Sustainable Living on a budget by mary imgrund
Living ethically and sustainably is a privilege, in that not every household has the means or time to live according to their values; that being said, the idea that you can buy your way out of waste is a marketing ploy by companies who just want your wellmeaning dollars. It’s an oxymoron that you can buy more things to reduce human waste, and frankly the tenets of capitalism and collectivist action are often at odds. It’s hard to wade through all of these sponsored posts, aspirational blogs, and lifestyle gurus to find out what works for you on your budget. It’s also easy to be discouraged. Personally, I began my journey towards sustainable and ethical living through my insatiable appetite for politics and environmental justice (though I didn’t call it that at the time). Being an activist isn’t just about reading the news or
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tweeting, so I began changing my lifestyle to better reflect my values. I did it through both undergrad and graduate school, and for a lot of that time, I had next to no money. Here’s my advice on how to do the same, no matter your budget.
1. The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good The first and most important thing in this journey is to realize that no one is perfect, and just making an effort to stay informed and be an advocate, in any capacity, is the end goal. The destination is the journey. Don’t feel bad if you need new work shoes or want to buy
