While everyone was ecstatic about the news of Chipotle coming to Athens, I found myself clinging to my wallet, scared of abandoning the dollar menu at Wendy’s that keeps me fed during the week. I’ve never even had Chipotle (insert gasp here), but the idea of spending more than $3 on a meal immediately frightened me.

Money is probably the most influential factor in making decisions, and it seems a common theme that overshadows even our own well-being in a lot of instances. It’s not necessarily something that people should feel ashamed about; I know that if I had to choose between a healthy sandwich and cup of soup at Panera ($7) or a meal at McDonald’s ($3), I’d choose a good bargain over a healthier meal.

It seems as though everything that is better for us as a whole always costs more money, and we live in a time when technology to help our environment is coming to the forefront. It’s great to have these advances, but they do come with dollar signs, which sometimes make people shy away. I can think of a few examples of items that are great for the environment, but on an individual basis, not so great for the pocketbook.

Green power is an example of a new phenomenon which is available but comes with a price. Green power is renewable energy that people can utilize instead of current power to help reduce negative effects of power usage on the environment. AEP Ohio is a local electric provider that offers a green pricing option, and its Web site, www.aepohio.com, explains that the average addition to an electric bill would be roughly $7, but it also provides a calculator so that people can individually get estimates of how much extra money green power would cost. Cost can be counteracted, however, by using less energy.

Organic food is another example of sacrificing some cash to better one’s health and the environment. Organic food is made without pesticides and a lot of the food additives found in the food on most grocery store shelves. While the benefits of organic food seem to be substantial, the price can be a deterrent. Farmer’s markets like Athens’ Farmer’s Market, open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University Mall parking lot on East State Street, often offer organic products at a cheaper price than a big-time grocer would.

The point I’m trying to stumble upon here is not to be scared of the numbers and prices that go along with environmental concerns. Change can be daunting; change accompanied by a price tag can be as well, especially when the direct effects of the change won’t be visible right away or even in this lifetime.

Don’t feel as though because smog isn’t gone and the ice caps aren’t freezing over that your contribution doesn’t matter or your money has gone to waste. People put such an emphasis on the importance of money, but the problems of our planet can’t be mended with a Band-Aid in the form of a written check – I don’t think Earth has a bank account, anyway.

I’m going to try Chipotle, even though it will cost me two meals at Wendy’s to have a meal there. To counteract that cost, I just will nix two visits to Wendy’s in order to break even monetarily. It’s all about compromise; it’s all about not being afraid to rearrange a comfortable and convenient lifestyle for one that will make things comfortable and convenient for people, including ourselves, in the future.

There’s also a lot the government could do in order to help offset costs to the consumer, but for this week I’ll just focus on how we can work with the equipment we’re given in order to create change.