The Cost Of Being A Vegetarian

Change for the better?
A vegetarian diet is the consumption of plant-based foods, which may or may not include dairy products or eggs, but excludes meat - like seafood, poultry, and mainly red meat. My wife has been on a vegetarian diet for about 3 1/2 years going strong. Her lifestyle has affected my change, but our reasons for going green differ. For us both, we are making a personal statement to the world; for me it's cutting costs globally, but for her it's the ethical and environmental concerns.

Am I a 'Tree Hugger'?
I don't go around hugging trees, but I do believe knowledge of ecology and its applications will lead to a sustainable economy. It has been over 2 months now since I started this type of dieting; seeing how it is absorbed into and supports my set of daily precepts. Fitness, the Golden Rule, temperance are just a few of my self-regulating laws I live by to control my thoughts and behavior. My Christian background has shaped my belief system and is the main reason why I adhere to the principle of stewardship.

What's the cost?
Since my wife and I are vegetarians we've noticed the cost-saving benefits of a healthy diet. Here are the 7-key contributing factors to attribute to our savings on food:

• Eating out reduced to the bare minimum, sometimes zero for a month.
• No meat consumption!
• Significant reduction in the consumption of processed food.
• Sticking to the list!
• Snacking on fruits or homemade snacks
• Drinking water - no sodas, no sugary/sugar-free drinks, no bottled juices (only homemade smoothies).
• Planning our meals.

A typical grocery list for a couple would conservatively be $220 to last for 2 weeks. My wife and I spend typically $150 on groceries to sustain us for 2 weeks.

What's my statement to the world?
A grand reduction in meat consumption will solve a lot of issues the Earth faces and will give rise to a sustainable global economy. Issues such as global warming, deforestation, public health, energy consumption, drinking water supply, waste disposal, etc. are items that will be affected positively if the Earth's population greatly reduces its meat consumption. A significant portion of land used to grow crops for livestock in the U.S. towers over 56 million acres. The mere 4 million acres of land set aside for crops, intended for human consumption, makes me ask: Is this economically sustainable? Take a look at the EPA.gov site for statistics in regards to land use for crops. I can picture a lot of land being freed up to be used for other more sustainable purposes.

The Final Outcome
To conclude, I continually encourage myself to be consciously aware about the things I do on a daily basis. I question what can be done to make a difference, regardless of how small it may seem. The hope for a better world and a stable global economy is the cost I will continue to gladly pay for being a vegetarian.

Recovery In Sight?

Is economic recovery on the horizon?
I certainly believe so! The U.S., like their northern neighbor Canada, will recover more quickly than their troubled European allies. The 2006 subprime crisis and subsequent 2007 global systemic fiasco caused a lot of credit to dry up in the capital markets - like water in the Sahara Desert. We can see signs of recovery, due to the Federal Reserve doing their best to stimulate some sort of fundamental economic reestablishment to the economy.

Signs of activity.
The political landscape has labelled small businesses as job creators. So, why not take a look at Main Street to see if any sign of growth/recovery is occurring? Some has stated, like the government analyst Robert Longely, that small businesses - firms with 500 and less employees - provide jobs for more than half of the U.S. private workforce. That by itself should say something. Now, what is a good indicator of increase activity? Evidently, new capital is what we need to look at, more specifically small businesses loans being generated. This would indicate signs of growth and possible expansion.

SBA loans.
Private sector lenders facilitate loans that are backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) federal agency. Firms, that cannot obtain credit through regular channels may qualify for these special programs to jump start their company. Large and regional banks, like Huntington National Bank - subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares Inc. (HBAN) - are providing more commercial and industrial loans as of last year than in 2010 (CIBOARD).

Changes for the better?
The SBA  agency decided on March 26, to change the size limit - in terms of annual revenue - for some companies to be classified as a small business. The affected industries are the Professional, Technical, and Scientific Sectors (CFO Magazine). Due to the revised standards, these affected firms could receive federal funding under the 7(a) and 504 loan programs (SBA loans). This modified standard brings a lot of help, since it provides, these 'other than small' companies, an opportunity to grow before leaving the 'SBA nest'.

The Final Outcome.
Upon graduating from Main Street, these firms would be able to compete with the 'big boys' on Wall Street, due to the revision. However, before that can take place more needs to be done to ensure solid sustainable economic stability across the board. Incentives need to be placed in the market to stimulate firms to want to grow, to want to expand, and to want to hire. Hopefully we can see more signs of that in 2013.