OUR WORLD
Teaching our kids
how to be mindful
about shopping at
a young age will
make for conscious
shoppers in the
future.
1. CHANGE YOUR MIND-SET
WHEN YOU SHOP
The first step is to make it a point to be more observant about where you shop and what you buy.
It may take a little legwork, but you can do this.
And you don’t need to break the bank to replace
products that just aren’t cutting it. Look at what is
available to you, make your plan, and start making
small changes.
2. PLAN YOUR CONVERSION
It can be overwhelming to think about making
many changes all at once. For example, you do not
have to throw out everything in your cupboard of
cleaning supplies if you are concerned about environmental effects. Rather, as you run out of a
product, replace it with a more eco-friendly version. Do some background research on the products you find in your closet and in your home. Make
it a point to look for local options when shopping.
Choose fair trade coffee over regular coffee. Step
by step these small decisions will become more of
a habit over time.
3. CHOOSE A CAUSE
Shopping with a conscience can mean different
things to different people. In your plan, it might be
helpful to determine whether your cause is environ-
30 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW
mental, a focus on social good, or something else.
Having a passion for what you are supporting can
make you feel even better about your purchase.
You might decide to start focusing on finding products that support your local economy before you
start looking at purchasing gifts with a more global
focus. There is no right or wrong approach.
4. SHARE YOUR PASSION
WITH OTHERS
When giving a gift that supports your cause, be
sure to explain to the recipient why this particular
gift is so special. Tell them how the gift affects people and communities locally and globally. Encourage your friends and family to shop consciously as
well. Teach them how to make better purchasing
decisions and share your tools and resources with
them.
5. RAISE YOUR CHILDREN
TO SHOP WITH A
CONSCIENCE
We learn how to shop from our parents, caregivers, and adult role models. Talking to kids about
the products we buy, how they are made, and the
effect our purchases have on people and the environment can be powerful. Teaching our kids how
to be mindful about shopping at a young age will
make for conscious shoppers in the future. Be sure
to include your kids in your conscious shopping excursions and ask them for their own ideas to shop
with a conscience!
Jennifer Iacovelli is a writer, speaker and consultant, and author of SIMPLE GIVING Easy Ways to
Give Every Day. She writes for Mom Bloggers for
Social Good as part of the Global Team of 200 and
is a regular contributor to World Moms Blog and
HuffPost Divorce. Jennifer is also a contributing
author of the book The Mother Of All Meltdowns.
Her work has been featured on GOOD, BlogHer,
USAID Impact, Feed the Future, and the PSI Impact blog. She is based in Brunswick, Maine.