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I've been developing goals in my head regarding all of it: simplicity, compacting, environmental living, local economies, etc. DH and I have had some great discussions. I don't want to follow someone else's creed, such as total compacting, because I don't want to get caught up in any ahead of time purchases.
What I learned from last year is that there are times that it is easy to pull in and not buy anything new, and there are times when buying new makes sense. So in addition to attempting to buy used or borrow items, I want to continue on the path to making mindful choices when purchasing new.
Over the past year I found that more and more could be found at thrift stores. There was a bit of serendipity to it, however. I've noted that quality flatware and good bath towels don't show up at thrift stores. I also found that it can be easy to get into a consumer mindset even when buying at thrift stores.
Like a friend of mine, I will be spending some money over the next year buying items that I believe will be helpful in my attempt to be part of the transformation from a fossil-fuel society to a solar-powered society. Part of that transformation occurs now, as people become aware but solar is still expensive and the technologies aren't perfected. So my goal is to continue lowering my consumption of fossil fuels. Not only reducing the amount of fuel I use, but also the fossil fuel energy in my home such as natural gas and electricity.
I can't go out and spend 10K to upgrade my windows, or even more than that to install a grid-tied solar system. I have to be one of those who starts at the bottom and works up. I can make window quilts. I can afford a few layers to help me feel more comfortable in a colder home. I can adjust to summer temps and learn to be comfortable in higher temperatures. I can wash most of my clothes in cold water. I can line dry and use my gas dryer as a back up.
I can grow some of my own food and reduce the oil load of the food we eat. I can buy in bulk and reduce packaging and transport costs.
Some of these activities are going to require making purchases. Perhaps a pressure canner and canning equipment. Perhaps a drying rack, perhaps not (new line at the least). Gardening supplies. Fabric for window quilts (although I can thrift old comforters to possibly use as inner insulation). Storage containers for bulk goods.
For me, the key is to be mindful about every purchase. Can I get it used? If not, can I buy it locally made? If it is a book, does my library have a copy? Can I buy it used? Does it add to my reference library? It is made out of renewable materials? Does it biodegrade when I am finished with it, or can it be recycled? Am I certain that what I am buying can move back into the stream of usefulness rather than ending up in a landfill? What is the life span of what I am buying? Where was it made? How were the workers treated? How does the company care for the environment?
Thanks for bringing it up; we're definitely thinking about it and talking about it, and making our way.
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Peace,
Kimberly...loving, living and learning with an amazing man and two incredible boys.
"Wisdom, Vitality, and Compassion are my birthright. They are the core of all humanity, in all times and in all places. They may be clouded over, or tarnished, but the brilliance is there, Unchanged, to be discovered again and again. May I constantly seek these things in myself, that I might find them in everyone." ~ my words, taken from the philosophy of Enki Education
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