I was recently approached by an industry insider who sent me a copy of the book, Not Buying It: My Year without Shopping, by Judith Levine. I just started reading the book and I will write a full review to come in Part II. This woman conducted, by choice, a social experiment of buying nothing for an entire year beyond necessities such as food, basic toiletries and pre 1980 utilities, no wI-FI baby! This is interesting, considering that so many Personal Financial Blogs serve to teach people how to either save money, make money, show off the many they have made and even still what they intend to do with the money they plan to make.
Could I go an entire year without purchasing consumer products such as my iPod, cell phone or custom made English spread collar shirts! Of course I could. I have friends that cant go a day without a cell phone, let alone a year. Its all about mentality, but it is also an extreme luxury to be able to do so. But even more importantly, this goes against my Hummer sized consumerism which I would use to become even more efficient. Below you will find a list of my Hummer Size Wish List.
My Consumerism Wish List:
1. $7.00 gasoline. I did an entire post on this one.
2. Increased sales tax: Money to go to schools and police only
3. More organic/natural foods: Government to subsidize production. Less chemicals and preservatives in the food. Better Food equals less medical cost in the long run. Better health at the root of the problem not maintenance at the end.
4. More public space fees: Parks, Beaches, Lakes, Forrest? That will be $9 please! At least they will be cleaner and less crowded. Unless you have special pass
5. Driver License Minimum Age: 19. Sorry that's the rules, but hey you cant afford the gas anyway!
6. Cell phone rates, double. Too many cell phones being used for to little productive reasons. Lets raise the rates!
7. Movie Makeover: More features at the movie. Two for Mission Impossible 3: $25, 2 shrimp pastas $40: , and a foot massage $90, getting it all done in 2 hours, priceless!
What a world!
2 comments:
I liked that funny post. Specially point 7 :)
Regards!
http://niquel757.blogspot.com
The money goes to schools and police only?
Not to firefighters? Not to the paramedic who takes you to the hospital if you get in a car wreck?
Not to low-cost health clinics, poor kids who have strep throat and earaches will get a reasonable amount of health care without filling the emergency room (and thus delaying care to people who were in those car wrecks)?
This seems a little short-sighted to me.
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