Once upon a time I had a list on my chalkboard. It said: "Do you really need it? Can it be bought used? Is it local? Is it sustainable?"
I'm posting those questions again for a challenge at One Green Generation. The challenge asks : "Do you really need it? If so buy it locally. Buy it fair trade. Buy it green. Buy it to last."
These are the guidelines I've used for shopping for several years now. Probably for longer than that because for many things, I actually like them best old or from my family (I've bought 4 new furniture items in my life). So I'm really not making a new pledge here, just adding my support to the cause and pledging to continue these shopping habits.
So the question I have to ask myself is, "Why did I buy that coffee mug at the farmer's market today?" I didn't really need another coffee cup, I just really liked this one. The answer for me is that sometimes, within the bounds of the budget, I think we need to buy things we love. It's part of sustaining our souls. And since it meets the other criteria of my shopping rules, well, I feel just fine about this purchase. Especially since I had a gift certificate for the farmer's market as a reward for riding the bus so much.
