Are You Participating in the February 28th “No Spend” Economic Boycott?
by Katy on February 25, 2025 · 31 comments
My social media feed is filled with people spreading the word about the February 28th Economic Boycott. In essence, thousands (millions?) of Americans are finally taking a stand against the horrifying current administration by not supporting the economy this Friday.
Voting with our dollars.
There doesn’t seem to be an absolute consensus, as some people are planning to spend money at locally owned small businesses, but there is full agreement that no money should be spent at Target, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot or the multitude of other Trump friendly corporations.
You already know that I do my best to boycott these unethical companies on a daily basis, and that I stopped buying almost anything new in 2007. So yes, I am in full support of this grassroots movement. Just like the people who started boycotting Target in January only to realize that there was almost no need to shop there in the first place, I’m hoping that Americans realize that mindless consumerism accomplishes nothing. It keeps us impoverished, while transferring our hard earned dollars to those who already have more than they could ever spend in a lifetime.
This single Friday? What about every Friday? How about every Friday and Wednesday? What if Americans only spent on the absolute necessities? We’d bring our country to a crashing halt. I’m reminded of when I was on The Today Show and I stated it would be “A catastrophic thing if everybody did this,” (stopped buying newly manufactured items) and that it was a “moot argument.”
Record screech! That time has come.
So yes, let’s show our collective economic power this February 28th. Hold onto your dollars, it’s apparently more powerful than your vote.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Count me in!
Definitely! I’m one of those who stopped shopping at Target in January and am pleased to find I don’t miss it at all (and I was previously going a couple times a month) I feel so free now that I’ve given up supporting Target and other similar businesses, I really don’t need them and it’s saving me a lot of money.
Absolutely! It felt weird deleting my Amazon account, since I’ve had it for 20 years, but guess what, not one time in the last month has there been a single thing I really needed from there. The same for Target.
We had stopped shopping very much at Target the past year or so, maybe just once every 2 months or so, and then only a few items we don’t buy at Aldi or Walgreens, but since the start of Jan or maybe end of Dec I haven’t been back to Target. I don’t go to Walmart either. I would definitely consider participating in No Shopping Friday.
I am certainly happy to participate on Feb. 28th.
Here is my quandary: where I live, I can get many many MANY things cheaper from Schmazon than I can locally. I mean, $30 cheaper for a case of corned beef hash or canned salmon, etc. This means I can afford way more to put in the Little Free Food Pantry that caters to seniors locally. So far, I am just hoping that Someone Up There understands. I try always to buy meat-heavy groceries because the last thing the seniors need, from what I can tell, is more canned vegetables or pasta.
I got you lady. We are all just trying to do whatever little bit we can. I recognize how fortunate I am to live in the opposite of a food desert here in Virginia. I’ve got essentially every grocery option available to me and I know that’s privilege. You are so kind to stock the food pantry!
Rose, have you ever looked at the prices with an online restaurant supply store? During the pandemic lockdown, I bought from one a few times and it was a good experience.
Ruby, I feel like I have but I feel like it was via Amazon!
Well, good suggestion and I will explore it further. We’re all here trying to do the best we can given our limitations.
CKaty: thanks. Hunger–human or animal–is the one subject that brings me to my knees. Good choice in something to get upset about, right? Because hunger is everywhere and there is 0.0 I can do about it.
I totally agree that many of the canned goods, pasta and processed foods donated to food pantries are less than optimal. Having volunteered to organize donations I have seen the excess of unusable items and the effort and space required to organize it. It convinced me that donating dollars is far more efficient. The food pantries can optimize dollars more than canned goods, carbs and cake mixes.
I totally agree that many of the canned goods, pasta and processed foods donated to food pantries are less than optimal. Having volunteered to organize donations I have seen the excess of unusable items and the effort and space required to organize it. It convinced me that donating dollars is far more efficient. The food pantries can optimize dollars more than canned goods, carbs and cake mixes.
Count me in for the 28th.
I intend to participate but that is easy for me to say because we don’t have Target or Kohls or Trader Joes or most of the other stores commentators mention. We do have one Walmart but I have never been in there because of their business tactics. And we do have a few fast food places, but mostly if I go for fast food it is the Friday Filet o’ Fish from Mcdonalds. In other words, most people who participate will be giving up a lot more than I will.
I understand that McDonalds supported Trump in a big way. Is there a local fish place you can try?
We are switching to buying from local businesses, farmers markets, and companies that did not support Trump. My only Amazon use is for library Kindle books and I am reducing that by checking out print books more. The whole situation is awful.
Ironic that this post was covered by a giant ad for Intel and a Walmart banner at the bottom. What can you do to get the conglomerates and multinationals out of our faces? I come here for anti consumption and solidarity. Maybe you’d consider an ad free day on the blog too in solidarity – not spending there and add in not taking any income from them either.
Use an ad blocker. I have been using one since–at least 20 years.
Yep, I’m in. Though not shopping for one day is not much of a strain because I am in necessities only mode this year, with the possibility of making it permanent as long as the Orange Pox is in office.
I deleted my Amazon account last week, having not used it in ages. Walmart is a little bit tricky for me because the neighborhood market where I buy gas and a few other items not otherwise available nearby. But I have kept it at a bare minimum for decades.
I made this decision at the start of the year – I realised that although I have made some great decisions for the environment (growing my own veggies and fruit, vegetarian diet), I was still on the hedonic treadmill. I caught myself browsing sites for things I didn’t need, and could feel the rush of dopamine that shopping brought with it. I knew I absolutely had enough stuff. I made a commitment to get off the hedonic treadmill, rather than a commitment to stop buying new. That applies to buying new and old – I made a commitment to intentionally thinking about the purpose of my purchases. If the purchasing is to fulfil that dopamine hit or a gap that I think I need to fill (hedonic treadmill) – I stop and reconsider my purchase. If the purchase is truly meaningful and will bring real joy to my life, I am allowed to buy it. I have really cut back on purchases this year as a result of this personal commitment.
I’m in! Not just Friday–that’s easy and I’ll do it–I love your “extended plan”. Every Friday. Every Wednesday and Friday. As little as possible all other days.
As for Amazon, I’ve taken to using it for a reference site. I look up items, read descriptions and reviews, compare prices, look at things side by side and then–if I’m going to buy I go elsewhere with that information!
I am in! I read that the people of Canada are joining us in solidarity!
Yay for our friends in Canada! I’m happy to hear they’re joining us.
I am in for no shopping on feb 28.
I am 100% in.
I’m absolutely in.
In 2024, personal consumption expenditures represent nearly 68% of the nation’s GDP (according to US Bank).
I think most of us can reduce our personal consumption expenditures and send a powerful message. I am VERY frugal and I am aiming for my lowest spend year ever. I don’t want to go to work to earn money to support a billionaire. I want to support local farmers and local businesses. And also step outside the money economy entirely as much as possible by growing my own food, making my own clothes, bartering for services, and generally working directly for the things I need rather than going to work to earn money to pay someone else for the things I need.
Rose, Have you thought about checking with the food bank if they would prefer to receive cash instead of food donations? The food bank where I work can buy things like canned salmon at a hugely reduced price. It is better for them to receive cash. Of course they happily accept any non-expired food that is donated, but once I knew they could buy far more with say $20 than I could purchase with $20, I started giving cash.
Calendar marked for absolute no spending on Friday. Although I’ve not been shopping any of the stores you listed for several months. Here’s hoping people start taking action however they can.
I have young kids (6 and 10) and they are so excited to participate in the no spend day this Friday. We have talked a lot about this administration and how decisions being made impact others. Our town is extremely supportive of the orange guy and my boys love having something we can do to let our voices be heard. They are telling their friends to make sure that they don’t spend any money on Friday.
Your sweet little children give me hope for the future. Give them a big hug from me!
I am not only taking part, I am excited about it and looking forward to participating and keeping my money out of the hands of billionaires. I like the every Wednesday and Friday idea and am seriously considering it. I may take it a step farther and boycott these companies altogether or as much as I can. I cut Amazon loose last year and have never looked back. That’s a start. Like all of us on this blog, I live very frugally anyway so it’s not a far stretch.
Hell, yes, I’m boycotting Trump and Musk and the GOP and their economy. And I will be happy to do this multiple times. Whatever it takes to get my country back.
It’s only been four weeks. But I don’t recognize our country’s government anymore; tRump’s just about ruined the whole thing! Now they want to take away people’s voting rights if they ever changed their names; no married woman or adoptee whose name was changed will be able to cast a ballot if that goes through. And they want to axe Medicaid, which helps low-income seniors and children and disabled people; I guess they want all those folks to die.
People voted for Trump bc they thought he’d bring them prosperity. Ha! Sunday, our egg prices were over $8 for a dozen regular (not organic or Eggland’s Best) eggs. Of course, the Orange One promised he’d bring egg prices down and lower inflation; then, once in office, he stammered “it’s harder than it looks.” Ya think? Yet, so many people believed he could, or would want to, lower prices and inflation. What a crock!
Oh, and the news tonight said the price of beef is about to go way up. Blame it on the drought, blame it on Trump, it doesn’t matter: you’re going to pay lots more. And who is helping the farmers and ranchers? They’ve slashed the federal workforce, so there are fewer Agriculture Dept. people out there.
And remember how Elon Musk announced there were hundreds of 120 y.o. dead people on our Social Security rolls? A funeral home director posted that as soon as a corpse is brought in to any funeral home/mortuary/cremation place/body donation place in the U.S., by federal law, the funeral home (or whoever) has to obtain and report the deceased’s Social Security number to the government right away. So there is no way dead people are still collecting SS! Not unless their kinfolk buried them in the backyard, dumped ’em in the river, or did something similar. OMG, could Musk and Trump and the right-wing “news” broadcasters all be lying? Yes, absolutely they are, the funeral director said.
I’m buying a bumper sticker that says DEPORT ELON, and I’m calling the Congressman and Senators several times a week. My pastor says he is emailing all our elected officials. If I need groceries, there’s a Mom and Pop store I will buy from on Friday (and lots more frequently from now on), and otherwise, my wallet will remain closed that day. I am going to “shop from my closet” as much as possible, and only purchase absolute necessities in coming months; my Easter dress will be something from my closet. I hope they get the message!
Yes, strict no buy Friday. And every other boycott planned. I’m retired and will be spending only on necessities. I transferred my retirement funds to a less risky investment that I have control over.
I became a member of Costco. Costco shareholders voted down a proprosal to cancel the company’s “DEI” policies. So buying most non food items there.
Will shop at 2 local grocery stores PCC Community Markets and Metropolitan Market for food. I used to shop at Shed Schmeyers/Schrogers.
My absolute fave The Yakima Friut Market in Bothell WA reopens March 5! It’s a fruit & veg stand that’s open March-Oct. It sells fruit & veg from Yakima and local farms in western Washington. It’s an absolute gem and a delight to shop there! They hire local high schoolers during the summer.
Every morning I call or email Senators, Congress Folks, The White House, occasionally my Governer & State AG. At first I was contacting Democrats, but now I contact Republicans to pressure them to do what is right. So far, not much luck with Republicans as I see they just approved their House budget bill today. Only 1 Repub voted No.
I’m absolutely participating, and have been in ultra low spend mode since the inauguration. I want Trump’s economy to fail.
Maybe it’ll have little effect. Maybe I’m just howling into the void.
77 million people want him to burn things to the ground. Most of them don’t even like him. Many of them own small businesses. I guess you could make a business prove their politics before you buy anything from them. Good luck with that.