Shop Local
United Texas Credit Union is all about people helping people. You know we can do a better job managing your money than a bank that answers to shareholders because we know you and our community. So why give that up when you find a bargain online? When you shop local, it is better for the community and the environment. It’s also the best way to find something unique that can make all of your friends say “wow.”
Shop local and benefit your community.
When you shop locally, the money you spend stays in the community. Buying shoes locally takes dollars from your pocket and puts them into the pockets of a local resident. The business owners spend those dollars as well, most likely locally.
Approximately 68 cents from every dollar spent locally stays at home, and if that dollar is spent locally three times, it means that for every dollar you spend at local shops, $1.45 goes back into the community. It’s what economists refer to as the multiplier effect, and it’s very powerful.
Fun fact: The multiplier effect is why the government is still willing to make pennies, even though minting them costs more than one cent. The multiplier effect is powerful enough to justify all that loose change in the jar next to your bed, and it’s powerful enough to make shopping locally a force for change.
Of course, that money doesn’t just go to shopkeepers and restaurant owners. The local government takes out its share in local taxes. Even if you hate the idea of taxes, and we all may grumble in April, local taxes go to schools, firefighters, and other services in the area. Buying dinner at a local bistro can be the reason the town has enough money to fix potholes. Not a bad dessert.
Help the environment.
You already know about the danger of greenhouse gases and the effects of global warming. What’s easy to forget is that everything you buy had to come from somewhere. If you’re drinking imported spring water from Fiji, that water flew halfway around the world. If your new pants are from China, they racked up frequent flyer miles, too.
It’s really hard to avoid foreign manufacturing, but many local businesses have locally made goods for sale, which eliminates at least one flight your product might take, saving on fuel and greenhouse gases. Even if the product you’re buying was manufactured overseas, buying local can shave a flight or two off the product’s carbon footprint.
Shop local and find hidden gems.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of finding something your friends have never seen before. Whether it’s jewelry, a purse, or pottery, local shops have the best potential for the uniqueness of any shopping you do. Anyone can get on Amazon or check out a department store. It takes a real connoisseur with an eye for style to shop locally and find the best products. Show off your personal style with buys from local artisans.
One final benefit of shopping locally is that many of your finds come with a story. Those earrings might be from a local artist who got the inspiration from the nursery rhyme her mother told her, or those plates might borrow their pattern from the artist’s love of pop art. Whatever the story, local artists will tell you how they came up with their unique designs. It’s fun to make connections with local artists, and hearing their stories is part of it.
If you like what you read, then join our e-mail list!
Sources: