My Earth vs. My Worth

As I try to live my life as the type of person who Makes the Right Decisions, I am frequently faced with my own personal belief debacle. Although I would prefer hands down to go with the more environmentally-friendly option of anything, the financial cost of doing so is not always in my best interest. Organic or non-organic? Hybrid or non-hybrid? Recycled or non-recycled?

Let’s face it, right now the global financial system is a train wreck of bailouts, bankruptcies and all around bad news. The worst part of it all is that no one seems to be saying that it will be ending anytime soon. Therefore, even if I am fortunate enough to land my dream job tomorrow, who knows how long that will last in today’s economy? I don’t. And therefore “budget” needs to be my middle name.

In a perfect world, these choices would be one and the same. You could buy toilet paper that is 4-ply, soft, recycled and biodegradable – and the best price on the shelf. You could test-drive a Prius that is both earth-friendly and actually looks good. You could ride your bike to work and not need a serious shower when you get there.

But as we know, we’re not a big fan of perfect in this world. Whether we like to admit it or not, perfect is boring. Where is the challenge in that? What would keep us using these brains of ours? Thankfully there are plenty of people, and companies, and organizations out there who think about these challenges every day, and perhaps will be able to offer me a better option for how I am able to fuel my car.

In the meantime, I will continue to search for the answer to how it is possible to take a two minute shower. I still don’t believe it.

How do YOU make your own decision?