Now that Black Friday is almost upon us (followed closely by Cyber Monday), it’s time to start thinking about where your money will go this holiday season. I’m not talking about where you’ll find the best bargains on those things you’d like to buy–there are no shortage of places where you can find that information. Instead, I’d like to encourage you to spend this holiday season thinking of your shopping as voting with your dollars.
Most of us are used to thinking of shopping as a process of getting the most bang for your buck. But what if we re-envisioned the way our money works, especially during these shopping-filled holidays? Both Small Business Saturday (this Saturday, November 28) Giving Tuesday (next Tuesday, December 1) provide the opportunity to use your dollars in a different way–not just to get something in return, but to offer something more than cash.
You might be thinking to yourself, “How exactly am I giving something more than cash to a small business when I buy something there? They take my money, I get my stuff. Just like at Target.” Well, no. For one thing, small businesses make each community unique, so your support of a small business is actually a vote for the very specific kind of community you want to live in. My favorite local business here in the San Antonio area, Straight From the Crate, buys and resells locally grown produce all year long–so when I shop there, I’m actually supporting both a locally-owned farmer’s market and a family farm. That means I’m voting for a community where people feed and support their neighbors. That’s a pretty big bonus in exchange for the money I’ve spent.
Giving Tuesday speaks for itself: after the hoopla of doorbuster sales and the tension of timed online deals, it’s the day when we’re asked to take a moment and think about those organizations that need our help to help others. And why not combine the focus on your local community and charitable giving? This year, my Giving Tuesday donation will go Thru Project, a San Antonio-based agency that helps kids transition out of the foster care system and into productive adult lives. Rather than spending my money elsewhere, and thereby voting for a world in which kids who age out of foster care continue to be more likely to end up homeless, unemployed, or pregnant, I’m going to vote for a world in which kids who’ve had little, if any, adult support and guidance get the help they need to be successful on their own. No doubt there are many non-profit organizations in your own community doing similarly terrific work to help those who need a hand. GuideStar is a great place to start looking for those agencies in your own community.
Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday are just two of the many opportunities you’ll have for voting with your dollars this holiday season. Don’t miss out on a single one, and remember–every dollar is a vote for something or other.
No Comments