5 Reasons to Shop Your Values
“Shop your values” is a phrase that has almost lost its true meaning. However, as cliché as it sounds, staying true to yourself should be a key element in your shopping sprees. Your values are the essence of what you are and what you believe in. Even though shopping your values is something that sounds really intuitive, it isn’t always! Here are 5 reasons to keep your values in mind when shopping
Helps Others
We’ve all experienced the true joy that comes from giving. Giving happily is a magical and rejuvenating experience. If you’re going to buy something anyway, why not buy something that does a little extra good? Having a good impact, however small, is worth it, especially if you’re doing something good for others! When you support businesses who are dedicated to making a social or environmental impact, you are not only getting a new item that you love, but you are having a direct positive impact on a much larger community. By supporting ethically sourced products, you will be carving a brighter future for the artisans behind the brand, as well as for their families. Let the non-ethical products that you see be an inspiration for what you want or need, and then search for that same product that has been produced ethically.
Makes You Feel Good
Others first, but secondly, shopping ethically gives you a boost too. It’s like the feeling of eating a healthy snack you enjoy. You not only decided against the harmful snacks, but you found a tasty alternative that is good for you. Shopping ethically is very similar. Try it once. When you reach for something that you know doesn’t align with your values; pause, put it down, and find an ethical alternative. You will feel better with yourself and will enjoy the happiness it brings for having done something that aligns with who you are and what is important to you.
Adds Uniqueness to Your Everyday
At Montie & Joie our products tend to stand out for their uniqueness, but let’s take a scrub brush for your kitchen sink as an example. There is the typical plastic one or the environmentally friendly one that tends to be much more attractive. You end up looking at and using that scrub brush every day and the unique design makes you a little happy every time you look at it because it is much nicer to look at. The same concept applies to fashion. Everyday trends and big corporation clothes are everywhere you look, however, ethically-made products have a unique flair that makes you stand out and gives you a little extra joy to wear! Shopping your values helps you stand out in your everyday life!
Allows You to Give Back
The Dead Sea is known for taking in and never giving back water. It is a well known fact that there is very little animal life within it. This is a very valuable lesson. Wanting more and more for ourselves without giving back is not a fulfilling way to live. Giving back is life-giving. Do you give to charity or volunteer? Keep it up, but one really solid way to give back without spending that extra time or money, or maybe spending less, is buying products that are ethically produced. Buying ethically is a more sustainable way of giving back because of the exchange of value that takes place. With donations or volunteer work, you’re always giving but not receiving enough value to do it as frequently as you might like or enough to make a huge impact. Ethically buying a product that you already need and that pays women a fair wage or uses environmentally positive material can go on in perpetuity as both sides of the equation receive an adequate return. How about that for fair trade?
It’s Better For You!
Often, when shopping your values, you will encounter products that are better for you physically. Products that are handmade or produced with the environment in mind are often made with materials that are better for you, such as organic. Fewer and more natural ingredients in your cleaning products, lotions, clothes, etc. is a healthier choice for you and the ones you love!
Shopping our values can sometimes be effortless, other times it requires a little extra digging. We’re only human, too, and we understand that it isn’t always possible and sometimes you’re going to make a mistake or just opt for what is right in front of you. But that’s ok. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but baby steps towards the right direction still count and make a difference when added up. We would love to hear more about your journey as you continue to shop ethically!
