This is a hard year for many people who feel stuck in the middle. There is a very visible need to conserve money and resources since the unemployment rate remains quite high in the USA, however the only solution that gets thrown around is to consum more to get our economy going. You can see the problem here. There are a lot of smart people trying to figure this out and what healthy economy looks like.
I come back to the idea of values and investing your hard earned dollars into quality not quantity, less equals more and dealing with our drive to consume for the sake of consumption. This holiday, as with every holiday, we have an opportunity to do more with our money. And while it is hard to justify spending $80 instead of $60 for a sweater, realize that buying cheap has some pretty negative impacts. (Check out this article on how Walmart has destroyed the environment and our jobs)
There is an opportunity to do more that just tick off a name from your TO DO list.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you are shopping:
- Does the company you are purchasing from have a strategy for its social and environmental impact?
- Is this product Organic, Fair Trade, Local?
- Is this cute for now, but will be first in line at the next garage sale?
- Does this gift add value to this person's life for the better?
Enjoy the season and enjoy the opportunity to help shape the world to be a little better in 2012.
