The United States Government is planning to send out rebate checks in the hope that American citizens will immediately spend the money to stimulate the economy, thus avoiding a recession.

Thanks for the gift Federal Government, but you are missing the point! We do not need to take out a big loan from a foreign lender so that we can go shopping willy-nilly to purchase products we probably do not need that were probably produced in a foreign country. (Whose economy will that stimulate?)

The United States cannot spend its way out of its financial difficulties. We do not need a short-term solution for long-term problems. We need fundamental, far-reaching change to a broken and corrupt system. The following are no longer sustainable:

• consumption as an economic solution,
• deficit spending,
• predatory lending,
• unaffordable health care,
• tax cuts for the wealthy, and
• war over oil and religious ideology.

It is difficult to imagine why anyone would help reinforce the behavior of a broken government or stimulate an out of control economy by purchasing more stuff and junk. It is time for us to do what our government cannot!

Table Of Contents

• How To Use Your Rebate
• Download, Print & Post Flyers
• Link To This Web Page
• Write Your Elected Officials
• Start A Discussion
• E-Mail Your Friends & Family
• Put "Don't Buy It" In Your Signature Line

Do your part; let the politicians and special interests know you are not going to take it any more. Show them a band-aid on a broken system will not fix it. Put your rebate to work in ways they do not expect.

Here are several ways to use your rebate to make REAL CHANGE . . .

• Pay down high interest credit cards or other debts.

• Put your rebate in a savings account.

• Donate your rebate to those working to end poverty, promote environmental responsibility, peace, justice, or equal rights for all.

• If you must buy something, purchase goods and services that support your local economy or save money, energy and resources in the end:
  • Locally grown fruits and vegetables
  • Fluorescent light bulbs
  • Water heater blankets
  • Water saving showerheads
  • Insulation (and a local, self-employed contractor to install it)

• Don’t stop: do the same with your 2007 tax refund.

Download, print and post copies of this poster everywhere possible.

1. Click here to start the PDF download.
   File Name: Dont_Buy_It_Flyer.pdf
   File Size: 117 KB

2. Save the file to your desktop.

3. Print as many copies as you want.

4. Post them everywhere. Please be sure that you always ask permission before posting flyers anywhere. We don't want you to get into trouble (or get us into trouble...).

All you need to do is choose which banner you like, copy the HTML code below it, and paste the code onto your web site or blog. We ask that you not place our banner on sites which include pornography or other adults-only content.

Send an e-mail to your elected officials and tell them you "Don't Buy It!"

Click here to find the e-mail addresses of your elected officials.

We don't want to tell you what to say. Please feel free to write your own letter in your own words. However, if you need a starting point or a few ideas, you can cut, paste and edit the text below.

When you run across an appropriate place to mention "Don't Buy It" -- such as discussion forums or blogs that are about the economy and politics or other appropriate subjects -- don't be shy about letting people know about this campaign. Be sure to include this web address in your post: www.SimpleLiving.net

IMPORTANT: It isn't an accident that we used the word "appropriate" twice in the preceding paragraph. It's important not to spam forums, post on non-related sites or site areas, or otherwise annoy people in the name of this campaign. That will only reflect poorly on you and us.

An e-mail to a friend or family member is one of the best ways you can spread the word about "Don't Buy It." Use your regular e-mail program and send them a quick note. Be sure to include this web address in your e-mail: www.SimpleLiving.net

Almost every e-mail program lets you add a "signature" to the bottom of all of your outgoing e-mail. By adding a brief mention of "Don't Buy It" along with our web address to your signature, you can help spread the word. We suggest something like, "Wake Up & Smell The Rebate - Don't Buy It - www.SimpleLiving.net".

In Outlook Express, you can do this by clicking "Options" and then the "Signatures" tab.

Thanks to Lisa Ottman for the "Don't Buy It" inspiration provided by her blog entry.