I used to try almost every new food product that appeared on the market. I did not care, or was either aware, to buy responsibly.
No matter if it was a low-quality product or a high-quality one. Whether produced by a multinational company or a local company. Cheap or expensive. Mass produced or hand-made.
And it was a mistake.
How I did not buy responsibly in the past?
Every time I went shopping to the supermarket, I wanted to be up to date with what countless food companies from around the world have to offer. I did not want to accept that other people try more new things than I do. I did not want to admit to myself that I am falling behind new customer trends, fashions, etc.
People in various TV shows, Internet ads and radio commercials kept on persuading me that I should try this and that. They kept telling me that that I should experience more and more to live my life to the fullest extent.
But, nobody really told me whether the choices I was making for many years to buy different products are actually good for my body, mind and soul.
So, I kept buying mindlessly.
Consequences of not buying responsibly
And then, quite often in my kitchen when cooking meals, I was disappointed in many of the food products that I had bought earlier to prepare my meals.
Despite being nicely packaged, many of the products, which appeared on the mass market, tasted below average. And, after looking at product labels, the ingredients from which the products were manufactured did not sound very healthy. I realized that many brands suck.
Also, so many food products like processed hams and sausages contain more water, salt, additives and preservatives as a percentage of the total weight than real meat. And, some soft drinks even contain as much white sugar as a recommended weekly intake of an adult person.
That is crazy I thought!
Finally, after many disappointments, I became more aware what to buy and what not to buy.
Now, I would honestly say that many products available in stores around the world are not even suitable or safe for people as human beings because they contain different chemicals. In addition, all sorts of unhealthy soft drinks, alcoholic drinks including vodka, cigarettes, instant coffee are strongly addictive.
How to buy responsibly?
These days, if I really have to buy something new, I usually run my choices through five different screeners:
- QUALITY. I purchase products produced by the brands which I have been using for years, hence I personally verified their quality.
- FIT. I seriously consider, if the product fully meets my strict requirements and fits perfectly into my lifestyle.
- BENEFITS. I spend days, sometimes weeks or months, depending on the amount of money the new purchase will cost me, to carefully analyze strengths and weaknesses of the product.
- RECOMMENDATION. I buy products recommended by friends and family members. People who love you will never want anything bad happen to you.
- SAFETY. I consider whether the product is good for my body, if it will serve me for many years, and its impact on the natural environment.
After experiencing many shopping dramas and dilemmas, I have already stopped trying to buy every single product on the market.
Instead, I have decided to only buy good products which contribute towards improving quality of my life and well-being of my family.
