How can we make ethical living cheaper?

[Lulu3108]

It's so expensive to buy organic/fair trade/Eco friendly?

Cosmetics, cleaning products laced with chemicals..?

Even non organic fruit and veg is more expensive than packs of chocolates or ready meals..?

I lose hope it's really depressing the way it's going x

I was just thinking this. We are on a very low budget and I feel conflicted buying clothes from places like Primark. I was reading about how the supermarkets rip off dairy farmers but I buy my milk from Aldi. I was looking round our local deli at all the free trade/organic items and wishing I could shop there but it's not possible at the moment.

Might i suggest buying from these people? If you can organize a group of like minded people.. Not fresh foods i know, but great for staples, household etc..
My mother places a bulk order with friends/ neighbours, they just pass the catalogue around, i don't think the minimum order is that big.
Suma are a co-operative wholesale company, who supply a lot of Wholefood shops, but are happy to supply to communities and groups of people at their wholesale prices.

(No i don't work for them, but i work in a Wholefood shop and they are our main suppliers, so i know what a good company they are)

It is depressing and is a sad state for our country but i also think that people who have money use being 'ethical' as a status symbol when all we all need to do is be a bit more concious of what we eat and where we shop. Surely the ethical way to buy clothes and house hold items is second hand?Cosmetics and toiletries can be made or use less if you do buy. We really don't need half of what we do buy.
And I think even if you can't afford organic local produce you can still be more ethical in supporting local shops by buying meat from a butcher- when you factor in the amount of water in supermarket meat it's no more expensive. Not eating as much meat and using local independent markets or green grocers for veg. I'm fully aware that is not as cheap as frozen chips and peas but you also don't get sucked in to bargins at the supermarket if you don't go as often.

I know, I live in London with no balcony or garden, so I can't 'grow my own'. The waiting list for an allotment has closed!!!

And it is just rediculously overrated for price in the area I live in..

It boils down to storage. Hoses/flats are quite small and even if I had enough money I would have nowhere to store it all.
It would be lovely to share big shopping with few families.
I am on the outskirts of London.
Maybe we could have London (or Surrey...) based of shopping co-operative?

Juno213 that's really sensible what you said about supermarket meat and water. Lightbulb moment

By wanting less in the first place.
It requires a complete mindshift though.

I started buying from Riverford just after Christmas and I think its good value and you have to learn to cook with some of the more unfashionable veg. Even the odd vegy meal. I also have to top up with a supermarket shop which is so tempting to overspend.

Cleaning products are not such an issue buying one product as a general clean and a good non scratch scourer works just as good as these endless chemicals. I finally ditched my weekly cleaner who seemed to think getting through a bottle of bleach on a visit was a sign of a good clean.

Never been into ready meals always made one froze one. And as we are mainly paleo we are not buying endless cakes/biscuits/cr@p. The children have learnt to stop snacking its either a small chunk of chocolate/nuts/dried fruits (I was spending a good £10 on sugary sweets a week).

My milk has to be organic I no longer buy white water just contains nothing good in it.

I mainly buy secondhand clothes through Ebay meaning I can have the luxury brands at less than half the price

I agree its a mindset and it is very important. I agree also that you must want to consume less and not look for instant gratification through materialistic wants. I think hard before buying or wanting something.

Hope this helps a little

I think most people buy about ten times as much as they need.

Once you've conquered that - and it's incredibly hard (ive got at least 100 pairs of shoes) then you're on to a start.

I've managed to stop buying. I don't need 40 tops but I have at least that.

I wish I'd stopped years ago.

And not flying, it's the single one thing you can do to save the planet. I haven't flown for ten years (not because I'm a saint but because I can't afford it )

wow 100 pairs of shoes - I wish (I live in wellies).... get the good ones on Ebay/carboot and use the money to buy stuff you need - slow cooker/magimix/sewing machine.

I do fly but only once a year. Until the boys are older I cant face a road/train trip.

We have a big veg patch starting this year, we are converting to an organic farm system, permaculture fans, soil and cow muck fanatics, ecologists so thats how we are making our marks on the environment.

I've an allotment and chickens but really it's a (lovely) hobby. I don't think it makes an environmental dent really. I focus on growing plants for bees and distilling lavender and Rosemary oil (for candles, again a hobby)

I do grow all the soft fruit I need and don't buy imported food as far as possible.

The flying thing can be mitigated a bit by carbon offsetting - I'm sure you know and do that

I'm on a buy nothing spree (since December) - it's working so far - going to try to get through to this December without buying any clothes or shoes.

I'm Kondo-ing so still in the discarding everything phase

I agree with what lots of people have said and that's buy less in general. There are so many things people see as 'essential' but actually aren't. I can't afford to buy ethical meat/organic all the time, but I probably do 20% of the time. I figure this is better than nothing, and I feel like I'm having a treat. I also try and pass my old things on, and buy second hand too.

I try and always ask myself now - how can I consume less? Even little things like - do I really want to spend more time watching crap TV, or, if I chose to read my book that uses less power. Do I really need to iron DS' clothes or actually could I just shake and fold? etc. etc.

It's a mindset, and I think going down a minimilist/declutter route is also a really good way of getting into it. I hate shops now, and freak out when more 'stuff' comes into the house!

Carbon off-setting is complete rubbish - it's simply a way of allowing wealthier people to buy off some guilt.

The most effective way of making ethical living cheaper is ask (a) do I need it? and (b) can I buy it second hand?

I suppose it depends on what is meant by living ethically.
I am probably with LaurieFairyCake in that I believe many of the things people do in the name of environmentalism are really just hobbies/lifestyle statements. Others are a way to add value to commercial enterprises.
Real ethical living, to me, is being part of your local community. Getting together with your neighbours to buy wholefoods in bulk, and buying your fruit and veg from the market. Supporting local businesses and making the best choices you can. Fixing things that are broken, and buying secondhand if you can.