Shop only from independent shops for 14 days

and it was a really good exercise for me to participate in. i’m definitely going to try to keep this kind of thinking at the fore of my brain and make more conscious decisions with my hard-earned dollars. thanks again to purple heather for the invitation!

so when i went to do the one workout dvd i bought, the one i really wanted, it turned out to be the movie “stepmom,” so we had to go back and return it. they weren’t able to find the one i was supposed to get, and ultimately, we ended up at borders later on. we went there primarily because hubby was looking for books on illustration, but i ended up getting another dvd while i was there for roughly the same price.
the other workout dvds i got at half-price turned out to be horrid and i think i’ve decided to just go ahead and take them back and to look for used ones online.

anyway, on the upside, we popped into thrifty threads, the thrift store that helps support the julian center, a women’s shelter, so at least that helped to balance things out a bit. only three more days left to this goal, but i think it has forged a new way of thinking that will last beyond next tuesday.

at least it has felt that way since my last three meals were at restaurants. anyway, i hit steak-n-shake, an indiana company, today for lunch. i got myself a chili 5-way and a diet vanilla coke, but i don’t feel bad about myself.

gotta run to the drug store this weekend and i think i’ll scope out a small pharmacy not too far from where we live. i’ll be interested to see what kind of selection they have and how their pricing compares to the chains.

again, this goes contrary to not wanting to eat out so much, but after the bad news i got today about my insurance not covering some claims, i needed a beer and to go out to get my mind off of things. on the upside, it was warm enough out that hubby and i were able to walk. it’s probably about a mile each way. even though we were just strolling, at least we didn’t drive. we got a little light exercise, saved some fossil fuel, and supported another local eatery. we could have done worse.

super yummy! and not too terribly expensive. how nice it was to have something out-of-the-ordinary for lunch.

i’ve been trying to eat out less, and this week has been successful in that department. so far, no lunches or dinners out this week for me. today, however, i caved. i looked in the fridge, and with no leftovers to speak of and only microwavables in the freezer, i decided i can allow myself to go out today (once won’t blow the whole goal).

now i’m going to have to brainstorm somewhere reasonably priced but local. ooo – i think i might just have the thing. there are a pile of local places in the village. it’s a few miles from work, but it will be good and not too expensive. i’ll either hit the taste cafe, which i haven’t tried yet, but hubby says is good, or go to sam’s gyros or the oasis for middle eastern or mediterranean grub. delish.

and i haven’t been able to find an independent pet store anywhere near where i live. i’m afraid i don’t have much choice but to go to pet supplies plus. rats.

i wanted to get some exercise dvds so i went to half-price books. i have rationalized that this is o.k. because at least i’m helping ‘close the loop,’ so to speak. i figure it’s the next best thing to buying from an independent. i donate books, movies, etc., to half-price, so i’m doing my part by buying something there. it’s not all bad, right?

grocery shopping, not so much. went to meijer yesterday to stock up the pantry. it’s like a wal-mart, in that it has both groceries and housewares, but it’s only regional. either way, it’s hardly independent. i’m definitely going to have to hunt around for something like that. the ironic thing is that they just opened an organic grocery a few blocks away from us, but it’s owned by Supervalu, which is a huge conglomerate. Buying organic is a good thing in my opinion, but does it continue to be so if my money is going to a large corporation. Maybe it depends on how that company is run…? Something to think about.

breakfast at the canary cafe – excellent and dinner at khoury’s, the mediterraean isle.. i think we’re doing very well visiting the local places, but we might go broke doing it! definitely eating out too much. we’ll have to go to the grocery today instead.

i have to add that this is easier than i thought it would be. indy is replete with chain restaurants and big box stores and while doing this exercise, it occurred to me that for the most part, i don’t eat and shop at those places, anyway. i do have my moments of weakness, e.g., when i need lunch fast so i can take it back to my desk, etc. nevertheless, i think being more conscious of this (and of all my 43 things) is generally making me a more aware person no matter how much attention i paid to these things or how good i thought i was doing before i started this.