. . .or am I?
You see, I've shopped at Target 3 times since we arrived here to Rochester. And not only that. I bought groceries there. Intentionally. After shopping at the outstanding farmer's market and the very sweet co-op, I realized that some of those packaged organic things I was buying at the co-op are the same ones they sell for way less money at Target--crackers, juice, yogurt, pasta, gluten-free pasta (there is an abundance of gluten-free here, which is nice for me). Of course, looking at this list, I see that these are some of the things that I learned to leave off my grocery list when I lived at the farm and ate what was available. I like making my own yogurt and crackers, and we can do without juice except for the local apple cider. But, here we are in the chaos of moving and a few shortcuts seemed in order.
Not only did I shop there. I took my children there. I was raised with the belief that we don't support mega-chains. That in order to support the mom and pop stores, it's our responsibility to shop in them and help them stay open. I've really lived by that ethos and felt icky each time I've put my money somewhere that isn't in alignment with my values. It seems our most important vote, really. I know that my dollars are what keep the co-op open and I buy plenty there, but my wallet is feeling the pinch lately and it seemed at the moment a good thing to be budget-minded.
But there we were. And look what we found. For $4.98. How could we not buy a magical gnome doormat for our new home?
How do you deal with the marketers who get into your head and your heart? Are you sucked into the "shabby chic" section at Target?
Maybe we should all take the "buy handmade pledge," at least for the holiday season and keep our dollars circulating locally and with great intention.
