Mind blown.

It all started when I was browsing The Body Shop website. The sister had requested more body butter for Christmas and I was weighing up the options. Being a curious devil with time on my hands, I began reading their “About” tab. That led me on a journey of discovery into the realm of Fairtrade and ethical shopping.

As I followed the path, link after link, questions flew up in my mind. Why is this not the default option? Why is it not standard to pay the right cost for a product? Why is it unusual to run schemes to help poverty-stricken nations?

Do you know, I felt guilty. I felt truly guilty for having so much, or at least having access to so much. When you stop and think how your shopping habits can affect people, real people, not numbers or statistics, on the other side of the world, it opens your eyes.

Greed. That’s what forces us to get as much as we can for as little money as possible. I’m sure I’m not the only one with a wardrobe full of clothes, far exceeding the amount I need. Greed drives us towards the bargains, the offers, the deals, regardless of the cost of human life.

Apologies if I am conveying myself too strongly. I am no saint with regards to bargain hunting, indeed, the majority of this very blog is about making the most of money. But after feeding myself this information, I am feeling inclined to change. I do little clothes shopping anyways, but any further purchases I make will be second-hand, from charity shops preferably or eBay. Any garment I can save from landfill will be a step in the green direction.

Just having enough if what I need will help me to lead a more ethical life. We don’t need excess, we just think we do. I have much more to learn and more to engage with surrounding this topic. Food is another minefield of ethical questioning, but more on that in a later post. I hope you will follow my quest towards a sustainable lifestyle.