Oregon has one of the worst unemployment statistics in the nation right now. But we have a job. We are one of the lucky few that has weathered a very bad storm and come out the other end. Patrick doesn't make nearly the amount of money that he made in Utah but it's not too shabby if I do say so myself. We are able to pay all of our bills on time and in a 3 short months, we will have our bankruptcy filed and finished and we can start paying back some of the smaller debts that we owe. It's a good feeling. That being said...things are very different. Our house is smaller. Our priorities have changed. We have paid for junker cars. We go to the Movies in Newberg because it supports a local business and it's cheaper. We have our kids enrolled in dance classes in a local Sherwood company because it sustains our local economy. It's not the best place around, but it helps our community. Our family dentist is local. He is not a part of a big corporate entity like Gentle Dental. We have a fabulous toy and book store just down the road. I'm doing my part to keep my local economy strong. But I can do more.
Something new my family is doing is supporting this local dairy. Also, I am going to have this produce company deliver to our home every couple of weeks. Instead of sundaes at Dairy Queen we can go to this cupcake store. Starting March 1st, for one month, I am going green. What that means for me is I will try and buy only locally grown things or shop at independently owned businesses. Why? Well I want to put as much of my money back into the local economy as possible. If we all did this, I believe would could see a real difference in our economy. Target, buh bye...same to you Costco...forget Joanns...and Michaels...I am going to Thriftway, the new produce stand in Sherwood, or this for fabric, or this for gardening supplies. Can I do it? It's worth a try. I have a birthday to plan in March and I am going to have to spend more time researching to figure out where I can get things that I can't live without like chocolate that is made in Oregon... and what about a movie rental place? Of course...no chain restaurants and in Portland, that is far better anyway. The local barber instead of Great Clips...local mechanic instead of dealership...resale or boutiques for clothes instead of Old Navy...appliances at Walt's instead of Best Buy...Powell's instead of Borders...you get the picture. If you want to take a look at a documentary go here. As you probably can tell, I don't shop at Walmart. So if I am jumping on a bandwagon...I don't think it's a bad one....unless you work for a big company. It's ok. I'm just one person. And this is what I want to do, so I am going to do it. Rock on my small business friends. I'm in your court now.
4 comments:
Good thing we have Moonstruck chocolate here. Oregon has some of the BEST home grown businesses. Where are you getting your CSA box? Most people I've talked who have done it say they are going to take the money to the farmer's market and buy what they want. But it was tempting when Kookoolan Farms said they will deliver their weekly CSA boxes to Intel. That was a hard one to pass up. But I grow the stuff my family will eat, so it's all good. We have a lovely little toy store here in Bethany that I shop at exclusively for b-day presents because they wrap. We are getting an independent bookstore here in our little shopping center too, right across from the library. I don't know that I'd pay $20+ for a book i could buy for $9 at Costco. That will be hard one. As for Walmart, I just saw a bumpersticker today that said "Keep Walmart out of Cedar Mill" from the big Walmart threat about 4 years ago. Glad we kept them out.
Amen, sistah! Mudpuddles is my absolute favorite place in the whole universe right now. I love how they let kids just come in and play with their products. What a novel idea! I'm a customer for life. I keep hearing about the new produce store. I'm going to the library this afternoon, so I'll have to check it out! Great post--I'm gonna bookmark it because of all the great links you have here.
You got me thinking. I should try to do this more. I usually just go where it's cheapest though...I'm guilty of shopping at Walmart weekly because it's one-stop shopping--I don't have time to shop around. But I think maybe I'll try shopping at a local grocery store and compare prices. There may not be much of a difference the way prices have gone up at Walmart.
Erika, thanks for being honest. It's hard to pass up a deal when you think about how much your bottom line is saving...but in reality if you think about the multiplier effect (mentioned in the movie) it's really cheaper to shop at the local stores because it boosts your economy and grows it thus giving your husband more people that can afford to go to the doctor ;0)...equals more money back in your wallet, eventually when he gets accepted etc... It's not easy, but I have been thinking alot about chain stores and big boxes. Fred Meyer is big here. I used to shop at their stores all the time. I had two family members employed by them. It was an Oregon owned company. Now they are owned by a national company, Kroger, that owns grocery stores all over the country. They just fired my step mom after 31 years because she was too expensive. It was cheaper for them to replace her. It was all about money. Those cheaper prices equate to something somewhere. It's hard when you are on a tight budget...I've been there. But now that I have more of a choice, I can choose something different. In Utah, you have quite a selection of independent owned stores...Harmons, Maceys, etc. Western Family brand is great. Whatever you do, don't buy Walmarts beef. It is the lowest grade available for consumption. Not healthy at all. Harmons grinds their own beef which is safer (ecoli) and use a higher grade. Happy price comparing. I think if you just can make even a few changes, it can have a positive impact.
Afton, I decided against a CSA and am going with Organics to You instead. We have a meal sharing thing going on and I really don't need all the veggies I would get. They let you choose how often and what size, so I like the flexibility and the delivery too. I was going to go with Kookoolan too though. They have a wide range of products and you know its probably run so efficiently...former Intelites right?!
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