Green Shopping

The way we shop is changing. It used to be that if you needed something, you'd just hop in the car and go get it. Those days are changing, born out of necessity. The way we shop is changing because the way we are thinking is changing.

Our environment for the first time in history is on our minds. Our crumbled economy and volatile fuel prices are on our minds. All of these things affect the way we shop.

Consumers are consolidating their shopping trips to save on fuel. They are doing without extra niceties to save money. Time is also a huge factor in our very busy lives.

So... what ARE consumers doing to maximize their shopping dollars?

They are shopping on the internet! No big surprise. Internet shopping has been gaining momentum for years now. Shopping on the internet can save you time, money and the environment. Let me explain.

Time - shopping from the comfort of your own home when it is convenient for you. The internet stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can order your groceries online at 2am and pick them up the following day, already bagged for you! How great is that!? You can order just about anything online in just a few minutes and have it shipped right to your door.

Money - The internet is famous for it's competitive pricing. They have entire sites focused on finding you the best prices. (Priceline, Amazon) There are also coupon sites. These sites are becoming very popular. Sites like www.couponselect.net offer coupon codes, deals and printable coupons. Simply go on the site and do a search for whatever it is you need. You can find coupon codes for extra discounts or free shipping. The competition on the internet is fierce and the companies know it, so they offer incentives all the time to buy their products...all you have to do is know where to find them.

Environment - This one's got you scratching your head, right? The environment is impacted every time we turn our ignition switch. What most people fail to realize it that fossil fuels are one of the leading causes of Global Warming. When we drive our individual cars everywhere we need to go, we are contributing to global warming. We may think that one car and one person doesn't have that much of an effect, but add a few million individuals and the effects are huge and catastrophic. We are being forced to stop thinking in that ME mentality and begin to think WE. So how does this affect our shopping habits? If we consolidate our shopping trips together, we save on fuel. If we order our products over the internet and have them shipped, we personally use no fuel. The shipping companies do, however, they are shipping and moving many, many packages across the nation in an efficient manner, thereby saving on fuel. Believe it or not, these simple shifts in the way we shop will have a huge impact on our environment.

Shoppers are also thinking about what they buy. Is it made in America? Fair trade made? or made in China? Does the company outsource its jobs? Is it made of first generation plastic or recycled milk jugs? Shopping on the internet gives you choices. You can find environmentally friendly products more easily on the internet than anywhere. You can also find unique and beautiful hand crafted items from talented artists all over the world.

The internet is the largest shopping mall in the world, and it's right at your fingertips. So what are you waiting for? Save time, save money, save the environment and have more available to you than you've ever thought possible! Enjoy!