Oooo! Cobbler!

In general, the less stuff a person buys new the less resources he/she uses. By this, I mean that it's usually better to repair things if possible rather than always re-buying them when they break. This reduces trash and the resources necessary to make a new item. So, repairing is a good rule of thumb to live by. It's also usually cheaper!

That said, today I took a pair of wonderful high heels to a cobbler. The bit of sole on one of the heels fell off awhile back exposing a nail that was scratching all floors and made walking unstable. So, I had stopped wearing them. It was pretty interesting going to a cobbler for the first time. The guy had a local shop and was a 6th generation shoe repairman! Unfortunately, repairing this particular pair of shoes cost me almost $20... I didn't expect that. Still, I comfort myself with the thought that I saved the resources needed to make a whole new pair and the landfill space that would have been needed to throw the old shoes away.

The real lesson in all this is to buy things that are better quality to begin with in order to avoid repairs and replacements as much as possible. It costs more upfront, but, in the long run, this philosophy actually saves you money. Shoes especially are one thing that varies widely in quality. I think I've mentioned this before, but I've noticed that a lot of things that lead to a 'g' (g in the sense of good, global, and green) lifestyle are more expensive upfront but cheaper in the longrun. (e.g. transitioning to solar power, preventative healthcare) At the risk of getting too preachy, I feel the need to say that it's important to save and invest now for a better future rather than simply living in fear of the future. That's not to say a person should spend money he/she doesn't have but it is to say that it's a good idea to think ahead to what you ultimately want to invest in and do it when you are able.

Vegetarian Week Conclusion: I have to say that I'm sorry I've neglected to provide as many reasons to become vegetarian as I promised. I forgot about this part of my blog this week and didn't do much research beyond the obvious reasons... I'm sorry... One more reason you should know, however, is that meat-packing plant jobs have possibly the poorest working conditions of any job. For instance, they have the highest injury rate though most employees can't afford health insurance, and the plants often pay as little as $5/hour. How are they able to do this? By exploiting immigrant labor. This could be a touchy issue, and my blog is not intended to be controversial. So, I'll leave it at that. I only write about the working conditions as one more issue that might matter to someone as they consider whether or not being a vegetarian is better for the world than being an omnivore.

I, however, have convinced myself and decided to take the plunge. For now, I'm going to be a vegetarian! I feel healthier and more world conscious. Plus, I think the new flavor palette is exciting! haha

Types of vegetarians

In case you decide to try it, too, I feel like I have to mention that the transition begins with a couple days of feeling great followed by a couple days of digestive track adjustment that feels not so great. The not-so-great days pass quickly though. :) Now, I feel perfectly normal but healthier.