Saturday 26 December 2015

Living on Less

It's Christmas time again. My how time flies.

I used to equate Christmas with presents and eating large feasts, in addition to spending time with family of course. While the presents are one of the more exciting things that come with the holiday season, I've come to realize that it can be excessive. Perhaps because I've given and received gifts for too long now, and find that there are some items that simply don't get used and pile up in a corner, forming yet another pile of trash.

Most of us do live a life of excess. Do we need that new tablet? Do we need the 6th black handbag that looks slightly different than the other 5 handbags in the closet? Do we need yet another video game? Ok that might be comparing apples to oranges. But what I'm trying to say here, is that perhaps we should evaluate what it is that we really need versus the things that we only slightly want. Sure, you work hard and deserve to treat yourself. Of course you should treat yourself! But try to be conscious of what you are buying and how often you're making purchases, and what you could do instead with that money.

Perhaps I was inspired to write this entry because I saw the "Living on One Dollar" documentary on Netflix. It really shows how little people are forced to survive on in other parts of the world, while we bask in the piles and piles of goods that come from parts of the world where workers are paid little to nothing, just so we can enjoy that new tablet with a HD screen.

Perhaps I watched a video on Refinery 29 about living without producing any trash (i.e., using reusable cups,bags,cutlery wherever you go).

I think it's time we think about how we can be better for the world. How we can do better for our next generation. How can we produce less trash and live more efficiently, within our means, and still be happy?

I think we can do this. We can totally do this!!


1 comment:

  1. Dear Out and A Blog,

    I applaud you for seeing things in a different perspective. I am guilty for not being grateful enough. i love everything about this post. I need to watch this documentary to see exactly what you are talking about!

    ReplyDelete