When I think about where my environmentalist roots started, I look to my maternal grandmother. She grew up on a farm, during the Great Depression. To say that she is frugal is an understatement.
So, what am I thinking about today? The economy. It's been interesting to watch and observe over the last decade. Mass consumerism, bad loans, living beyond our means, etc., has gotten us to where we are today.
Unemployment as of February 2010 is holding steady at 9.7% and things aren't looking to get any better anytime soon. I keep hoping that things will improve, but I live with an economist and he keeps my head on straight.
So, Grandma has always taught "Reduce your consumption, reuse everything until it falls apart, and if you can't use it for thing, use it for something else." That's the recycling part.
She also taught me if you can save a nickel, save a nickel. It's the voice in my head that drives me financially. I am the one that will wait to purchase, researching the best price, and waiting until it goes on sale or clearance so that I can get the best possible deal at the right time.
Honestly, that voice can be a pain in the ass, but it also does something else. It keeps me from consuming mindlessly. Consumption does not bring us happiness. It only brings a brief amount of pleasure...fleeting seconds, until the next great thing crosses our paths.
That's how I am being greener and more economically conservative. Mindful consumption. Less in, even less out.
