Shopping Locally: Follow the Money

"Because you’re shopping at my store, I get a paycheck. What do I do with that paycheck? This week, I ate at the Art Cliff, I shopped at the Down Island Farmer's Market, I bought toothpaste at Leslie's and bought a present at LeRoux. And hopefully, the waitress I tipped, the farmer I bought chicken eggs from, the people working at Leslie's and LeRoux will then use some of that money to buy a book at my store. The same goes for every one of our employees, as well as our owner. We pay taxes in your town . . . our building and our business and our owner. More money that stays in the community, through schools, public works, etc. The sales tax you pay through us goes to your state. Our business, our owner and our employees contribute to your local charities. . . . We would love to promise that we will be here on Main St. forever, but in order to do that, we need people to continue to support us in the amazing way they always have."--Katherine Fergason, from the Bunch of Grapes (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) bookstore blog.

This quote resonated with me today. Yesterday I bought my newest moleskine notebook at Riverrun books in Portsmouth. I don't often buy books, but for the few times a year I am Xmas shopping, etc I try to support the locals. I so appreciate being able to walk through Portsmouth or Exeter or Newburyport and see all the shops with interesting things. I at least always get my greeting cards there. Small things, but it's important not to just buy all those little things at the local big box store, I think.