Take a Pledge! Buy Local! Buy Used!

[No Mandate Here.]

There are a couple threads on Eschaton that help with who to patronize and who to avoid, as well.

<http://atrios.blogspot.com/>

<snip>

One of the new economic realities is that more and more people are responding to unemployment and underemployment by starting micro-businesses (I say micro because by definition a “small” business can have as many as 50 employees and generate many millions of dollars a year). These are the independent service people (from plumbers to lawn care to web design), the small restaurants, the retail stores not owned by Wal-mart or Target and small manufacturers that make up a growing and important segment of our economy. Boycotting all businesses is counter intuitive – though I still won’t patronize any business with a NFIB sign because of their campaign tactics against Paul Wellstone. Spend only what you can afford but be creative and useful with those gift ideas. And please focus on non-chain stores. Independent retail stores are considerably more likely to be getting their inventory from domestic sources than the big box retailers. And it doesn’t even have to be a product to be a gift. We get my honey’s parents prepaid lawn care. We’ve given out certificates for favorite local restaurants and small bookstores. Give someone golf or yoga lessons, maybe a certificate for a massage (I can guarantee you those will be micro-business people).

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Goodwill stores- especially in more urban areas- are excellent on all counts, IMHO. No MallWart for me.

[readmoreoften]

1. Yes

This is what I do. Local food. Mostly used clothes. Local boutiques if I can.

Also, rent your movies at (and I know this is hard in some areas) local rental places owned by movie buffs where they don't censor movies.

Blockbuster and Hollywood Video are a huge mind numbing enterprise. If we support alternative media sources then we're more likely to get alternative views in our media.

[RegexReader]

11. I've been in

and welcome to the party. The corporate giants such as Wal-Mart(which is bigger than the biggest oil now) just sux the life out of communities and small towns.

RegexReader
$USA =~ s/Republican/Democrat/ig;

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

2. I am a big believer in this

I have been pushing local business and micro-business although this is the first I have seen the term. It is a great term.

I constantly yell at my wife to shop at Costco instead of Walmart/Sam's. Costco pays their emplyees more, and even if it costs us a few more dollars, it means more of our tax dollars stay local.

I dumped all Verizon products and use a local phone company for my phone and DSL. They are comparable in service and I have not had too many problems.

My ISPs (I have several) are all small independendt operators. One is in Chicago, and two are in Pennsylvania.

We are starting to go to more local restaurants instead of larger chain type places when we go out.

Dr. Batsen D Belfry

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. Yup. As a micro business owner I spend as much as I can on my peers

I recently bought some software I needed. I had a choice of a corporate company in England or a freelancing outfit with only two products. I talked with the freelancers and suggested some improvements to the product, mainly because I didn't understand the interface easily.

BAM! The product was changed a week later and I bought a license. Not only did I get better service, but my money didn't go into corporate coffers either. It feels good too, BTW. :)


http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
Buttons for brainy people - educate your local freepers today!

[luaneryder]

4. Our local Goodwill store

is awesome! I donate and buy there. I've found clothes with the tags still on and lots of items that only need paint or a little decorating to turn in to an unusual, beautiful item to keep or give away. I hand hook rugs, vest, purses and buy wool clothing from there to shred for the material. I'm looking for a consignment store to sell or barter my wares here and any gifts I give (I don't think of them as Christmas gifts, but as end of the year tokens of appreciation) will be hand made.

[tavalon]

5. Is it fair to take the pledge now

when I've been doing this for years? I'm not sure when the last time I bought a "new" piece of clothing was and as a woman with Celiac Sprue, I cannot shop at any but health food stores. I've refused to step inside a Walmart or Target for years.

About the only new thing I could do (and I will, come to think of it) is find a local pharmacist. Bye-bye Walgreens.

As far as Christmas presents - I don't do that anymore. If I want to give a gift or a card to someone, I do it when the moment is there, not because of some manufactured conspicious consumption holiday concocted by Wall Street and Hallmark. No thanks. I'm not a scrooge, per se, but the shameful scene that happened today (which I did not partake in) has nothing to do with the closeness that this holiday is supposed to be encouraging.

[Keirsey]

6. ...

tavalon, you don't need to be a member of Costco to avail yourself of their pharmacy.

Hallmark? Bah! The Halls (Hallmark is privately-owned), and Irv Hockaday, the CEO, are Republican donors.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/finance.asp?type=io&cycle=04&criteria=Hallmark

[tavalon]

8. Oh my

I wasn't thinking! I gave up my Sam's membership years ago (Walmart - ick), but this year, I read about the CEO of Costco, joined but haven't really availed myself. Of course!

[Scrooge]

7. hear hear

Tavalon, Im with you. I havent bought new in years. From computers, to furniture to clothing. I shop my local, family owned grocery store. If I need bulk, its Costco's. I yard sale and save goodies year round so I always have a present to wrap (homemade gift wrap) if needed and it usually has cost me less than $5. I garden, and freeze my veggies. You really dont need to spend alot to live comfortably.

Another tip on the gift wrap, I always save the discarded boxes and wrap from family functions. Everybody knows I recycle, so they save it for me.

[Sleepless In NY]

9. Choose the Blue....good site for info on where to buy

Choose The Blue
Use Your Power -- ChooseTheBlue!

You know what party a politician supports. Do you know which political party a company supports?

ChooseTheBlue tells you what corporations donated to political parties. http://www.choosetheblue.com/main.php

If each American who voted for John Kerry spends $100 in 2005 on a Blue company instead of a Red company, we can move $5 Billion away from Republican companies and add $5 Billion to the income of companies who donate to Democrats.

This will be noticed! Choose where you buy ... and make a difference!!!

[Nordic]

10. How many people know about HALF.COM?

http://www.half.com is a part of e-bay, and it's where you can list your used stuff, or buy your used stuff, in a non-auction environment for almost fee.

You can get almost anything here, for pennies on the dollar.

You can also sell your stuff here and get a little cash back for, say, all those books and CD's and DVD's which are gathering dust.

I highly recommend it, especially for books and stuff like that

[Snotcicles]

12. Buy less if you have to but buy Local. n/t

[fryguy]

13. buy local

its the best way.... sickens me to go into big box stores with impersonal service.

especially stay away from:

Walmart
Overstock.com
Sam's Club

[blm]

14. Mr. blm and I buy everything, wastebaskets - couches from resale/antiques

shops. Better for the environment and better to send the message, "Fuck the Fascists!"

But, if you have to buy new, shop Costco.

[Bluerthanblue]

15. don't forget to pick

the 'dump'- AKA 'recycling center' in our small town-
My children and i have been clothed by Salvation Army, Goodwill, and our local dump for decades- mostly out of need, sometimes out of choice, and now out of both-

We have a 'put and take' section of our dump- i have a beautiful camelback sofa that just needed recovering- (i'm talking a big-bucks peice here) that i love, our easy chairs, stereo, toys, clothes- and even my sons motorcycle came from 'the dump' and the return policy is out of this world-

We feel GOOD bringing our 'unwantededs' there- knowing the joy of finding 'just the right thing' on one of our many trips to 'throw out' our trash- Lamps are big- take an ugly lamp and cover it with mosaic's or pine-cone 'petals' and put on a new or make a 'new' shade and voila- instant really classy gift- Collages made from old wooden advertising boxes- frames with seashells stones you name it glued on- there are any number of ways to 'use' what others have no further use for- Also, for city dwellers- (and i go in early to the big city several days a week) watch the piles on the curb- a nice end table painted classic, or whimisical- covered with phrases that 'fit' the recipient- old ball jars (the kind with the bail) filled with hard candies- or home-made cookies-

it's incredible how GOOD it feels to bring something 'back to life'- and to personalize your 'giving' in such a hands on way- my absolute favorite gifts have been those i've recieved from others who do this, and the ones i feel best about are those i've given-

my favorite that i gave? an old toy tin refrigerator, filled with homemade goodies, repainted, and 'magnetic poetry' made from my printer and some 'sign magnet' scrounged from the dump with a message to a very cherished friend- he LOVED it- and i loved giving it-

that's what the spirit of 'giving' means in our family-

there's no shame in 'cast offs' the shame is in being so selfish that when something isn't 'perfect' or you get tired of it, you destroy it-
rather than passing it on-