“Buy Nothing Day” is a day that promotes people to save their money and for people to refrain from making purchases. This day originated in Canada in 1992; it was meant to show the excessive consumerism that is going on throughout the world. “Buy Nothing Day” can promote positive implications for people’s personal bank accounts, but it can also have negative impacts on the economy. “Buy Nothing Day” is overall a bad idea for an already struggling economy.
The economy in the United States right now is improving but it is still not out of the red. A “24-hour consumer detox” in the United States could be detrimental to the already fragile economy. According to historical economists saving money is damaging the economy; we are taking money out of circulation, this then causes more money to be printed which causes inflation. Increased inflation in the United States could have the potential to raise prices and increase deficit. In no products worldwide or nationwide weren’t being purchased the supply and demand balance would be thrown off. “Buy Nothing Day” has the potential to be catastrophic in the United States, and based on the United State’s consumerists ways it wouldn’t catch on very easily.
Since “Buy Nothing Day” would be difficult start in the United States, a full day of not purchasing goods would be nearly impossible in the United States or worldwide. In the times we live in today, people cannot go a day without buying food or gas. From urban to rural areas people need gas to get to the places they want to go. Gas and groceries are staple needs, we as Americans need to live with. Although the environment may benefit from this consumerism halt, it is improbable and unlikely to catch on in the US, it is frankly unlikely.
“Buy Nothing Day” is a good idea in theory, but in the world we live in today, in our consumerist culture we as a nation would not be able to carry on a day without any purchases. Due to economic reasons, as well as social reasons this day would not be able to be established in the United States. Although a “24-hour detox” may help people financially, it would not help improve America’s GDP.