Conscious Spending
A new years resolution we should all strive for.
A little while ago, I was looking at buying a new pair of jeans and I was looking at one of my favorite, American made brands that I have worn for years. I know these jeans fit, look nice, and are durable. I have jeans 4 years old that still look nice.
When telling friends how much I pay for them ($200), they thought that was outrageous. To me however, I look at the fact I don’t have to buy replacement jeans ever year and see it as being a smart investment. The same people who tell me this, will willingly spending $100’s a month on their hair and nails without batting an eye.
Buying those jeans falls into my idea of conscious spending, for a few reasons.
I like the idea that I am not throwing clothes out after one season of ware because the quality is not there, so it reduces waste.
I try to shop my values, which means supporting businesses that have ethics I value, such as American Made and sustainable manufacturing processes.
Since my clothing tends to last years, I actually save money long term. I know people who replace items every year or two and at $50-$100 dollars sometimes just the one time quality purchase will save you money long term.
Here is another idea I want to give you to think about.
We are bombarded with negative news and I see people questioning how they can make a difference. One way, is put your money where you values are.
This isn’t as simple as it sounds, because socio-economic situations differ and sometimes only certain companies are accessible and affordable to certain people. I encourage you to start small.
For me, I started with my skin care and make up products. I switched to purchasing all natural, cruelty free products to limit my exposure to chemicals.
Next, I started trying to be more conscious about where I purchased my food- I try to buy from local farms as much as possible.
Then, clothing, and trying to support brands who I saw trying to do right with their manufacturing.
The market is driven by supply and demand, if you want to start seeing companies change, focus on supporting ones that you feel are aligned to your values. I think if more people did this, they would start to feel better themselves as consumers.
I encourage you as part of your 2024 resolutions to look at ways in which you can support more ethical businesses.