The Deep Green Anti-Consumer Plan : My Daily Peace

The Deep Green Anti-Consumer Plan

Posted on September 26, 2007 - Filed Under Health, Deep Thoughts, Mother Nature, Green Goods, Consumerism |

A few months ago I wrote a post about how my husband and I decided to follow an anti-consumer plan this year in an effort to green our lives and live a more meaningful existence with less stuff. We are allowing ourselves to purchase new items such as toothpaste and socks, but anything that is not a necessity has to be used or at least natural, organic, and/or a fair trade product. So far, I think we’re doing a great job. The last thing I purchased that didn’t follow these rules was a book for one of my grad school classes and it was obviously a necessity, but it made me realize how less stressful life has been without wasting money on junk I don’t need. And trust me, it can be a challenge. I had a really bad day at work not too long ago and I felt that urge to do some retail therapy. Isn’t it crazy how buying yourself something somehow momentarily satifies that unhappiness? So I did the next best thing: I headed to the grocery store and bought items to make a fabulous dinner for me and my husband, and the satisfaction I felt from doing something good for us like making a fabulously healthy dinner erased that urge to buy myself happy.

So today I read a refreshing article about a family in New York City following their own anti-consumer plan. This family took my anti-consumer plan to the next level and decided to live “carbon-neutral” for one year. The results have been amazing! They have saved so much money and the quality of their life has improved significantly because they are spending more time together. At the end of the article there some great tips for following a “deep green” anti-consumer plan. My favorites, as listed from the article, that I use are to:

Buy produce, dairy, and meat that originates within 250 miles of your hometown to reduce air pollution related to transportation. The food is fresher, lasts longer, and tastes better .

Be second-hand savvy. Look to craigslist, eBay, Freecycle, Freegan.info, and flea markets for creative treasures.

I would also like to reiterate how fantastic it is to use reusable bags for everything, as many cities like San Francisco are beginning to charge a small fee to obtain plastic bags when shopping.

So continue to free yourselves from the consumer trap and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.

Namaste.