Why Living on a Budget is the Ultimate Eco Act
What if I told you the best thing you could do for the planet was to actually do nothing?
The ultimate act of environmentalism and activism combined is living on a budget. Our money has so much more power than we often give it credit for. What we spend on money on or what we choose to withhold has an impact. Let’s make it a good one!
By refusing to buy new products, especially from wasteful companies, you are taking your money and energy out of the wasteful loop of environmental harm and exploitation.
Shopping Won’t Save the Climate Crisis
A lot has changed in the zero-waste movement in recent years. But in case it’s not been clearly portrayed yet, especially to new folks in the movement, no amount of zero-waste swaps that you buy will save the planet. I get it, this lifestyle is new and shiny, and you want to try all of these new things that you’d not yet tried before. But take a moment to think before you buy.
Yes, we all need things like toilet paper, shampoo, and hand soap, but we don’t necessarily need to buy the aesthetic zero-waste lunch containers, foldable grocery bags, glass straws, and matching jars to organize our kitchens. That stuff is great and will help reduce waste over time, but you likely already have something at home that suits that purpose.
I find that a lot of people hop over to the eco movement without squashing their overconsumer tendencies. Those of us who grew up in the United States especially have to grapple with this. We are taught from a young age to throw away and buy new vs using what we have, shopping secondhand, and mending.
So, for anyone who may be dealing with some overconsumer habits, no matter how far you into the zero waste lifestyle, check out this video about breaking up with overconsumption.
After that, my best advice is not to let your zero-waste lifestyle be an excuse to shop more. What I mean is, if you see a cute pack of metal straws or a new colorway for a reusable water bottle, don’t buy that item if you already have reusable straws and a water bottle at home. Yes, these are eco swaps that reduce waste, but they only reduce waste if you will actually use them and if you don’t already reduce waste at home in these areas.
But Where We Shop Matters
When the time comes for you to buy a zero-waste swap like toothpaste tabs, take some time to research the brands that you have in mind. These days, companies prey on our heartstrings and our guilt. They will greenwash us and trick us into buying their product that seems eco-friendly but actually isn’t. Let’s bring it back to voting with our dollars, shopping small, and supporting truly eco-friendly brands.
Thankfully, we have services like Shifting Gaia these days that do a lot of this research for us. If you browse “toothpaste” on this rating service, you will see how they rate these popular eco brands, and this will help you choose the most sustainable and least toxic options.
I did this unscripted video a few months back, discussing buying eco swaps on Amazon and whether it cancels out the good that we’re doing. I think it’s a good way to introduce folks to eco brands who may not have discovered them otherwise, but I think it’s better to buy the swaps directly from the small, eco, ethical business.
Voting with Your Dollar
And that brings us to this entire concept of voting with your dollar. It’s basically what I already outlined in our first two points.
It’s using your money, every single dollar and even cent, for good. It’s spending your money according to your values and ethics. Every time we buy something from a brand, we’re saying two things: that we think that product is good and worthwhile, and that we are investing in that company. Once that money is out of our bank accounts, it is now the property of that company, and they can use our hard-earned money to do good or evil with. I choose good.
I know, diverting one single dollar from Amazon or Coca-Cola or Walmart isn’t going to save the world, but if all of Amazon’s 220 million Prime account holders (according to Statista) canceled their accounts, that would cost Amazon $3.3 BILLION per MONTH or $40 billion per year! That’s POWER we have in numbers.
More on voting with your dollar in this full video.
Redirecting Your Money
Yes, it’s great to take money away from those who do evil with it, but what if we then use that money we save for good?
No, you don’t have to do anything with the money you divert from Amazon or Target; you can simply save it. But we all have to shop for things eventually, like food, shelter, toiletries, clothing, and the like. Let’s spend it for good!
Opt for businesses that give back to your local community and shop small. Try a brand that donates to other charitable causes if you purchase from them online and they’re not local to you.
Our money has power in this way, too. That $15 a month you give to Amazon means almost nothing to them. But giving $15 a month to your local grocery store, local hardware store, local boutique, could literally be what they need to pay rent, keep the lights on, and pay their staff. It means the literal world to a small business to have your order, and you can see if when you get a heartfelt note from a small business you order from online, or you see their genuine expression when you buy something from their brick and mortar shop.
Alternatively, you could save the money you start to save when you break up with overconsumption and do something philanthropic with it. You can donate to your local Food Not Bombs shelter or food bank. You could donate it to a local community garden. You could donate it to your local library to ensure your community stays well educated. Perhaps your local public lands so they can continue their conservation work that keeps getting gutted. The list is endless! Pick a cause that is near and dear to you.
No, you don’t have to donate money to be an activist or environmentalist, but this is just one option for doing good with your money.
Be Content With What You Have
Truly, one of the most powerful mindsets I’ve developed over the years is to simply be content with what I have. It took years of work for me. I grew up shopping a lot and shopped frivolously into my early 20s as well. Even thrifting, I would often buy stuff for vain reasons and not always because it served a purpose in my home.
It took me moving into a 28-foot travel trailer for 2 years to teach me that I can’t always buy everything I want. We didn’t have the space or weight capacity to tow a trailer with too much stuff in it. It’s taken practice to keep this mindset going on 2 years in our apartment.
For example, when we first moved in, I had a list of convenience items I really wanted to buy: a toaster, a tofu press, a curling iron, a paper shredder, and more. But I’ve stuck with the things I already had: cooking my “toast” on the stovetop, using two pans to press my tofu, cutting paper by hand for my compost, and using my flatiron as a multipurpose tool to do many hairstyles.
It has taught me to be thankful for what I have and take care of what I have in order to make it last. It’s taught me to be creative and think outside the box for many things. And it’s saved so much money and waste!
Being content with what you have is a powerful way to disrupt the system.
Other Ways to Shop Less
I have a full guide to breaking up overconsumption here, but in short, here are a few more ways to stop shopping to save money:
Learn how to mend your items.
Upcycle “trash” into useful items to replace things you would have to buy like jars, reusing scrap fabric as rags, and things like that.
Build your community and nourish that community! The last thing I want to do is shop when I could be dancing, playing games, watching a movie, going on a hike, etc with my friends.
Write down your shopping impulses and don’t buy them right away. If you think about that item often, keep track of it. If you never think about it again, it was an impulse, and you saved some money!
Want to keep working to become a more conscious consumer? Check out these videos next:
What does “no ethical consumption under capitalism” really mean?
How to break up with overconsumption
Stop buying and start trading with your local Buy Nothing Group
How to break up with Fast Fashion
Keep learning and keep trying your best. Every small action we take truly matters for the sake of the planet and for our fellow workers.
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
