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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, Tigresblanco |
So you're cheap.
I'm not talking, "I found a great bargain at Khol's" or "I went to Wal-Mart the day after Halloween" cheap.
I'm talking "most of my furniture is stuff I found on the side of the road or bought secondhand for $5" cheap. The type of cheap where you read a book featuring the 'miserly old lady' archetype (you know... the one that wears a coat that's more than twenty years old and full of patches because it still has ''plenty of wear left, don't you dare throw it out''), and find yourself identifying with them deeply. The type of cheap where you find a half-rotten onion in the back of the pantry, and you cut off the good part and stick it in the fridge before you toss the rest into the compost pile.
The type of cheap where you shamelessly give gifts to relatives that you bought at Goodwill.
Now, living this lifestyle this a wee bit counter-cultural, and counter-cultural lifestyles need a few good ol' fashioned self-righteous arguments to keep you warm on cold winter nights (that thermostat is staying at 65 degrees, dangit).
So here's some of my personal favorites.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, vistavision |
1.) Clothing our family primarily in hand-me-downs and thrift store finds isn't just good for my wallet-- it's good for the environment.
If I don't buy new clothes, then they won't make more new clothes, and if they don't make more new clothes, they won't use up precious natural resources like cotton. And water. And..uh..lycra.
You're welcome, trees.
You're welcome.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, bmitd67 |
2.) Using the clothesline instead of the dryer is good exercise, as well as energy efficient.
Keeps the power bill down. Who cares if I have to stop what I'm doing fifteen times to chase off the dog? I'm burning calories and reducing our carbon footprint.
Global warming? Not on my watch.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, mike warren |
3.) Soaking orange peels in vinegar to make homemade all purpose cleaner keeps harmful chemicals out of the water and keeps orange peels from ending up in landfills.
Hey, every little bit helps. I'm holding off living in a post apocalyptic garbage world as long as I can, thanks.
That's me. Holding off the apocalypse one fruit peel at a time.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, r4n |
4.) Washing your clothes only in cold water also helps reduce your carbon footprint, because you're not using the energy needed to heat up the water!
It has nothing to do with the fact that I don't have the time or energy to sort the laundry into darks and lights.
I mean, as long as it smells clean, it is clean, right?
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, dketterick |
5.) Using the public library supports an important public resource for your community's children, underprivileged and homeless.
It's also a place you can get that movie you've been wanting to see forever for free on DVD, books on just about every subject under the sun, and free activities for the kids.
AND...it saves trees because you're borrowing already existing books instead of making all new books with new paper.
TREES, people.
Trees.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, malamantra |
6.) Eating beans and rice instead of meat reduces the methane in the atmosphere, thus reducing global warming and saving the POLAR BEARS.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, jameschipmunk |
And we all know polar bears are the future of the planet, and lasting symbols of world peace and happiness.
I mean, just look at this guy.
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| Image Credit: Creative Commons, happy via |
That's a bringer of joy if I've ever seen one.
Eat more vegetable sources of protein, you guys. Save the polar bears.
Just not tofu. That stuff costs, like, $8 a brick.
A quick note: Don't actually virtue signal, guys. It's horrifically bad for your soul, and it makes you look like a jerk.
That said, these are all arguments that I've found give a little added personal dignity to the lifestyle that my family lives, and it's nice to have something to tell myself other than, "I'm unusually good at being a miser. Humbug."
I usually leave out the stuff about the polar bears.
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