Good buying/brand choices

[Rae'ya]

We talk a lot in various discussions about good buying choices and/or brand choices. So I thought that it would be nice to have a place to centralise all that, because frankly it takes a lot of time and research to find brands that support our various ethical and moral choices and beliefs. It's also much easier to find a list of what NOT to buy than what brands to support!

So... what brands do YOU support? And why? What are your good buying and/or brand choices?

[Denarius]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I support Costco, they take care of their workers and that's more than a lot of places *cough*walmart*cough* can say.

It's just too bad I have to go all the way to Tumwater to shop there, which is an hour and a half drive.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

One of the brands that Torey and I support is Nature's Organics. They make a number of products (skin care, personal hygiene and household cleaning), but the ones we use are their surface cleaner, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, dish washing liquid, washing machine liquid, fabric softener, liquid soap/shower liquid, hand wash and shampoo.

We support these guys for a number of reasons... 1) It's 100% Australian owned 2) Their products are grey water safe and septic tank safe 3) Their products are salt-reduced (which means better for soil health) 4) They only use sustainable palm oil from a single, dedicated and accredited plantation (ie they don't compromise orang-utan habitats and they don't use coconut oil, which is not as environmentally responsible as the anti-palm oil movement would have you believe) 5) They are CCF acredited (they don't test on animals) 6) Their packaging is either biodegradable, recyclable or is made from recycled materials 7) They don't use petrochemicals and a number of other nasties 8) A good chunk of their profits goes into R&D and they donate to the Orang-utan Project.

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I support Costco, they take care of their workers and that's more than a lot of places *cough*walmart*cough* can say.

It's just too bad I have to go all the way to Tumwater to shop there, which is an hour and a half drive.

You know, I hadn't thought about stores! Torey and I shop at our local Foodland, because they are South Australian and family-owned (franchised), they carry a lot of local and environmentally responsible products, and they aren't one of the big companies. The only thing we don't buy there is vegetables, because frankly, it's not good quality produce.

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Other brands we support are:

Safe Toilet Tissue (and their paper towel/kitchen towel)
Orange Power surface cleaner and non-aerosol air freshener
Fleurieu Milk Company and BD Farm Paris Creek dairy products
Lilydale free range chicken (and we only buy free range, South Australian eggs, but there are several brands that do those)

I'm still working on finding a free range, grass fed beef brand where I don't have to buy a whole cow. And a free range pig brand. Most Australian lamb is free range and grass fed anyway so that's not so much of an issue. And our roo is all wild game, and you don't get more free-range than wild game! But beef and pork is somewhere I really want to improve our buying choices on beef and pork.

I'd also like to work on ethical buying choices for clothes and shoes... and I really don't know where to start with those. I know that some people here are much more educated on this side of buying choices than I am, so I'm looking forward to input here!

[Heka]

One of the brands that Torey and I support is Nature's Organics. They make a number of products (skin care, personal hygiene and household cleaning), but the ones we use are their surface cleaner, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, dish washing liquid, washing machine liquid, fabric softener, liquid soap/shower liquid, hand wash and shampoo.

We support these guys for a number of reasons... 1) It's 100% Australian owned 2) Their products are grey water safe and septic tank safe 3) Their products are salt-reduced (which means better for soil health) 4) They only use sustainable palm oil from a single, dedicated and accredited plantation (ie they don't compromise orang-utan habitats and they don't use coconut oil, which is not as environmentally responsible as the anti-palm oil movement would have you believe) 5) They are CCF acredited (they don't test on animals) 6) Their packaging is either biodegradable, recyclable or is made from recycled materials 7) They don't use petrochemicals and a number of other nasties 8) A good chunk of their profits goes into R&D and they donate to the Orang-utan Project.

- - - Updated - - -

You know, I hadn't thought about stores! Torey and I shop at our local Foodland, because they are South Australian and family-owned (franchised), they carry a lot of local and environmentally responsible products, and they aren't one of the big companies. The only thing we don't buy there is vegetables, because frankly, it's not good quality produce.

- - - Updated - - -

Other brands we support are:

Safe Toilet Tissue (and their paper towel/kitchen towel)
Orange Power surface cleaner and non-aerosol air freshener
Fleurieu Milk Company and BD Farm Paris Creek dairy products
Lilydale free range chicken (and we only buy free range, South Australian eggs, but there are several brands that do those)

I'm still working on finding a free range, grass fed beef brand where I don't have to buy a whole cow. And a free range pig brand. Most Australian lamb is free range and grass fed anyway so that's not so much of an issue. And our roo is all wild game, and you don't get more free-range than wild game! But beef and pork is somewhere I really want to improve our buying choices on beef and pork.

I'd also like to work on ethical buying choices for clothes and shoes... and I really don't know where to start with those. I know that some people here are much more educated on this side of buying choices than I am, so I'm looking forward to input here!

I support all those companies except fleuriu milk, because we cant get it here and because alex is lactose intolerant, so we buy Liddells.

I only buy make up from Innoxa and Natio because they dont test on animals.

I dont buy anything that is owned by Unilever, colgate parmolive or proctor and gambel.

I also buy organic where ever possible.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I'm poor.

I support what's cheap (Walmart - K'Roe works there, we get a 10% discount, and the benefits she gets from them are comparable to the ones I currently get from Alpena Public Schools).

I wish I had the luxury of being picky.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I'm poor.

I support what's cheap (Walmart - K'Roe works there, we get a 10% discount, and the benefits she gets from them are comparable to the ones I currently get from Alpena Public Schools).

I wish I had the luxury of being picky.

That's the hardest part about buying choices, I think. Torey and I couldn't afford to buy the brands we do until we were double-income, and there's a good chance that kids will change our budget priorities

[LunarHarvest]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I generally don't really make a commitment to a certain brand. I can get into a routine of going to a specific store, since I know what they have regularly and it makes it easy to find most of the items I'm looking for, but I can easily switch to a different store if its convenient.

When It comes with food brands, I do not buy from a commitment to a brand. Often the same foods can be found cheaper when they are not under the 'major brand' label, and humorously I have found the exact same type of cereal at cheaper prices right next to a major brand product.

[Heka]

That's the hardest part about buying choices, I think. Torey and I couldn't afford to buy the brands we do until we were double-income, and there's a good chance that kids will change our budget priorities

DINKS. Its amazing eh.

[Heka]

I generally don't really make a commitment to a certain brand. I can get into a routine of going to a specific store, since I know what they have regularly and it makes it easy to find most of the items I'm looking for, but I can easily switch to a different store if its convenient.

When It comes with food brands, I do not buy from a commitment to a brand. Often the same foods can be found cheaper when they are not under the 'major brand' label, and humorously I have found the exact same type of cereal at cheaper prices right next to a major brand product.

This happens here with the supermarkets home brands. For example over 50% (or something) of their home brand comes from south australia, and the rest is australian, so supporting local business.

Otherwise with food, I can afford to be picky, and buy a lot of the more expensive 'health food' stuff

[Rae'ya]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

This happens here with the supermarkets home brands. For example over 50% (or something) of their home brand comes from south australia, and the rest is australian, so supporting local business.

Otherwise with food, I can afford to be picky, and buy a lot of the more expensive 'health food' stuff

We're the same with food. Our main priority with non-meat food products is to support Australian and South Australian produce, and with Foodland that often means buying the home brand, which is cheaper. Supporting local farmers and small businesses is more important to us than brand name or price, wherever possible.

I'm also going to start buying fair trade wherever possible, with things like coffee. That's the next step with the weekly shopping trip... I'm slowly converting most of our buying choices!

[Heka]

We're the same with food. Our main priority with non-meat food products is to support Australian and South Australian produce, and with Foodland that often means buying the home brand, which is cheaper. Supporting local farmers and small businesses is more important to us than brand name or price, wherever possible.

I'm also going to start buying fair trade wherever possible, with things like coffee. That's the next step with the weekly shopping trip... I'm slowly converting most of our buying choices!

Yeah fair trade is the other one.

I like to buy gifts etc from oxfam whereever possible too.

The best thing about foodies homebrand is that the wostershire sauce is spring gully, and the oj is nippys etc, so you really are getting the best products for sooo much cheaper.

Though with spring gully I still like to buy their brand name, just to help them out!

[nbdy]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

A site that might be interesting to foodies: http://www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/

Best bet is that if you can't grow it or forage it, find a local farmer. For bulk items like rice and sugar that don't grow locally -- Costco.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I live in a remote town, so I buy produce wherever I can get it. I grow my own in the summer, and support the local farmer's market, but...that's only 4 months a year. I can't be picky here, because there's no one else in town to get stuff from. For meat, we have a local butcher, but I'm a veggie.

For skin care and stuff, I'm willing to buy from basically anyone that's all natural. I use a lot of Burt's Bees, and Tom's of Maine, and Beaver Green.

[Carlin]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I don't really support any brands. I try to keep my consumption to a minimum. I suppose if anything I support Long Tall Sally because I just can't get clothes to fit me anywhere else. Even then, I try to get things second-hand on eBay where I can. For food and other essentials I buy from the local veggie/vegan/health food shop with a few other bits and pieces from whatever supermarket I'm near to at the time (organic and fair-trade wherever possible).

[Rhaethe]

Re: Good buying/brand choices

I am not sure I have any specific brands that I will "Always Support and Purchase". I do have those that I avoid. The closest I come to brand support is Nvidia and Asus for my computing needs. And that due more to the fact that I have not had a problem with their goods thus far. (knock on wood).