Reply #11: And if you have to purchase a non-food item, can you buy it "pre-owned"?

[no_hypocrisy]

You can get a lot of things in good condition at consignment shops, thrift shops (Salvation Army, Good Will), etc. like clothes, kitchen items, furniture, books, records, appliances. All you have to do is get over the conditioned response that you must buy the item "new". It's only "new" when you buy it and then it's used, sort of the same concept as virginity (sorry, probably not the best metaphor).

If you have to have "new", try supporting independent, small businesses in your community that are trying to compete with the megastores. Yeah, you'll pay a little or a lot more for the same thing, but that's the trade-off.

But, seriously, you don't need to have as much "stuff" as you think you do to begin with and if you must buy something, don't necessarily go to corporate conglomerates.