Michael Janzen

Here’s another great post on Frugal Dad called 10 Secrets To Curbing Your Appetite For Stuff. He writes a pretty good blog headline too don’t you think? But I digress… what I like about Frugal Dad is that he comes at the whole downsize/simple living thing from the financial side not just the green side. This opens up learning about the benefits of reducing debt and turning away from consumerism to many more people who still think that green means liberal.

Spotted this book, Big Box Swindle, on twitter, GreenestDollar posted it. Looks like a good book and might just convince you to stop shopping at the big box marts. I don’t need any convincing but it’s not easy to stop shopping there. I totally understand why they’ve become so successful. Here’s the official description of the book.

In less than two decades, large retail chains have become the most powerful corporations in America. In this deft and revealing book, Stacy Mitchell illustrates how mega-retailers are fueling many of our most pressing problems, from the shrinking middle class to rising pollution and diminished civic engagement—and she shows how a growing number of communities and independent businesses are effectively fighting back.

Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses