4-24

1) Gas. Again at $2.09/gallon.

2) One latte and one large coffee at Mudhouse.

Since I’ve not really bought much today I’m going to take this time to delineate the hierarchy of purchases according to mger.
1) quality – I want things that will last and that are well made, well grown, or well produced. I do not want to have to buy a replacement for an item. I want it to wear well, wash well, or (if it’s a food item) taste (really very) good.

2) locally grown or independently owned – I want to buy my salad greens at the farmer’s market. I want my CDs from an independent store, I want my coffee from a local café, and I want my vegetables grown by a real person, preferably one that I’ve met.

3) organic – on the off chance that I can’t find a local dairy with convenient delivery schedules to my local market, I’m going to buy the organic milk, preferably from grass-fed cows.

4) fair trade – I’d like the things that I purchase that come from other countries to be traded, produced, or purchased in such a way as to provide those working a living wage as well as safe and healthy working conditions. This includes my coffee and my chocolate.

5) sustainable – Preferably my purchases are ones that will promote the global economy, the global environment and social well-being. A lot to ask of something I’m buying for dinner but if I don’t do it for the little things the message will never be received.

6) socially aware – I’d like the politics of the corporations that I’m funding to in some way, to some extent mirror my own beliefs. That means that I will not be shopping at organizations that have significantly contributed to the Republican Party in recent years as I feel that platforms that party has adopted have undermined the health and well-being of all Americans by systematically denying the working class basic social justice. But that is a topic for another blog.

7) convenience – things that are conveniently located, easy to use, easy make, or otherwise requiring little effort from or impact upon me.

8) price – things must be low priced at this point in my life. I’m not talking relative costs here, at $3 for a half gallon, organic milk is definitely in my price range even though it is typically twice the price of "regular" milk. I’m talking about actual dollars. Whatever it is that I’m buying can’t cost a whole lot of those because I just don’t have them right now.

That's it. If an item works on more than one of these levels for me, I'll probably buy it and you'll probably see it posted up here.