"Well I wish I could afford to buy Organic, Fair Trade, sustainable, etc. but it is just too expensive".
I felt I had to address this. The reason why so many people look at the issue this way is that they are taking the old model of buying things and applying the surcharge for sustainability. For instance, yes if you were to go to the store and buy a box of pasta for 99 cents and the organic option was $1.59 and you applied this to all of your purchases - then yes it looks more expensive.
This is a great example of how we need to look at HOW we buy and how to make better decisions. For instance - how much do you buy and waste? We don't value things that are cheap - I make the whole box of pasta and then throw out half because I made too much and I forget that I don't like day old pasta. OR I make half the box of the organic, and the other half another day.
So with this example you can totally argue - well I could just be more resourceful and not buy organic and save money. This is true, but the point of this conversation is to figure out HOW to support your values with what you buy. So one approach is waste less of what you buy - use it up, be aware of how much you actually need before you go shopping and choose to buy products that are more sustainable when you do.
The other approach is to buy less - and spend your money in quality not quantity. Yes that means 3 pairs of pants a year instead of 5, but if you could buy organic or recycled fibers, the impact your are making is significant.
And also I tell people - focus on the big things - like big purchases. When you go to buy a Fridge or Washing Machine, if you get the energy efficient option you actually end up saving money in the long run with your energy bills being lower.
Think about the entire cost all the way through how you use the things you buy, what you might waste and do you really need as much?
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