Big Buys

I've made a couple of rather expensive purchases lately, and have a couple more coming up. I tend to think a lot about what I buy, and not impulse shop. This leads to some long grocery store visits as I agonize over the labels. Ever seen that Simpson's episode: "Catsup? Ketchup?"

A good friend recently asked me about how to make ethical purchases. This is such an impossible question to answer. The corporate world changes so quickly. A company that is "bad" one day will realize how ugly their image is and start embracing environmental and human rights issues the next. Meanwhile, you're still standing outside their headquarters holding a sign. I am working on a post for Green Brandon that provides some resources on ethical shopping, and will let you know when it is up.

But more about what I blew my hard earned cash on. I've been lusting after Tracy's kettle since she posted a picture of it on her blog. I ended up buying the same kettle in red, even after checking the bottom of the box. And what did it say down there?? Made in Thailand. Le Creuset wouldn't exploit cheap labour in developing countries, would they? Ironically, their Asian-style kettle was made in France. Go figure.

I bought it anyway, because... it has a lifetime guarantee. So this is the last kettle I should ever have to buy. One way to reduce the impact I have on our dear planet is to consume less stuff. And this is not simply how I justify buying expensive items! I could buy a new kettle every 8 years or so, and toss them in a landfill when they rust out, or I can buy a single, quality kettle that will last until I'm a granny.

Plus, I got it from a locally owned (and really fantastic) kitchen store.