Consumerism

I have written on the subject of consumerism before, and I find myself needing to do it again today. The subject came up twice for me today, once in the hallway at school, and once in a class discussion. When I first went through my Reiki attunements, I "received" the insight that for one day, I should not consume. So, I didn't, and it was absolutely astounding how many things I was tempted to buy over the course of a single day. Any time I had any sort of desire - a hunger pain, thirst, a want for a new notebook, the desire to fill up my gas tank, the want to listen to music or use the internet. Everything involved consuming. Hungry? Buy food - you can get it just about anywhere. Thirsty? Get a drink - thousands of bottled varieties to choose from! Need a notebook? Gasoline? Go to the store, no problem. Internet? Music? Telephone call? Television? It's neverending! And you have to realize that most of that stuff is outsourced. So, by purchasing, you're supporting harsh conditions in third world countries, low pay for US citizens, abuse, poverty, hunger ... need I go on? If you must purchase, (and we all have to some time or other) make sure you are buying items made in the USA and locally grown produce as much as possible.

Did you know that American wages have not really changed since the 1970's? They've gone up and down slightly, but overall they are not much different than the 1970's. However, our needs and our WANTS have gone way UP! So how are we handling it? Credit cards. Americans don't really have savings anymore. For the first time since the Great Depression, we have an average household savings of less than zero. We're all tied up in credit card debt, some of us for life.

I am not at all proud to say that I, too, am guilty of credit card debt. It's not much (less than $500), but I do have to devote a portion of my paycheck to the credit card every two weeks. Someone came up to me in the hallway today, and asked me if I would like to donate money to help feed hungry kids overseas. Sadly, the first thing that jumped to my mind was, "Did I pay the credit card bill yet?" Once I remembered that I had, I jumped at the chance to donate. But, I was upset that I was tied down to a bill, instead of being able to freely give to those who need. So, this has brought me to a resolution:

I am going to be frugal in my spending, and put more towards the credit card each month in order to pay it off as soon as possible. Once it is paid off, I will not use it unless there is an emergency, and will instead donate the money I was putting towards the card each month to a charity.

That will be a fair amount of money going into various charities, and I won't be spending any more than I am used to. It works out perfectly for everyone. :) I think I will see if I can get one of those "ticker" bars to count down until my card is paid off. Hmm... *goes off on a search*

Today I practiced:
humility
GREAT patience (>_<)
respect
honesty
and compassion.

I'm hoping there was more. -lol- I also discovered a love of walnuts that I never realized I possessed.

Photo credit: Google "consumerism" in the images section. ;)