Is It Fun Being Green? It maybe cheaper too.
Hi All,
For years we have heard from environmental wackos about being green. Tree huggers have been pushing their agenda of save the tree’s. We’ve heard global warming gloom and doom for years and years (except in the 80’s when they said the new ice age was coming.) Everyone says we should embrace green things because it will protect our children and save the world from pending doom. I have a better idea. Maybe going green could save money. A ton of money. It potentially could screw the big corporate greed mongers. Why is that? If you make it and build it yourselfs what do you need to buy the crap they are trying to sell.
Understandably, not everything you would want or care to make your self. In my quest for entertainment I was watching HBO’s Deadwood last night. As this turn of the century camp grows and thrives, it occurred to me almost everthing they did was green. The used local lumber, local live stock, local labor (of course some if it was imported), didn’t have electricity, and didn’t have a ton of money. It still had all the elements of greed and corruption that made the west what it was, and the corporations what they are today. There was an underlying theme though. Man helping man and using what they had for the betterment of the camp.
With that said, how does that apply to us today? When we purchase things we need to look back at what we are buying. Can we get it from a local person? Do we really need it? Can we make it? Can we get a used one? Those are four really good questions. If we asked ourselves that for every purchase we could start to get america back on track.
Can we get it from a local person? Many people are just minutes away from a local farm that sells produce. Others are close to farm butchers that you could get meat from. There are many craft shows where people make quilts and other things that are of high quality and complement any house.
Do we need it it? A large majority of the things purchase are managed by TV ads. Do we really need all the things we buy. How much do you get from a store that ends up in a closet and used twice. How many cheap things do we buy that break in a day. Does it really help you or just something you like and now will have to carry around until your throw it out. This save on the amount of junk going to land fills.
Can you make it? There are many things that can be made at home. Bread is a good example. With the cost of some foods going up it is cheaper to get the ingredients and make them at home. Can you grow some of the food you need? IF you are good at crafts you could make some of the decorations for your home.
Can you get a used one? This is a really good one. People are so custom to buying new. Used is just something people think poor people do. Which is just a total load of crap. There are many good used appliances, cloths, and cars. You can buy many appliances for a fraction of the price from a thrift store or garage sales. A good example is I recently bought a bread maker for $5 at a thrift store. The same one was at Walmart for around $60. I saved about $55 on it. It makes the same bread in the same amount of time. So who is the fool. The fool that spent $60. On the flip side. If you don’t use something, donate it. Get the tax deduction and help someone who might need it and can’t afford it. Also, recycling saves the environment.
So how does this help the economy? Depends on where you sit. For most middle class folks that are feeling the economic pinch it can mean they can sustain part of their current lifestyles with makeing different choices. For low income people it means the can get some essential items for next to nothing. For rich CEO’s it means they don’t get the revenue they don’t think they are entitled to. It means they will have to layoff more people. Wait a second there. Most household products are made in China. So I guess the people in China well feel the pinch on that.
Buy local goods helps the local economy. Help your neighbor or friend by buying something they make or sell really helps them out. If we continue to circulate the money locally, things will get better locally. Now I know there are critics who say its a global economy now. My response is why? Why do we need a global economy? If our kids starve or are homeless why do I care if the people in China have jobs? I believe all people in the world have a right to exist, just not at the expense of someone else.
These ideas are the end all or the total save the economy package. They could be a save your family package. In the end I might save the environment too…