Living with Less

Often in conversation I have with people about switching to eco-friendly products, buying ethically made clothing and supporting local farmers, the topic of affordability comes up. And I completely agree, ethically produced and environmentally friendly products do tend to be more expensive, because they cost more to make.

While it is a privilege to be able to afford organic produce and sustainably clothing, for a lot of people in Canada, we over consume. Over the last two years of living in by 580 sqft apartment, the first thing I realized when I started unpacking all of by boxes was how much “stuff” I had.

My parents got divorced when I was 12, and from then until the age of 17 when I moved out and went to University, I had two rooms, going back and forth each week between their houses. Two bedrooms meant a lot of space for stuff. When I moved away for University most of that stuff ended up in storage. So, when I moved back from University and eventually bought my own place, all of that stuff in storage ended up in my apartment.

A couple of years later, I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff, but it is still a work in progress. But what I have realized from this exhausting process of sorting and responsibly getting rid of things, is how much stuff we bring into our lives, and how much that all costs.

Throughout this journey of sustainable living, I am way more conscious about everything I buy. I sometimes take weeks or months to decide if I want to bring an item into by home. In general, I buy a lot less. As a result, I save a lot of money, and therefore, I have the financial freedom to put my money toward things that really matter to me; organic local produce from my local farmers market, bulk, eco-friendly soaps that are non-toxic, well made, ethically produced clothing.

While I recognize that having these choices is an immense privilege, I think that in general many people would benefit from the financial benefits of buying less, and living with more freedom.