Free and Green
Photo by Crate & Barrel
I never imagined the day we’d be buying organic cotton towels at Crate & Barrel, but that’s what exactly transpired last weekend, after a mild freak-out session when we realized we didn’t have enough towels for my mother and brother, who’ll be staying with us when the baby makes her debut in December. The best part? We paid nothing for two sets of towels and face cloths—nada, zilch, zip—thanks to points redeemed on both our American Express cards—points we haven’t touched in years.
Of course, in an ideal world, I’d prefer to throw the weight of purchasing power behind a company that is more committed to environmental and social responsibility, but the truth is, money is tight and compromises have to be made (i.e. bending to the will of Amex’s membership reward program, which includes retailers of its own choosing). Our next step: Buying some extra pillows. Pottery Barn sells organic cotton ones stuffed a blend of down and plant fibers, and they’re made in the United States, to boot, albeit of imported materials (meh). I think we may actually have enough points to redeem for these, too, which for once, makes me feel like the little guy can make the system work for him and come out on top.
Dustywheat said,
October 10, 2008 at 9:22 am
I’m all over my amazon dollars. Christmas ends up being almost free because of our points.
I’m going to the Outlets this weekend and I’ll have to look for those towels.