Senor Smarty Pants and I are trying to be smart and conscientious consumers.
Basically this sums up the "rules" we have made for ourselves and try very hard to follow:
-No Walmart-if its there and not anywhere else, we can probably live without it.
-Buy from locally owned and operated businesses.
Shop at speciality stores- Meaning: clothes from clothing stores, shoes from shoe stores, furniture from furniture stores, etc. but the really big one: food from grocery stores, not WalMart or even Target (which I do enjoy) grocery stores are so much more enjoyable. Often they are locally owned, support them! Basically, go against the "one stop shop" idea.
-Buy American Made or Locally Made whenever possible.
-Appreciate the possible higher cost of American Made or Locally Made. Understand the importance of retaining these industries.
Ok, step off my soap box for a moment. Senor Smarty Pants and I have been formulating these ideas for while and doing pretty good. The most recent one is "Shop at specialty stores." We love Target, but we found it time to step away and try our darnedest to break the habit of "just going to Target." If we need something that isn't carried at a specialty store, (eg. storage containers, DVDs CDs) Target may be the choice, but for groceries and the other items, its not first on the list. These guidelines have helped me curve my bad habit of impulse buying. I'm not surrounded by as many options and vast differences in product lines. I go to get what I need and thats it. It helps us both stay focused and not spend as much on things we really don't need.
So...we thought we needed a new challenge or rule. We decided to follow the trend of a year or two ago and get some shopping/tote bags. Not necessarily because we are "going green" but because its kinda common sense! Well...Hobby Lobby helped me find my first new reusable shopping bag:
I love it! And it describes how I feel about Sunflowers, aka, my favorite flower! Its great, durable, and super washable. It will also work for carrying my garden produce.
Yes, I am actually this enthused about my new shopping bag! Now I just need to get my hands on a more "Masculine" option...
Blessings!
