The $20 Green Project

David Markland over at MetrobloggingLA has proposed a rather simple experimental project where all you have to do is spend $20. I have practically done this experiment every day while employed (spending twenty at Trader Joe's on dinner, cheese, and wine) and have learned that if you are creative enough (which I am not) and thrifty (which I could be) then $20 might be well spent.

With a well-worn Jackson in the pocket of my well-worn jeans I set out to try and buy as much crap as I could fit in the saddle-bags of my bicycle...also know as the bed of my Nissan Frontier. Listen, I like bicycles and I am all about the environment as long as I am not risking my neck. I used to live in Chicago and survived on public transportation, biking, and my own god-damn two feet, but I can't do it here. This is really a post for another time, but I ask you bicyclists; do you feel safe when you ride or are you just bracing yourself for that imminent fall to the concrete? I feel safe in my truck, but if I get the urge to bike I just head over to the gym for a spinning class (there's safety in stationary bikes).

Great. Now I have made myself feel like a total ass. It's Green Week on NBC and after watching The Office and Scrubs last night I should really be trying to do my part to help el enviromental. I got it! Internet shopping. I can stay right here at home and not burn a dime in gas, while still fulfilling my obligation to support the economy. What can I get a lot of for a little?

I search the internet using $20 as my keyword. I get a lot of results for Gifts Under $20. I notice ThinkGeek has a whole bunch of stuff for under $20 and I do enjoy me a gadget or two. I want bulk though. I want to feel like I robbed someone blind. I want to feel like...Porn! I can buy pay-per-view porn at one of several sites and still have a nickel to spare. I know this doesn't seem right to you, but if you look at it from an environmental stand point you'll see that 230 minutes of porn means that I have not wasted any gas nor am I buying something that is packaged. I will be only be using 4 hours of electricity to power my MacBook while expending the same amount of energy on myself burning extra calories.

Success!