Purchasing to be environmentally conscious and not necessarily thrifty

bg · 06-19-2006, 10:40 PM

Do you purchase items second hand or used to be environmentally conscious and not necessarily for thrifty of money-saving reasons?

I am noticing a shift in my thinking. For example, Ikea is pretty cheap and so far in my experience their items have had a fairly good quality. But the amount of packaging material used for every little item is a little silly. So I have found myself looking around at the many thrift store surrounding our apartment. I would like to purchase a wall clock for our kitchen so I don't have to keep running to the bedroom to see what time it is, and I want to spend a dollar for a nice big clock that I can hang on the wall. And I know I will eventually find out at a yard sale or a thrift store.

Another place where I've found myself shopping second hand is in clothing. I have a very "traditional" taste in clothing. The new fangled clothes with buttons and holes and what not don't appeal to me - which is found in stores that I used to frequent like H&M. But I find the clothes that are more along my taste in second hand clothing stores like Buffalo exchange. Additionally I get the added bonus of knowing that no new sweat shop workers were employed in the making of second hand clothes - that was done away with probably in the first round.

These are the areas I've noticed a shift in my thinking. Most of it came about when I went vegan for a month. I just started thinking of ways I can not kill the planet rightaway. One of my main challenges has been to not be critical of other people, and focus on only myself and how I operate.

Basically the main thrust of this long rant is to find out if others here are experiencing a shift in their thinking toward consumerism brought on perhaps by consumerism (i.e. cc debt, and so on).

Thanks

**hollyhill** · 06-20-2006, 01:52 AM

Yes!

For the last couple of years I have been Frugal out of necessity...but now I will be able to be frugal for environmental reasons again.....I much prefer the latter!

**homesteadmamma** · 06-20-2006, 08:46 AM

Yes we do has often has we can. I find it interesting how one's thinking changes after you've been living the simple life for awhile. It isn't all about frugality, it turns to thinking about the environment and I've also find myself thinking about where the items are made and the people who make them.

**psjkmom** · 06-20-2006, 08:51 AM

I've been thinking along the same lines. I've made a goal to not buy any new clothing or furniture/household items. Rather, I'll buy from thrift stores/antique/second-hand. It's sort of reusing and recyclying at the same time.

**QuilterMom** · 06-20-2006, 09:16 AM

I do it for both reasons - frugality and environmental.

**Valerie in WA** · 06-20-2006, 10:10 AM

Yup, me too.

An example: I needed several small pieces of masculine fabric for a quilt. I went to the thrift store and bought a dozen men's shirts for 99c each. I saved all the buttons, and only used the sleeves for my project. I still have the equivilent of a fat quarter of fabric left from every shirt.

**Monner 1** · 06-20-2006, 04:21 PM

I have to agree with you on this one. I have noticed so much unnecessary packaging and all of the useless junk mail that goes in the garbage. I try to recycle as much as possible. I have also come to the point of not being able to tolerate wasting food. It is so unnecessary and gives me the guilts. I love second hand things and alot of my clothes are from garage sales, thrift stores or hand me downs from friends. It makes me feel good that I am giving Mother Earth a bit of a rest and my pocketbook also. We all need to keep up the good work.
Monner 1