It’s no secret that the choices we make when it comes to spending our money can say a lot about us. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat; our purchase decisions can be a reflection of our personal values.
But what happens when the things we want to buy don’t align with our values? For example, you may value sustainability but find yourself drawn to fast fashion because it’s cheaper and more convenient. Or maybe you care about fair trade but find yourself defaulting to big-name coffee brands because they’re more widely available.
When our purchasing decisions don’t reflect our values, it can leave us feeling guilty, frustrated, and even ashamed. But it doesn’t have to be this way! With a little bit of planning and intentionality, you can make choices that are in line with your values—no matter what your budget or lifestyle may be. Here’s how:
Define Your Values
The first step in making purchasing decisions that align with your values is to take some time to think about what those values actually are. What is important to you? What do you care about? What do you want your money to support?
Some common values that people have can include sustainability, social responsibility, animal welfare, fair trade, and local/community-based businesses. Once you’ve identified your values, you can start thinking about how they might apply to your spending habits.
Do Your Research
The next step is to do a little bit of research on the products and brands that you’re interested in. With so much information available at our fingertips, this shouldn’t be too difficult. For example, let’s say that one of your values is sustainability. When you’re doing your research, look for things like whether or not the company uses sustainable practices, what kind of impact their business has on the environment, and whether or not they support any sustainable initiatives. The more informed you are about a company and their product, the easier it will be to make a decision that reflects your values—even if it means spending a little bit more money.
Make a Plan
Once you know what your values are and have done your research on potential products and brands, it’s time to start making a plan for how you’re going to incorporate those values into your life. This may mean setting a budget for yourself or making a list of companies/brands that align with your values so that you can reference it when you’re shopping.
Whatever route you decide to go, the most important thing is that you’re intentional about your choices and take the time to plan ahead so that you don’t end up defaulting to something that doesn’t reflect your values just because it’s easier or cheaper at the moment.
Our purchasing decisions say a lot about us—whether we realize it or not. If we’re intentional about the choices we make, we can use our spending habits as a way to reflect our personal values back into the world. By taking the time to define our values, do our research, and make a plan for how we want to incorporate those values into our lives, we can make choices that leave us feeling good—both about ourselves and the products we’ve chosen to support.
