How to Change The World With Your Money {Your Money is Your Vote...Who do ya Choose?}

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BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, one of my favorite local businesses

Today on scoutie girl, Tara brings up a very interesting subject, very near and dear to my heart.  Change the world with your money.  

I've talked about how important I think it is to support local small businesses and farms before.  I think it's not just important, but essential.  I also know that it's not always easy and I'm far from perfect.  But I do try to give thought to my purchases.  Actually, it's such a part of me now that it doesn't even occur to me to go to big stores like Wal-Mart (yes we've all read about my hatred of that corporation enough times) for anything.  People ask me where do I get things if I don't shop there.  I get confused because I can't figure out why anyone would even want to go into those stores.  

What struck me more today when reading the scoutie girl post, was how someone put it so perfectly by explaining that we are voting with our money.  I think it is such a more succinct way to put it.  I don't have a ton of extra money to spend.  When I spend it, I want it to count.  I want to vote for the small guys who earn a decent living as opposed to voting for sweat shops overseas.  I want to vote for my community earning money.  I want to vote for fresh food from people who are trying to earn a decent living, not people who are trying to take advantage of the people who are trying hard to earn a decent living.  I want to vote for handmade.

Even if I can only make a small impact, if many of us work together, we can make a bigger impact.  And, in fact, by supporting local, handmade, small businesses, our "small impact" has an even bigger impact to that person.