Common Cents

You always hear that a dollar doesn’t go very far anymore. I have to disagree. I think part of offsetting my carbon footprint is living more responsibly by making green choices and paying close attention to where my money goes and I can make it go quite far.

I’ve learned the value of a dollar as I have learned how I affect the environment.

Wasteful consumerism is a major contributing factor to the rate of global warming. Things have gotten so cheap, especially foreign made goods, that it is easy to overbuy and over consume. The “made anywhere but here” stores make it easy to purchase a lot of things very quickly. The hidden costs (including high carbon footprints, unnecessary manufacturing, unsustainable goods, sweat shop labor, unsafe factories) hardly register when we have the opportunity to get a “bargain.”

But the short term impulse of the present has a long term impact on the future.

It doesn’t have to be like that. You can make your money go further by making economical choices that also turn out to be good for the planet.

For instance, take eating locally. In some cases, it can cost more. Some people produce local goods, but they cash in on the idea that organic and local means you can charge more. In fact, organically grown local produce should cost less. Look out for those manufacturers and farmers that don’t try abuse your good deeds. You can buy locally cheap. It’s a matter of taking the time to read labels and compare prices. Knowing a local producer or two doesn’t do any harm either. I buy local and still save money because I buy wisely and I buy from the same producers time and again building those consumer based relationships of the past.

Buying organically can save money too as long as you don’t opt for fine dining or quick fixes. If you cut out fad veggies you’ve never heard of and exclude overly manufactured products, it can be a real bargain. I opt for dry garbanzo beans rather than canned as it works out to be about two bucks cheaper. It’s a little more work, but the beans can be prepped the day before. If you save a couple of dollars on every product, that adds up quickly. Buy dry in bulk and watch the savings grow.

Another thing. Get over the designer labels. Usually they are produced in places where the workers are inadequately compensated and then the company owner charges you an exorbitant amount to be their advertising billboard. Get wise. I can buy a bag of clothes, designer label or otherwise at the local thrift store for a dollar, working out to about ten cents an item. No-one knows I didn’t spend 40 bucks on that shirt and it looks exactly the same as the shirt on the poor schmuck that did.

That’s just a few examples to be getting along with. Once you change your mindset you can start making economical changes everywhere. And for all those you can’t get to this year? Well buy a little carbon credit to help things along.