Loving money may be a deadly sin, but liking money encourages us to be careful stewards of scarce resources. Saving our money by being thoughtful and well-informed shoppers is an excellent general strategy for sustainability. When we buy only what we actually want and need, our money helps businesses know what to make and sell. In a competitive market, the profit motive encourages well-run companies to save time, material, and energy while satisfying demand; otherwise they must raise prices and risk losing customers.
Walk into a grocery store–the price of apples tells an important sustainability story: the cost of growing, packaging, shipping, storing, and selling them is lower when they are in season. Or visit a consignment shop: buying second-hand clothing, rather than paying top dollar for the latest fashion, shows how saving money and saving our planet are in harmony.