Less

So I’ve been trying to see where and what I’m wasting so that I can make less waste. Sometimes it’s pretty clear and sometimes I just buy a thing in a huge plastic container without even thinking about it because it was convenient - looking at you, chocolate muffins. I’ve been expanding that into saving money as well. Last fall, I cut back on some subscriptions for tv and I honestly haven’t missed them much. I very much enjoy having ad-free YouTube, which I use almost exclusively for ambient noise or music. I’ve started getting used to the Roku channel with its ads when I want some background noise or just to veg a bit. I’ve also looked at a few other channels who stream k-dramas with ads. Haven’t found a match there yet, but barely started looking. Prime will get canceled this year. I don’t need it. 

There have been some people trying to do economic blackouts for big companies that have done various things. I’ve chosen to focus mostly on those who decided DEI wasn’t a good thing. I was really grateful that my company announced they were keeping their program going. I’ve never liked Walmart so it’s not a problem to not shop there. Target is the one that hurts. I’m still trying to figure out where to get a few things if I can’t get them at Target, or Amazon. I have no delusions that my losing my little money will make any difference to the big companies. But this has made me look at what I have in my house and use it instead. It comes back to the less waste thing and more money saved. And even though it hurts to say this, I probably don’t need to buy the book either. LOL So basically, I’m trying to shop local (been shopping a local grocery store for years) and ask myself if I really need the thing. I’m not saying I will never shop at Target or Amazon again, but it will be fewer things I buy at those places and mostly just the things I really can’t find elsewhere. 

I’m still working on what to do about my Kindle. I have over 1000 books on there, I think. And some of the authors I want to support are there and on Kindle Unlimited. Maybe I try canceling KU for a month first just to see. I’ve got plenty of books I haven’t read in both electronic and paper forms. I can do what I am doing with streaming services and buy a month at a time and only pay when I want to use it. Like everything, it’s a work in progress and I’m not looking for perfection, just something I can sustain long term.