“We have stopped buying liquid laundry and automatic dishwasher detergents. These are mostly water, often contain harmful chemicals, and produce large amounts of plastic waste. Instead, we buy concentrated powders made with sustainable packaging like Charlie’s Soap a family-owned business made right here in NC, and DROPPS auto-dishwasher pods made by DROPPS, a Certified B Corporation. https://www.charliesoap.com/ https://www.dropps.com/
– Steve Tate  

“Never one to be excited about buying clothes, I’ve made darning and patching into a form of art. I love patches – I think they can add a lot to clothes, and old clothes just get more comfortable with wear. Handy with a needle and thread? Click here to learn about sashiko, the Japanese art of stitching and mending clothes.”
– Diana Bowman

We are changing the way we buy our meat. I learned that corporate meat production may be less expensive, but it also can have hidden costs of animal cruelty, poor labor conditions, and a significant negative impact on the environment. Now, we buy from small, local farms whenever we can. We can verify that their practices are more humane, just, and environmentally sustainable. Their carbon footprint is smaller also. We look for labels like the NC-based FIRST HAND FOODS. They are a women-owned food hub that sells local pasture-raised meats from NC farms. We also buy from HICKORY NUT GAP FARM in Buncombe County. You can find these and other options for sustainably produced foods at our local co-op, DEEP ROOTS MARKET. I am bringing my meat purchases more in line with my ethical concerns about animals and the environment.   

– Terry Moore-Painter

I have begun to keep a journal of everything I buy. I note what I bought, who from, and how much I spent. When I looked back over it, I was absolutely shocked at what I bought on impulse and how little I could justify it when I thought it through. It is definitely changing my purchasing habits, which have become careless since Amazon made everything so easy.

• Pat Boswell