Thursday, March 16, 2006

Less is More

I've really been trying in the last year to be more of a conscious consumer. A times it can be overwhelming to think about buying things that don't hurt the environment and recycling and fair trade, but I ran across this article on the website "New American Dream" and it was really encouraging--from the angle of not buying more than we need and staying out of debt. (which we all undertand in theory, but it's helpful to be reminded.) I just thought I'd share...the first part of the article is here, the rest you can read by following the link.



Less can mean more

It may sound strange, but sometimes getting more of what really matters can actually mean getting, or rather, buying less. Advertisers will tell you that you need the latest gadget to have More Time or that having More Fun requires buying the latest video game. Whatever you want More of, they have the answer. But is that really true?

Maybe you want more freedom from debt. If so, you're not alone - a record 1.6 million Americans declared personal bankruptcy last year, while 60 million families carry an average credit card debt load of over $7000 and shell out more than $1000 a year just in interest and fees. One of the best ways to create more distance between you and the wolves at the door is to pay attention to where your money goes, to examine potential purchases and find alternatives that don't require buying new items.


read the rest of the article here: newdream.org

Comments:
One thing that's really working for M. and me, since we are quite visual and concrete in these areas, is to use cash-only. We find the envelope system works well to budget our money into different categories. It has some inconveniences, but for us, it has been much simpler overall.
 
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