Unusual ways to vote with your $

image from here.

Take care of your health.

You ain’t helping nobody if you feel crappy. So take your vitamins. Get your prescription refilled. Find a warm coat for winter and a good pair of sneakers. Drink clean water, eat healthy food, and use some of your valuable time to go outside and see the sun.

Spend your money at a yoga studio (author’s bias!) or a gym membership or a bicycle. If you feel good, it is much easier to care about the world and your place in it.

Buy used.

Have you been to a second-use store lately? They. Are. Awesome. People are giving away beautiful, useful things that work, yours for a song. These things have already used resources, have already been shipped, packed and priced. The proceeds often go to help those in need. (Just beware some politics.)

Plus, these items have style 😉 This is not that unusual, it is just awesome.

Live in a city.

Short commute. Shared resources. Public transportation. Daily interaction with those of different backgrounds, heritages, and economic status.

You are more likely to live in a pre-owned home or apartment rather than a newly constructed home. And if you life in an apartment or town-home, your neighbors will help you heat and cool your space, reducing the energy impact for all of you!

Slow down.

Where’s the fire, sport? Take the time to wash out your reusable cups so you don’t need to buy a paper one. Pack your own lunch so you don’t have to buy a sandwich in a paper bag. Give yourself enough time to bike or take the bus to work. Be willing to wait for the book you want to borrow to get back to the library instead of buying it new. Go to bed! Well rested folks want less soda, sugar, and caffeine. If you are getting enough sleep, you can make better decisions. Not just about your voting $, but in all aspects of your life.

Addendum:

This is a preachy little piece, ain’t it? Wow, another holier-than-thou yoga teacher telling you how to live? Just what you needed. Well, Let it be known that I am writing this as a note to myself much more than as a preacher to you. I looked around my kitchen and car this weekend and cleaned out a SHOCKING number of soda cups. Yup, soda. I woke up too late today to pack my own lunch. I am not perfect…yup, I’d say I’m far from perfect. Just so you know the tone in which to read this. Love, Ali