Starting October 1st, 2010, Sheila began doing all her buying within the city limits of New Westminster, British Columbia, with the intention of going on for a year. On her blog, My Year of Shopping Locally, she shares spend reports, local businesses she’s discovered, and deep questions like whether there’s any other town of over 60,000 that has no hardware store.

Between early October and early December, Sheila’s average weekly spending went down by over $200. “I spend a lot less time shopping and less on gas,” she explains.

The time saved is the greatest benefit. She now goes to a store only to buy something specific, not to browse. There are no more trips out of town to big-box stores that end with Sheila buying more than she planned. (She does live near a Wal-Mart, but is avoiding making this “my year of shopping at Wal-Mart”.)  Keeping track of her spending has also turned out to be useful in keeping it down.

Though the price of gas has gone up, Sheila spent less on it in December 2010 than she had in December 2009 — $148.14, down from $202.99.

Online shopping is out, too. (You can shop locally online, but that’s another story.) Here, too, Sheila finds that the biggest saving is the time formerly wasted browsing.

Her advice to shoppers: “[D]on’t assume automatically that just because it’s a local product or just because it’s a small store means it will be more expensive . . . I also wouldn’t assume that shopping at a big store or a big mall will save you time or money. There are more distractions at a bigger store and more ways to spend both your time and money. At small stores, you really can just zip in and out for exactly what you need.”

1- Go Often And Befriend The Sellers

Unlike a typical supermarket chain, a local market is part of the community. Next time you shop your favorite market, why not make a little small talk with the farmers and sellers? This will not only enhance your shopping experience in a social way, but it can build a positive relationship that might include perks (like freebies or special discounts).  Go at least once a week.

2- Know Your Produce And Products

The farmers and sellers can better assist you if you have a specific thing in mind. This same knowledge will also help you shop smarter in general.

3- Shop During Off-Peak Hours

Weekends are never the best time to shop anywhere, so try to go mid-week if you can. Check your local market’s website for more info on the hours.

4- Bring Your Own Canvas Bags

Save some trees and bring your own bags! Most individual sellers won’t bag your produce anyway.

Obviously, we are making leaps in creating and harnessing new energy sources.  However, in terms of the everyday consumer, we are flocking to organic foods and all-natural products.  My wife has been doing lots of research into the chemicals we ingest and plaster our bodies with.  It is really a scary thing.

According to www.safecosmetics.org, 61% of women’s lipsticks contain lead.  Seriously?  Remember the push to go from leaded to unleaded gas?  The ban of home paints containing lead.  Why?  Because it is toxic to humans.  Now people are putting it on their lips.  Consider that the average woman eats 4 to 9 pounds of lipstick throughout their life (www.steadyhealth.com).  This is just one product.  This one product that is so common is delivering toxins right to the stomachs of women by the pound.  Forget counting carbs, count lead!

Stores like Whole Foods have outstanding alternatives to these toxic products.  My wife bought shampoo from there that is truly great.  It is some mint concoction, but very low on processed chemicals and high on nature’s gifts.  My hair is less dry, and I have confidence that my skin is not being bombarded with man-made ingredients that I can’t pronounce.

Even meats and produce in your neighborhood grocery store are starting to catch on to this concept.  Animals are given less steroids and hormones.  The meat is just as good, if not better.  Not to mention the vegetables are grown with less pesticides.  Things are starting to go back to the way our grandparents were raised, and I am excited!  Maybe my daughter will experience a chemical free life.  One could only wish.

If you’re thinking of signing up with a home delivery service, ask yourself:

1. Am I willing to pay extra for organic produce? That’s what these services specialize in. You do pay for the better taste and perceived health benefits.
2. Will I remember to make the arrangements each week? In other words, review your order and change it if necessary, leave the bin out, arrange for payment.

Then there are a few questions for the delivery service:

1. What’s the minimum order? Or do they just charge for delivery if you order below a certain amount?
2. Can you change your order? You may want to set up a standing order or just get a standard weekly assortment. You may be able to tell the service your preferences (such as absolutely no parsnips ever!) and let them choose for you based on that. There should be a way for you to see your next order online and make changes, up to a deadline.
3. What time will they deliver? This can be pretty broad, like “between 1 PM and 7 PM”. Can you count on using your order for dinner on delivery day?

Thinking about these things will help you decide if home delivery is for you.

Matt and Nat: Even if you’ve never been inside a Matt and Nat boutique, you can peruse their website’s fantastic selection of  vegan-friendly designer handbags and purchase them.  Many handbags and wallets look as if they were made of leather but were made with super shiny patent material combined with both extra shine and textured effects so the bags look as luxurious as (if not more than) real leather handbags. Matt and Nat is also a great website to look for gifts.

Ecco Bella: This is one of the best websites for cosmetics and beauty products. Ecco Bella created and sells cosmetics that are gluten and preservative free. Many of their products are made with genuine earth minerals and flower waxes. Its easy to see why Ecco Bella is commonly used by makeup artists and Hollywood starlets alike.

Green Home: Looking to decorating your home with environmentally friendly décor or furnishings? Green Home is the website to start! You will find so many terrific items for your living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.  A few of their wonderful items include super-soft bamboo sheets, organic soy candles, stationary, and much more. They also sell fantastic green gifts for children and pets!

The Green Loop: This shop specializes in eco-conscious clothing labels for the entire family. You’ll find a wide selection of organic cotton tees, denim, dresses, and even under garments.  A few of their featured brands include California Rising, Green Label Organic, PositiviTee, and Seven Planet. They also sells footwear, accessories and  bags.

This website reminds me of a large craft bazaar-only much larger. You will not only find a great gift for mom, you will probably be tempted to buy yourself something (or two). Etsy’s shop keepers also keep the prices very reasonable, which only adds to the appeal. You could spend hours here searching in what may seem a bit of a hodge-podge of  an art gallery.

Etsy is not only fun to browse, it is also easy to navigate to find exactly what you’re looking for. Once you’re on the homepage, look to your left, and you will see the list of categories which list the types of products. Click on one type of item (such as accessories), and you’ll find yet another list on your left of the subcategories. You also can search for specific items by typing in keywords in the search bar above.  If you need some great ideas on where to start, you c.an browse Etsy’s Gift Guides and Editor’s Picks.

You must register for free on Etsy to buy and access special features, set up your own shop, and participate in the community. What is really great about Etsy, though, is that you can buy really unique and quality handmade items. This is not only a great place to find eco-conscious gifts and items. It’s also an easy way to support small business and thus stimulate the economy.

Ethical consumerism (also sometimes referred to as ethical shopping, green consumerism or moral purchasing) can be practiced by way of positive buying or  moral boycotting (which means to choose not to purchase a product based on moral grounds).

Tips for Becoming a More Ethical Shopper

First of all, cut down on your level of consumption. Ethical shopping is about buying ethical products, but it is also about cutting down on how much you buy. When you buy less you cut down on waste.

Shop locally whenever possible. This is a way to support those who live and work in your community, and it can decrease how far you have to drive to do your shopping. It is very likely that smaller stores in your community are more likely to be open to your suggestions for them to buy ethical brands of everything from juice to shampoo to stationery.

If you choose to invest your money, then shop around for socially responsible investment opportunities. Also known as ethical investing or sustainable investing, where you put your money and what it will help fund is an important aspect of shopping the ethical way.

Make recycle your buzzword. Recycle everything that you possibly can. In the same way, compost and reuse everything you can. In this way you create less waste and send fewer items to the landfill.

Everyone likes new things, but second hand items are often just as good. Shop at thrift stores and second hand shops, and you might be surprised at what treasures you will uncover. You can find everything from clothing to furniture to books and so much more.

What you buy is important to being an ethical shopper, but there may be instances that you can take things one step further. Move into the political arena of sorts by campaigning for change by way of petitions and contacting your local politicians.

What you should look for is a bag that is deemed environmentally friendly, as well as one that is reusable and is a large enough to carry all of your purchases. It is also good if you can find one that is sturdy and preferably washable.

This sounds like a lot to expect from a bag but is it really asking that much? Read on to learn more …

What to Look For in an Eco-friendly Grocery Bag

• Eco friendly grocery bags will be carrying everything from produce to meat  to pet food (if you have pets), so it is important that you choose wisely.
• Choose a grocery bag that is fully biodegradable. What this means is that it passed international standards and will decompose completely in a period of six months or less.
• Look for a grocery bag that is made from a natural fiber, such as hemp and jute.
• Buy an eco-friendly grocery bag that is sturdy. There may be days that you have to buy heavier things at the grocery store than on other days!
• The more you can reuse the bag the better it is for the environment and for your wallet. A bag that is well made should last you anywhere from two to three years if it is used under normal circumstances.
• Most eco-friendly grocery bags are larger than the regular plastic grocery bags, which means that they will fit more groceries. Instead of carrying four to six plastic bags of groceries you might very well get all of your groceries packed into two eco-bags.
• Think of it like this, the fewer bags you have to carry the less energy is then needed to make the bags, and the less energy is required for them to biodegrade. This is definitely something for the environment to smile about!

Whether you refer to your bags as green bags, reusable shopping bags, or the like, it is hip and chic to be an eco-conscious shopper. Read on for some things to consider when it comes to buying an eco-friendly shopping bag.

Strength and Durability

In order for green bags to replace plastic bags, especially when it comes to groceries, they have to be as strong and durable as possible. You don’t want the bag to break in the parking lot and your food to roll in every direction! Purchase a bag that is sturdy in construction and has reinforced seams. Pay close attention to the handle(s) of the bag. Make sure the stitching is top notch. Look for a bag that is tough enough to handle anything that you might put in it.

Cleaning

Read the cleaning instructions before you buy an eco-friendly bag. It is best to stay away from a bag that must be hand-washed or spot cleaned only. Keep in mind that there are likely to be spills in the bag when you buy groceries. It is preferable to buy a bag that can be thrown in the washer and then air dried, or even better, thrown in the dryer. Some companies even make eco-bags that can be cleaned in the dishwasher. The weave of the bag makes a difference, too. Bags that have mesh holes and larger weaves will allow for better penetration of laundry detergent or soap.

Price

Prices for reusable bags run the gamut from inexpensive ones that can be found at any grocery store and cost $1.00 all the way up to ultra fancy designer eco-bags. Buy wisely. Remember that you will need more than one for your groceries, and these will take the most abuse.

Last week, P. Illsley talked about shopping from the television.  The tips given at the end were awesome and ones that everyone needs to adopt for online shopping, too.  I am going to go a different direction and talk about the convenience factor.

My wife and I buy lots of stuff online:  all of our bedroom furniture, office furniture, clothes, home decor, pet meds, books, etc.  I am an online shopping ambassador for three reasons: I hate crowds, it is convenient, and I get instant price comparison.

Who likes to fight your way through the aisle and patiently be polite as you want the person standing in your way to move his butt?  Instead, he needs to finish a phone conversation about what is for dinner a month from now.  Then, you are blessed with the opportunity to stand in line for five minutes to give your money.  Still haven’t figured that one out.  Online shopping has no line.  Your only wait has to do with how fast your computer connects to the web.

I love the convenience of online shopping.  Not only can you see stuff that stores don’t carry, you don’t even have to change out of your lounge around clothes.  When my wife bought our bedroom set, delivery men brought it to my home and then put it all together.  All we had to do was give a credit card number.  That is convenient.  Not to mention you are saving the environment by not driving all around town.

Lastly, there is a comparison shopping advantage to online purchasing.  All smart shoppers compare the prices on big ticket items.  Some go to different cities looking for the best price or a specific option. The Internet is the reigning champion of side by side shopping.  You are able to see the same product sold by ten different stores and get the best deal.

They say, choosy moms choose Jif.  I say, forget the silly slogans and do your shopping online.

Here are many reasons why buying organic foods are a good idea:
Organic foods taste very good because the healthy and nourished soil used to grow the plants gives way to the healthiest (and tastiest) of fruits and vegetables!

Organic products decrease health risks because harmful chemicals and pesticides are not used in the growing process. These healthy products contain no pesticides that can lead to the development of cancer. Pesticides are poison.

Organic farming is very respectful of the environment. Toxic farming runoff is reduced, as is the use of pollutants that can contaminate the water we drink and the air we breathe.

Soil erosion is prevented when farmers grow organic crops because it is the soil that is the foundation of the food chain. Soil is the number one focus of farming organically. Sadly, due to non-organic farming practices presently we are facing the worst topsoil erosion in history.

Organic farming works with nature, as opposed to against it. The balance and harmony necessary for a healthy ecosystem are respected when organic farming is done. In other words, wildlife is considered to be part of the whole system of agriculture and is encouraged in a variety of ways- forage crops are included in the rotation, natural areas and wetlands are respected and supported, and fence rows are retained.

Diversity is promoted and encouraged thanks to organic agriculture. Biodiversity is the name given when there is a large variety of species, and this has been lost due to “mono-cropping”, which is the practice of planting large areas of land with the same crops year after year and using conventional non-organic farming methods. Organic farming makes use of compost, living soil, crop rotation, pure water, companion planting, rural enterprise and sustainable agriculture. This all plays an integral role in saving and protecting the environment and preserving the health of all people.

Recently I ran across one that I found both comical and eye-opening:

If every American household replaced one roll of 500-sheet virgin toilet paper with one 500-sheet roll of 100% recycled toilet paper just once per year, 424,000 trees would remain standing. That is 16 times as many trees that are in all of Central Park in New York City.

So the next time you need a new roll of TP, think green and think recycled paper!