Hey earth muffins! The holiday season is upon us, which means there is a rise in consumerism with all of the holiday shopping. 🎅 It is extremely important, especially now, to make sure you are being a conscious consumer. What does it mean to be a “conscious consumer”? It means supporting businesses that support your values – companies that care about the planet and making the world a better place! I love to buy gifts for my loved ones this time of year, so I thought I would share my top tips for how you can be a more conscious consumer as well. Let’s jump right into it!
1. Make a list and check it twice
You can’t be a conscious consumer if you overconsume this holiday! It is important to remember to only buy what you actually need. Just like Santa Claus, I suggest making a long list. Think about each person you will be shopping for and write down what gifts you will be buying them. As you are shopping, keep looking at the list to avoid impulse buys.
2. Buy locally and support small businesses
As you are doing your holiday shopping, make sure to support small businesses in your town before hitting up the mall and other chain stores. The pandemic has been hard on local business, so do your best to support them first. Many local products are more sustainable as well; if you have local eco-friendly stores, even better!
3. Shoot for quality over quantity
To be a more conscious consumer this holiday, always purchase quality goods. You don’t need to buy everyone 5 or 6 presents when you could get them 1 or 2 well made items instead. This doesn’t mean you have to spend more money either… Just put your budgeted funds towards a smaller number of gifts. Avoid anything that is cheaply made too, these are bad for both the environment and your loved one (as they won’t last very long).
4. Do your research and look for greenwashing
Keep your greenwashing radar on high alert during the holiday season. Check out this full guide to determine if a brand is greenwashing or not! This is the time of year where brands advertise their “good for the planet” items just to sucker you into buying from them. Often the brand and/or products aren’t even eco-friendly. Again, this can usually be prevented if you support local business (or even secondhand shops)… But keep your guard up and don’t believe everything you see.
5. Support sustainable brands!
Similar to supporting local business, a great way to be a conscious consumer is to support sustainable and ethical brands. I’ve reviewed a lot of different eco products on this blog over the years, so I have a list of sustainable companies I would support again. Once you find eco-friendly brands that you love, always opt to shop there over chain stores in the mall.
Final Thoughts on Being a More Conscious Consumer
Try your best to be a conscious consumer this holiday season – only support brands that align with your earth muffin values! First, make a list and stick to it. This will help you avoid overconsuming over the holidays. Always shop at local, small businesses and then sustainable companies before hitting up chain stores at the mall. Use your budget to invest in high-quality goods over a massive quantity of gifts – this is better for the planet! How are you being a more conscious consumer this holiday?? Comment below and share your tips in the comments!
Love,
Jenna ♥
Thank you for the suggestion to look into green washing. I saw a few toys for kids that said they were made from recycled materials and they seemed like a good choice. I was thinking about picking up something for my nephew, but want to look into it a little more. You’ve inspired me to be a bit choosier where I can be!
YES – love this! Definitely always opt for things that say recycled materials over those that don’t say anything but doing extra research to confirm is always a good idea 🙂
Jenna ♥