This post is, in part, a continuation of my thoughts in the post "A Simple Life" from January. Feel free to read that first if you wish!
In continuing to try to live simply for the last half of the year, here is what has happened:
1) Once I told myself that I should stop wanting more things, it actually became fairly simple to stop buying them! Besides groceries and household goods, I honestly haven't bought much in the past 6-months. My one shopping trip was to Goodwill where I handed in some clothes and bought some new-to-me clothing. Buying used is terrific because it does not create new production and it helps less to go to the landfill. Looking back, I can honestly say that it feels a lot nicer to not constantly feel in want of more things.
2) Once I stopped thinking about my obsession with buying things, I started spending more time thinking about other things to do to live simply and sustainably. Over this summer, Matthew and I have been line drying our clothing and biking just about anytime we go anywhere locally. (This is a lot of biking!) We continue to wash ziploc bags, carry our own cloth grocery bags, and reuse the plastic bags used for produce and bulk goods. If we had access to a compost pile, our garbage bag would be pretty empty. :)
3) This summer I did some research about our world of consumerism, and it made my heart break. The amount done to harm our planet is absurd. Even worse, our market is set up to harm people around the world while keeping our prices "affordable." I felt that I could not go on with good conscience knowing that my purchases were harming people and other living things across the world. A discussion about this and my current solution will be the remainder of this post.
First of all, I have heard, and used, the “lack of money” excuse for careless consumer habits. This can be a viable excuse, and I consciously try to avoid judging others about this. However, I think that we should all individually consider why we don’t have the money. Is it because we value having the latest technology over social justice? Is it because we value entertaining ourselves over the environment? The list goes on. I’m not saying that all things fun or “extraneous” should be avoided, but I am saying that we should really think about what we are doing.
Matthew and I sat down and considered our income and we increased our budget for food and household goods. What are we doing with the extra money? We are going to the local co-op! It is a great place because they do a lot of research for you. Their goal is to sell products that are grown or produced in a manner that is safe and fair for people and the environment. They also try to sell products as locally as possible.
When I shop now, I feel good about what I am buying. I’m avoiding chemical run-off into the sea. I am not causing a farmer’s family to barely get by. My eggs don’t come from a chicken in an itty bitty cage. It’s pretty awesome, and I look forward to improving in this area as time goes on.
A link to the co-op that Matthew and I now own share in: http://www.firstalt.coop/
A link to the site I went to that had information about the ins and outs of our everyday stores and products: http://www.greenamericatoday.org/programs/responsibleshopper/index.cfm
A link to those interested in living simply as a way to live for God: http://www.christiansimpleliving.org/
