Day one of the No Impact Project involves looking at consumption. In layman's terms, it means giving a second thought to every purchase I make. I've done a couple of things to combat bad spending purchases. I have a very thorough budget. I use Mint.com I keep an ongoing list of things I need to purchase and pretty much stick to that list. So even when it seems like I've purchased a ton of things....95% of the time its because it was actually on my list. This list included everything from asparagus, a paper shredder, black boots, or a book about the day of the dead. I'm very organized. Conscious about my spending. And particular about how I spend my money.
But...no matter where you are...there is always room for improvement. You can always push yourself. Today while grocery shopping, I passed by the tea aisle. Instinctly I grabbed a box of Mighty Leaf African Nectar. I was so excited for this tea. I looked forward to going home and making a cup or two or three or the whole box!!!!
However as I neared the checkout line, I looked at everything in my cart and started thinking about the things I didn't really need and could make do without. Then I remembered the box....
Truth be told, that's not even all of the tea. There's more in the cabinet above the sink. And this picture doesn't show the layers beneath of even more tea.
So I put the box back. I will not buy any more tea until this box is empty. I put a number of other things back too. And it felt good knowing that I had saved myself probably over $50 of stuff.
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3 comments:
I enjoyed your post and can imagine what it was like to put the African Nectar back. Once you work through your tea box at home, you'll be happy to hear that the African Nectar tea pouches are biodegradable and even the box and overwraps can be recycled (depending on your recycling program near you). Best to you on your progress.
Thanks Annelies. I do like that Mighty Leaf can be recycled. Unfortunately, I'm running into trouble on how I can realistically recycled in Chicago. I'm finding it discouraging but am considering getting a petition started with all the tenants in my building and then going to our management company.
I'll be posting tonight about today's challenge. Trash. It's be an interesting day in regards to it.
One thing I find is that plastic #4 which is what we use for the overwraps in our retail cartons can be recycled at most Whole Foods. Perhaps see if your local health food stores / Whole Foods can get in on the conversation about waste management. Believe me, I've worked several green festivals and know about all the different kinds of bins. You really have to be thoughtful about what trash goes where... Best to you on this!
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