"Do I really need this???"

(Image from Pouletsue- Flickr.com)

Shopping....dun. dun. dun.
We are massive consumers when it comes to shopping. We are all guilty of it, we love it, and we will not stop.
Unfortunately ...we spend a lot of money doing it...and sometimes (if not most of the time) waste a lot of money. but most importantly this high consumption habit of ours has a great impact on our environment...and thus we should be more concerned with finding ways of being smarter about this little love of ours.

I am currently reading the "Shopping Chapter" in the Gorgeously Green book by Sophie Uliano, and this section is filled with tons of useful information on indulging in guilt-free shopping. After having read this section, the most important information I retained and practice on a daily basis is to ask myself a very important question before I pick up my next buy in a store. I ask myself...

"Do I really need this???" or better yet...." Can I live without it?"

So next time you are ready to pull out that wallet on your next purchase...ask yourself those two questions...chances are you don't. be honest with yourself ;)

But more importantly, just how much does our consumption have an affect on our environment? I rarely take the time to think how something was made, or who made it (and in what conditions) and where. What materials were used...what about the packaging? how much plastic or non-recyclable material is used to make this item...what chemicals are involved & do these harm our planet. Can this be reused? How much energy was consumed through the shipping process? Is this a fair-trade product?
Enough questions right...but the problem is we rarely ask ourselves these questions, and much of our society is apathetic to the answers. I think if we all took the time to think about some of these issues, we would have second thoughts on the answers to the two questions listed above.

More on this topic soon. Again, I do recomend the Goregeously Green Book...it is wonderful. ;)


Important Links:
Find out if your favorite brand is unethical. = www.sweatshopwatch.org
Learn more about the fair-trade products in larger stores= www.transfairusa.org
-Information on Buying Green

-Lu