Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Frugality and Ecology

The frugal lifestyle is good for the planet. By re-using things and fixing stuff up, we keep things out of the dump. We have created a disposable culture. If a vacuum cleaner stops working, we immediately throw it out. Most of the time it just needs a cleaning or at most a new belt which can be purchased for a dollar. Why throw away something that can be fixed? Much the same is true of clothing. Clothing hardly ever wears out, it goes out of style or you get sick of it. I use my attic as a storehouse and put unwanted items there, then periodically I go "shopping" in my own attic. It can be fun. I only store vintage, designer or very hard to replace items and give away most of the other stuff for others to use. It works well and I keep my closet fresh, minimizing the clutter. If I can sell it on eBay or at a yard sale, that's even better. I need to conserve my money as well as the planet's resources. I'm glad I didn't rip out my kitchen and buy all new. Sometimes it's necessary, but most times it's just wasteful and extravagant. This is why people don't have money. Most people with decent jobs are throwing money away on unneccessary stuff. If we conserve just a little, we will all have more for the future. I don't approach frugality from a place of lack. I come to frugality from a place of abundance. It took a long time for me to connect my frugality with ecology. but it makes sense that ecology and economy are connected. Conservation isn't just for tree hugggers. It's for everyone. Being careful with my dollars and my resources has made me rich. I have everything and lack for nothing. In some ways, I never have to shop again.

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