shop local!

seriously, someone tell me if i'm too activist-ish about stuff... but here goes another. let's see if i can keep it short..

every dollar we spend is a vote. it either supports something or doesn't. when you buy something, anything, you're supporting the store and the entire supply chain that went into getting your item from raw materials to the shelf. your dollar means that someone's idea is successful...and that your dollar did not go to every other place that you didn't buy from. (does that make sense?)

i think we would all agree that buying from a local place selling local goods is always a good thing. however, most of us (myself included) don't do this on a regular basis because of pure convenience and cost. plus, i don't live in a small town or in the more trendy side of town. i live (though in a neat, historical neighborhood) in the suburbs. do you know how many local places there are in my suburb? not many. a few, but not many. in order to really shop local in all things, i would have to drive into downtown or to the opposite side of town, which really isn't practical. but here's a nationwide initiative that could really make a difference.

this comes down to a little over $16 at each place per month. even i can afford this! i can eat at one local restaurant a month or shop at a local grocery store or buy a baby/wedding/birthday gift from a local shop.

i have strong opinions on shopping and consuming and materialism in the US. i try to always look for local, made in the USA, fair trade, 2nd hand and/or organic. just a little change made my lots of people can make a big impact. try to think about this the next time you're out and about.