Shop Responsibly, Shop Green & Donate

Have you ever followed the money trail? You spend $50 at the grocery store. Where does that $50 go? How much goes to the employees, and how much goes to shipping their goods in? How do the employees, in turn, spend their wages?

I believe these are vital questions to ask. Why? Because we're somehow living in a world where corporations are running the show. They can't do that without us giving them our money. Even if you're an unusual exception — a bike-riding, food-growing, do-it-yourself sort of person — it is obvious that the majority of people are somehow empowering corporations with a lot of money.

That money, in turn, influences politics and its all down the toilet from there.

If you're on my website, and more so on this page, you probably already know a lot about the problem, so let's skip to the solution, okay?

Buying from each other. Growing our own as much as possible. Shopping organic and local. Ideally, shop from people you know who live organic and local lifestyles, and then live that sort of lifestyle yourself. Share a car with multiple people, and carpool.

Pick your own berries and other foods from organic farms locally — that way you save money, get fresh food, get vitamin D, and can spend time socializing with friends all at once. Going berry picking with a car full of friends, splitting the gas money, going on a hike afterward, and coming home with a cooler full of berries for only $15 is the highlight of my summer.

Not to toot my own horn or anything... But I am really unusually careful when it comes to how I spend my money. I only buy things from corporations when absolutely required — like my laptop. And I am careful to avoid any corporations tied up too much in politics.

And I have to say, I feel that the way we think about charity is dead wrong. [video] Each business should support the planet and everything on the planet. Having a sector of organizations called "non profit" is like separating the grocery store into "health food" and the rest of the stuff . . . What does that make "the rest" of the grocery store? Junk. That's what.

The same is true of business. If you have special businesses that are "doing good things" and "green," then what are the rest of the businesses? Bad. That's what.

The thing is, we shouldn't have to make a business not seek profit in order to be good. That is not physiologically healthy, for one thing. There is this idea that "money is bad." That means that the few people who have a lot of money are the ones who didn't mind feeling like they were bad (if you assume that everyone feels that money is bad).

Money itself isn't good or bad. It's just some green fabric-paper stuffs. It's like my art teacher's poster which read, "Paints aren't messy, people are." Or like the saying that goes, "Guns don't kill, people do." Inanimate objects are not inherently good or evil. It is how something is used that creates how we feel about it.

Growing numbers of people would like to see money abolished. It is a great idea in some respects. We simply make sure everyone is provided for, and everyone has work they love to do available. Sounds great. I'm all for it. In the mean time, after signing the Free World Charter, we still currently have this currency system to worry about.

Too many people seem to think that our every day purchases can't make meaningful changes. Yet they can, and do. They make a difference — for better or for worse.

My way isn't the best way, or the only way, or the most superior way, but it is one way to help the planet . . . My way is to shop responsibly and minimally.

I buy 100% recycled tissues, paper towels and toilet paper. We find that it is actually less expensive to order Seventh Generation products from Amazon than it is to buy their products in stores. After using tissues and paper towels, we compost them!

I buy 98% organic — including fabrics and food — supporting less pesticide use and more ethical growing trends. The 2% that isn't organic comes from local farms that can't afford organic certification but do claim to use natural growing practices.

Some things I can't find organic locally, such as a mint oil that contains no alcohol or sweeteners. So we order Simply Organic Peppermint online.

I live a 95% vegan lifestyle, supporting ethical treatment for ecosystems, animals and hospital workers. I mean, seriously! How much effort, time and resources are wasted just because so many people are horrifically unhealthy? And how much of that is dietary? I do buy raw milk from a local farmer who raises his animals on untreated grass.. If you're curious about why I'm not 100% vegan when I seem like I would be the sort of person who is, or if you're curious about veganism in general, you'll enjoy my post Beyond Veganism: Exploring Ethical Quandaries.

I make a lot of my own things these days, including my own after-sun no-burn oil, which works miracles (no pain, fast-fading redness, no peeling!). I also make my own clothing, shampoo, hair conditioner, tooth serum (in place of tooth paste), laundry detergent, odor removing spray, body spray, raw vegan chocolates, etc, etc.

I used to sew my own clothes from organic cotton. Now I get most of my clothing from PACT. Why is organic cotton important? Well, around 25% of all pesticide use worldwide is on cotton! Another good reason is that polyester is toxic to human health — it is like touching plastic all over your body all day long! Besides all that, cotton is one of the biggest GMO crops.

Wearing organic clothing helps animals and ecology just as much as eating vegan. Why? Because pesticides destroy wildlife on the farm, around the farm, and ultimately in the ocean!

I use Dr Bronner's Soap for my body and household things, or whatever other all organic soap strikes my fancy.

I also want you to know that I believe in a world where we all get paid (or rewarded in some other way) to do what we do best. And what do we do best? What we love to do, of course!

I love to research, to draw, to edit, and to write.

So look, I keep my website advertisement free, but it costs me a lot of time and effort, as well as some money. So please, please, please... If you find any of this helpful, donate.

Thank you. Namaste.