Top Ten Things to Change

A while back I wrote about Conscious Consumerism and mentioned a little book called The Better World Shopping Guide. My copy arrived a few weeks ago and I’ve been reading through it one category at a time.

You can’t even imagine the relief I felt when my favorite Lay’s Potato Chips showed a solid B in the rankings.  Score!  On the down side, all the grocery and other stores where I might be able to purchase them scored a big fat F.  Still not quite sure what I’m going to do about that . . .  Good thing I stocked up back in August before I got the book in the mail!

Going through the book has been an eye opening experience. Sometimes I have perceived a company or product as good, only to find out that they do things I would never intentionally support.  Thankfully, there are several companies that I’ve been supporting for a while that have an A+ rank.  

As I mentioned previously, I firmly believe that the voting that I do with my wallet has an even bigger impact than how I vote in municipal, state, and federal elections.  That’s a difference I can make every day

Page seventeen in the book has a list of the top ten thing to change to make the biggest impact.  Some of the items on the list are things that are difficult to change immediately so I will be chipping away at them.  Here’s where I’m at so far:

  1. BANK – still researching to find out what’s available in my area
  2. GASOLINE – always get gas from Thorton’s, but it gets more challenging when I’m traveling.  If there’s a Sunoco in your area, please note that they have the highest possible ranking with a B.
  3. SUPERMARKET – have started buying everything at The Turnip Truck instead of the local chains that have an F rating
  4. RETAIL STORES – haven’t had to actually buy anything yet, but am planning to restrict my shopping to those stores with at least a B- or higher ranking
  5. CAR – this one is tough, my Ford ranks an F but is paid for and has been very dependable, which makes me reluctant to make any changes.  Maybe in five years when I’ve worn this one out
  6. SEAFOOD – rarely on my menu and looks like it will be even more rare in the future
  7. CHOCOLATE – the chocolate chips in my pantry are from Sunspire and have a B+ rating.  I know what brands to buy and what to avoid should I have a chocolate craving that needs to be satisfied
  8. COFFEE/TEA – don’t drink coffee and the tea in my pantry, Traditional Medicinals, has an A+ rating
  9. CREDIT CARDS – haven’t had one for at least five years
  10. CLEANING PRODUCTS – Seventh Generation and Dr. Bronners are under my sink, both rated A+ along with Mrs Meyers, which scores an A-

It’s my hope that you will join me over the next several months as I write weekly about my experiences with these companies and products, what works, what doesn’t, what’s hard to change, and whether or not I’ve been able to buy another bag of chips.  Remember, we can change the world for the better, one dollar at a time.