Green Tomorrow

Many people when needing something typically will go to the store and buy the item brand new. While this is one option, there are some alternatives to consider as well. Many times, there are other options besides just buying brand new. These can be done to save money or for other personal reasons. Recycling and having a small environmental footprint is a common reason given.

The first thing you need to consider doing is to buy items used online. There are many things online used that are in great quality that you can get at a good price. The reason is that many people are buying new things before the old ones are actually broken. You can get these at a discounted price that still have quite a bit of life left in them. For example my mother in law is currently looking a used backup refrigerator online using Craigslist and Freecycle. She is looking at paying perhaps $25 in stead of several hundreds of dollars, a very significant savings.

Get refurbished products when you can. These are normally electronics but can be other things. It basically means that you can get something that at one point was in a customer’s home but needed to be fixed. After the refurbish it’s like new but cheaper. Computers are often available refurbished and can be great deals sometimes.

Consider buying the broken version of an item and repairing it yourself if you have the skills. Of course you can often get broken items for free as well, often saving them from occupying landfills

Instead of buying news things yourself, try to trade and borrow items with a group of friends. This not only saves money but can give you access to more things that you could if you had to buy it all on your own.

One option is to just keep what you already own longer. If you have an item that is still useful, just use that instead. You don’t have to always have the latest things. Be happy with what you have.

Learn to enjoy living with less. At times you can skip buying things at all and enjoy the things that you already own. There isn’t always a need to buy things used or brand new especially if you really don’t need them. It is amazing how many new items we collect, often claiming we “need” them, when that isn’t the real case at all!

Harry writes on many topics including safety and the environment. See his latest at Rubber Stair Treads and Hardwood Stair Treads.