At What Cost?: Intentional Purchasing

On an errand for carpet cleaner this morning, I stopped into a store known for their low prices. It was one of those rare occasions where I had one thing on my list. As I walked toward the check-out lanes, the women’s clothing department prices listed on large signs caught my eye. Racks of women’s tops were listed for under three dollars. 

As a frugal shopper myself, the sign stopped me in my tracks. I have been lured by these deals before. And yet, knowing what I do about the cost of living, minimum wage, and the dignity of the human person, there is simply no way that the people who produce these garments are making anything near living wages.

The fashion journalist Lucy Siegle made an important point when she said, “Fast fashion isn’t free. Somewhere, someone is paying for it.”

Companies large and small love to boast about their low prices. At a time when prices on everything seem to be going up, low prices can make a difference in a household budget. The question that we, the faithful consumers, are left to ask is: At what cost? Are we inadvertently supporting sweatshops and slave labor by our consumerism?

Pope Benedict XVI emphasized this problem: "In many cases, poverty results from a violation  of the dignity of human work, either because work opportunities are limited (through unemployment or underemployment), or [quoting Pope Saint John Paul II in Laborem Exercens] 'because a low value is put on work and the rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just wage and to the personal security of the worker and his or her family'"  (Caritas in Veritate, § 63).

Dignity of work 

Nearly everything from the coffee that we brew, to the strawberries on our oatmeal, or the clothing that we wear, arrived in our hands after having been harvested/sewn/assembled by the work of another. There is tremendous dignity in having work to do and a product to create. Since the Garden of Eden, cultivating a craft, tilling the land, or earning a wage has been the way humanity exists and knows itself in the world. And it is inherently good!

Problems begin to creep in when we see those who produce the goods we seek as means to an end. As we become more comfortable or numb to the reality that for a product to be cheap, the conditions and wages of the worker become less and less humane. We have a tremendous culpability for our participation in such a system. Venerable Fulton Sheen reminds us, “You must remember to love people and use things, rather than use people and love things” (source). -Fulton Sheen

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Wants & Needs

Our participation in dehumanizing systems stems from one of two places:

1. A need to purchase things inexpensively
2. A desire to acquire an abundance of things 

For folks who are feeling the pinch of tighter budgets, growing children, or lack of shopping options, being selective about the products that we buy can feel a little like a luxury in and of itself. It is a lot to ask someone who is struggling to feed their own family to pay a higher price, so that another may feed theirs. Although not exempt from the responsibility of recognizing the dignity of the person whose work we support, the lion’s share of responsibility does not rest on the shoulders of those who are economically struggling.

In this global economy, those of us who have options of where to shop and how much to spend also have a responsibility of Christian witness that we are obligated to demonstrate through our finances. Honestly taking stock of wants versus needs, being educated about unjust working conditions and wages, and supporting those whose practices are ethical (if paying a bit more) is an important part of our participation in a society that sees all people as image-bearers, made in the image and likeness of our God.

This all being said, I wish to offer you a list of ten ways to be an intentional consumer. Not all may be practical for your state in life. But many of them are doable for a lot of us!

10 Ways to be an Intentional Consumer:

1. Purchase second-hand, first.
2. Repair items rather than dispose of them.
3. Donate used clothing/use hand-me-downs.
4. Support industry that is Fair Trade certified.
5. Shop local (small businesses/farmers markets).
6. Invest in products that will last.
7. Request coffee shops/grocers/parishes to serve fair trade products.
8. Simplify your wardrobe.
9. Research your favorite company’s labor policies.
10. Invest in companies that support ethical practices.

About Katie Cassady

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Katie Cassady is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She is a wife and mom to three little girls in Denver, CO. Steeped in theological reflection, beekeeping and motherhood, she is appreciative of any and all wisdom she can glean from those living intentional lives of faith. Find out more about her here. Read all of Katie's posts here.