Buy intentionally
This will probably be a lot of common sense for most of us but sometimes it’s helpful to hear someone else’s process to reaffirm what is going to work for us. So today I will be talking about how we can save money and the environment by being intentional in our purchases.
Pre prepare
My top tips for intentional shopping are all about being prepared and doing most of the work before you even get a product or service in the basket!
Questions to ask:
What do I really need to be buying right now?
Where am I going to buy it?
Who am I going to buy it from?
What is it I am going to buy?
This way we aren’t wasting money on a) things we didn’t need b) bad quality goods that we will need to replace soon or c) compromise buys that weren’t really what we wanted
Need vs greed
The first question addresses buying what we need, and actually are wanting, not over consuming where it isn’t necessary. Is what I think I need essential? Do I need to rush buy this item or do I have time to think through what I want and where I want to get it etc?
What stores are really selling
The second looks at what stores we will be going into (whether in person or online). I went into town the other day to buy a hairbrush and was reminded of why I avoid the high-street and most shops on it. I can’t go into those types of stores anymore without seeing all the over production and over consumption of low-quality items. As well as all the messaging around needing more, never having enough and having to be so sterile and curated to be accepted by society at large. Suffice to say I didn’t buy anything but just came home sad.
When it comes to where we buy our products, I find it helpful to have a list of places that I love, that I know care about the environment. These are my go-to places for most things. Then for others I may have to shop somewhere I don’t want to but make sure to by a brand or product that does match up with my values.
Grand brands
Most of all we want to be choosing great brands. Companies that care about the planet and its people. How do we know who these brands are? Well, they will most likely make their values clear and follow them through with certifications or clear labelling on their products that shows the follow through from ideal to design.
An amazing example of this is Patagonia. You probably will have seen them in the news recently as that have reorganised their business in such a way that their profits go back into environmental trusts. Epic innovation. Total commitment to ideals in practice. Read more about how they have done this here!
Content
Last, but not least, is content. What’s your product made of? What does it come wrapped in? How long will it last and can it be disposed of sustainably?
Do a cost analysis if needed. Either on quality - is it worth investing a bit more in the best product? Maybe it will last longer, and give you so much more joy, saving you the cost of repurchasing it.
Or maybe you need to do a quantity cost analysis. If I buy this item from a eco-friendly supplier but in bulk will I be saving money in the long run?
With a bit of research and a few sums you’ll see how the savings can really add up!
Hope this helps you prep for your shop and invest in grand brands! There’s only two more blogs to come in this series so look out for the money saving ideas to come - they are going to be around two things potentially right at your fingertips.