I hate waste. I don't like when I have to throw out leftovers; I'm uncomfortable with starting the shower or the vehicle early to warm it up. (Yes, my ride came with a command start: yes, I sometimes use it.) I don't buy a lot of clothes, and even at the grocery store, I usually only buy what's on my list. Only the stuff we need.
My main reasoning for this is a sense of justice and awareness of what life is like around the world. We in North America are consumers. We take and eat and use and buy and throw away and replace, and think nothing of it. It's normal. It's sad.
I got a new phone this week. My old one was not dead yet, and I was fine to keep it longer, but we went to the store just to browse... The latest, greatest was on sale *free!* (because the other company just had a $0 promotion); they even threw in a $100 gift card. How could we pass that up? (And it was only on for one more day!) So I got it.
I'm not opposed to getting stuff. There is a time and a place for all kinds of different things. But needs vs. wants comes into play, as well as the questions of where was it made and with what and by who, and were they paid enough?
I write about this because I have a need to sort out my thoughts on the subject, and maybe to see if anyone else thinks this way. Partly, too, it's to encourage more people to think this way. Do you need that item? Does all your money go to stuff, or are you spending any of what you have to make life a little easier for those who don't have what they need, let alone what they want?
Some things to consider. As for me, I will enjoy my new Blackberry Torch in its shiny blue case, but I will also stay aware of those in the world around me who don't have, and do what I can.
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