The True Cost
Have you noticed how thick the flyer section of the paper is becoming the closer we get to Christmas? Everyone is competing for our Christmas spending dollars. It’s so fun to get a deal, but while we might think we are “getting a steal” with the latest clearance sale, rarely do we consider the true cost of consumerism — in ecological, human and economic terms.
When we consistently buy cheap, mass produced, flimsy products, we’re investing in a shoddy future all around. Everyone loses — workers, our local economies and the environment. Landfills swell with cheap discarded products that fail early and cannot be repaired. Products are made psychologically obsolete long before they actually wear out. What is the true cost of our purchases?
What is the true cost of our consumerism?
So now at Christmas when most of us are making more purchases than usual, how can we buy less? How can we buy better? Here are a few ideas.
Delay gratification. This is a tough one in our instant gratification culture. Studies have shown that children who can delay gratification for something they want are more successful as adults. When you see a “must-have” item, walk away for a while — the longer the better. Many times, the desire will vanish and you realize you really didn’t need it after all.
Enjoy the simple things in life. When we don’t take the time to engage in things we love — reading, time in nature, good conversation with friends and family — we begin to substitute with less-than-healthy substitutes like “retail therapy.”
Shop locally – Support local businesses and local artisans. Let’s keep our dollars circulating at home.
Buy Fair Trade – From coffee to shoes, fair trade ensures that workers were adequately compensated and their rights respected.
Buy gifts that keep on giving – 10,000 Villages (and many other organizations) will give a cow or a goat on your behalf for a family that would benefit from it. You get a lovely card to give to the recipient explaining how your money was spent.
Only purchase long-lasting goods. Shop sites like BuyMeOnce that aim to “throw away our throwaway culture” through products that “don’t break the bank, don’t break the planet… that don’t break at all!”
Practice the “HALT” method. Don’t buy anything when you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. No one makes good decisions in these states.
Give gifts that aren’t things. Time together Tickets, coupons for services that you can provide (babysitting, cooking…). http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/ has many more ideas for non-material gifts. Buy Nothing Christmas is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who offer a prophetic “no” to the patterns of over-consumption of middle-class North Americans.