Samantha tells us a story:
I am very conscience of how my actions effect the Earth. For the last year I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of stuff I own and I’m learning to stop buying things I don’t need. Since I work in the green industry I talk the talk, so this is one step I’m taking to also walk the walk. I have been posting my unwanted items on Craigslist.org to give them a new home instead of dooming them to a landfill. I have also been giving away things I think other people will find useful, but I still cannot escape it, consumerism has me. I love to window shop and see all the new things that have been created, and I especially love finding deals. I do not make a lot of purchases, but when I do, I almost always buy second hand. Buying second hand helps me not so feel guilty about buying something I really don’t need because I just saved it from a landfill!
Last week I sold my old desktop computer and a kitchen appliance that never made its way out of its box. When I was checking up on my sales I ran across some leather chaps for $75. To brush up on my haggling skills I decided to see if the seller would take $50 for them, she agreed… Darn It! The last time I went into a leather shop chaps were selling for $250, so at $50 I HAD to see if they fit! I do not own a motorcycle, but I’ve always wanted one, and I’ve had my motorcycle license for the last 8 years. My boyfriend is planning on buying a bike this summer so he can save gas on his hour commute to work every day. So this is why I took a look at the ad for chaps, I was looking to outfit him incase he ever crashed… in hopes that the extra layer would protect him. But here I was, two days later, handing over $50 for a pair of genuine leather chaps that were too small for him, and fit me perfectly.
Did I need these? No. To add to this, now I have the urge to buy a motorcycle! We are planning on moving soon, making me the one with the commute instead of him, so maybe a bike is in my future. On the upside I got rid of two things and only replaced them with one. I also saved on transportation costs and the amount of virgin material being used so I could own a pair of chaps.
Along my journey to reduce, I have to remind myself that being green and eco-friendly is all about steps we take to be better and lessen our impact. Even-though I could have done without the chaps I got rid of two items in the process of finding them. I am making progress by giving my things a new home, and buying used..even if I really didn’t need it. One step at a time on my constantly evolving eco-journey.
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