Where do you draw the line? (Earth, America)

[MidnightBlue]

How much do you think about how you spend your money? Are there certain lines you won't cross? What are they, and why?

Are there countries whose imports you won't buy?
(I used to refuse to buy anything made in China, but it got too hard to keep it up.)

Are there products you won't buy?
(I consider an electric can opener wretched excess, my better half considers it basic equipment. I sneer at people in SUVs -- unless they're carrying six passengers.)

Are there companies you won't do business with?
(We don't buy from WalMart, ExxonMobil, Coors, or Domino's. The last two are easy, because they suck anyway. We'd like to add Time Warner to the list, and I'm lobbying to add Microsoft, but they're both so pervasive, it's hard to manage.)

[Melody]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

(I used to refuse to buy anything made in China, but it got too hard to keep it up.)
(We don't buy from WalMart, ExxonMobil, Coors, or Domino's. The last two are easy, because they suck anyway. We'd like to add Time Warner to the list, and I'm lobbying to add Microsoft, but they're both so pervasive, it's hard to manage.)

As time goes on and the corporations take over everything, it becomes harder to say "I won't buy this." Sometimes it's difficult to know whether the item you're buying is made with slave (India, Pakistan, etc.) labor or fair wages.

I used to say I wouldn't shop at Walmart but guess who stepped to the front during Hurricane Katrina? Walmart opened their doors and allowed people to go in and get whatever they needed. I don't remember hearing of too many other stores that did so. Does this negate their buying and employment practices? No, but then there are other stores who aren't quite so in the media forefront who get away with much the same behavior and without all the negative media.

Yeah, I have issues with Microsoft, but kudos to Bill Gates for being a great philanthropist. Does it negate the bad about Microsoft, no....but there's some give on the other side.

Instead of worrying about where things come from (except in the most blatant cases where it's pretty clear cut), I choose to support and promote more positive endeavors as a sort of balance.

Life is rarely black and white so I do what I can with the shades of grey .

[evearael]

Are there countries whose imports you won't buy? That is something I'm struggling with right now because of a conversation I had with a Rabbi. He stated that another Rabbi in town that I knew would never buy a German car because of the Holocaust. He stated if anything you should buy German cars because of the Holocaust since the dismal economic state of Germany was one of the biggest causes for the Holocaust. Simply put, in times of economic desperation, there is a rise of anti-semitism and violence against the Jews. So as this Rabbi saw it, contributing to the economic stability of Germany is like working to prevent another Holocaust.
Are there products you won't buy? I agree with Melody that it is often difficult to know where items come from and how the workers were treated. I side-step this issue to a great extent by buying very few items new, thus not contributing to an offending companies bottom line. This is also much gentler on the earth. I avoid monstrocities like Walmart like the plague and tend to buy more at smaller locally owned shops with good business ethics. I am a vegetarian and I buy in bulk to save on packaging and pennies and, when there is an option, I buy the most minimally processed foods possible. Sadly, I cannot afford to shop at the high priced organic grocery stores.
Are there companies you won't do business with? I just recently moved so I don't know many of the businesses around here yet.

[MidnightBlue]

Originally Posted by evearael

• I side-step this issue to a great extent by buying very few items new, thus not contributing to an offending companies bottom line. This is also much gentler on the earth.
• I avoid monstrocities like Walmart like the plague and tend to buy more at smaller locally owned shops with good business ethics.
• I am a vegetarian and
• I buy in bulk to save on packaging and pennies and,
• when there is an option, I buy the most minimally processed foods possible.

I think those are all very positive steps to take. (Which probably makes me a bit of a hypocrite, because I'm not a vegetarian myself. We're trying to work up to pescatarian, but slowly, slowly.)

Originally Posted by evearael

Sadly, I cannot afford to shop at the high priced organic grocery stores.

We buy only a few select items there. We can't really afford it either, and I'm also bothered by all the sugar. And dried pineapple without added sugar costs A LOT more than dried pineapple with added sugar, for some reason. And pomegranate juice is good, but you might as well put your paycheck in a blender and drink it.

Do you have any tips for getting healthy, natural foods cheap (or at least cheaper)? My only trick is the farmer's market.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

How much do you think about how you spend your money? Are there certain lines you won't cross? What are they, and why?

Are there countries whose imports you won't buy?
(I used to refuse to buy anything made in China, but it got too hard to keep it up.)

Are there products you won't buy?
(I consider an electric can opener wretched excess, my better half considers it basic equipment. I sneer at people in SUVs -- unless they're carrying six passengers.)

Are there companies you won't do business with?
(We don't buy from WalMart, ExxonMobil, Coors, or Domino's. The last two are easy, because they suck anyway. We'd like to add Time Warner to the list, and I'm lobbying to add Microsoft, but they're both so pervasive, it's hard to manage.)

I won't by Japanese cars. Personally, I stick with American made on just about everything that I can. I bought my wife a BMW - used - but that will be the only expensive non-American made product that I plan to ever buy.

Aside from buying American only, I will also give business to mom and pop stores for everything else to support my local businesses as I am able. I do shop at Wal-Mart sometimes, but I am trying to kick that habit.

[evearael]

Do you have any tips for getting healthy, natural foods cheap (or at least cheaper)? My only trick is the farmer's market.

My only trick is spending an hour reading labels. I would like more tips on that, too.