Poor Millennials like me tend to have a constant internal battle going on when it comes to our everyday (or naughty) purchases. We are quite an aware generation--people bombard us with truths and facts and terrors and honestly, it makes it kind of hard to live day-to-day without seeming pious, rude, or straight up annoying. We are told about animal cruelty, about poor working conditions, about unequal pay (both for genders and for people working in poorer countries). With all of this knowledge comes guilt and hopefully, the want to do more. But alas, that is where the internal struggle comes into play: We are too poor to be completely ethical.
We are a generation who have grown up in a recession. The job market is still not the strongest and with a large population like ours, it is terribly competitive. I don't know about you, but I have student debt and bills that take up a majority of my budget. Thus, buying skin care (which is important!) is a stressful time for me. How can I possibly afford a $20 face wash when I have three bills due on the same day and depend on tips as income?
Well, my poor self is here to help. I have been cruelty-free and a lover of local and ethical for almost four years now, so I like to pretend like I am somewhat of an expert on how to shop responsibly while still not breaking the bank. I might be living in a fantasy world, or I might actually be onto something. So without further ado, here are my tips and tricks on how to buy ethically while on a budget.
- Pick and choose. It is nearly impossible to buy everything for cheap when one is trying to be ethical, so I recommend deciding what you value more. Would you rather have a pricier skin care product and cheaper food or vise-versa? Personally, I try to balance it out. I spend a fair amount of money on local eggs ($5.99 at my local grocery store), but I also understand that local farms treat their chickens much better than farms that mass-produce. Thus, I spend more on eggs and less on other foods (like chips). Balance is key.
- Develop your values. Being ethical means you're going to have to give something up. It all just depends on what is most important to you as an individual. I love animals, so I choose to spend more on cruelty-free products (see above eggs example) than on non-GMO products. However, my friend is more concerned with GMOs and thus, focuses on buying more expensive non-GMO foods. Of course you can try to be as responsible in your buying as possible, but on a budget, something's gotta give, unfortunately.
- Do your research. This should probably be the first step, in all honesty, because the other two steps before this without-a-doubt stem from it. When I first decided to shop ethically (how many times can I type that word today?) I began with cruelty-free. Then I learned about fair trade, then I learned about the rain forest, etc. You have to read about everything for yourself and not just take the word of others. Not that their word is incorrect, but research is always much more informative than the perception another individual has on an article. Outlooks vary depending on the person's background. Words can get twisted. Be wary. Be smart. Be informed. If you do this, you can better develop your values and then, you can better pick and choose. Maybe you'll decide $6 eggs aren't necessary. That's your outlook and that is perfectly okay!
- Learn about labels. Companies have to pay to put labels on their products, which raises the price of the product being purchased. If you don't know what I mean, the Leaping Bunny logo must be paid for by the company who wants it on their products. In turn, part of what you are paying for when you buy a Certified Cruelty-free product is that stamp. The stamp is not necessary. The same goes for non-GMO and organic foods. The foods can be organic without saying so. Google is your friend when it comes to this. Google the company! Do your research! You can save money by buying something that chooses to not include a logo.
- Budget. This is my last step and I guess it's probably the most obvious and unhelpful, but in my opinion, it's pretty overlooked. After three years of cruelty-free, I have learned to budget more expensive skin care (because I value it and think higher-end skin care products work better than drugstore) into my expenses. That being said, I have learned to move drugstore cruelty-free brands like Wet n Wild because they work well and my skin doesn't depend on them to remain healthy. The same goes for the logic behind my eggs and my expensive fair-trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. Overall, you control your budget, so if you want to spend $6 on eggs, go for it.
I hope these tips help. Let me know if you have advice for me or if you have any questions, comments, concerns. I understand that these tips can be controversial, so please try to remember that they are my opinion and what work best for me. Open discussion is encouraged.
xxx
