyber Monday since it’d be awfully hypocritical of me after evangelizing Buy Nothing Day but I have a vacation flight to catch in less than 2 weeks and only a few good shipping [sic] days left.
The point has always been this: if you can afford it, by all means, please buy it. If you want it and you bust your ass to pay for it and it won’t put you underwater to get it, have at it! Please!
I have “disposable income” down to a science and it doesn’t take a mathlete to do so: take what you need (I should not have to define “need” for you) minus what you make, putting investments and savings in the “need” column instead of dividing the take after needs – net income and viola [sic]. Go buy some shit.

Come on, CPAs, those numbers check out, right?
Like I said, I’ve got a trip coming up but no mortgage (or CPA exam retake fees. You know who you are — knock it off with the half-assing it through the exam already — it adds up) so I might need some crap for said trip. I’m not saying you should lock your doors and put your credit card on ice but I also have a job and residual writing income. Do you?
Stay away from Cyber Monday also if A) your boss is watching you and/or B) you can’t afford it. Otherwise go forth with my blessing and may all your security codes match your billing address.