Black Friday Reflections

It's been a crunchy weekend. We had an amazing Thanksgiving with some of our best pals in the area, a refreshing Friday filled with holiday decorating, home made yummies, and generally avoiding the whole situation at the big box retailers.

We used to make a celebratory effort toward not spending a dime on Black Friday. Ad Busters throws their annual Buy Nothing Day, and we've been among the ranks of those who stay home and make crafts for family members and friends each year, enjoying a break from the hustle and letting the tryptophan run its course.

This year, though, we had a little bit of a tough time determining what our role should be. Since moving to Buffalo we've been avid supporters of the Buy Local movement. One of my favorite things about this city is that in the last 50 years, it's pretty much missed the corporate eye. With a steadily declining population, a high poverty rate, and an even higher unemployment rate, most things big box have expressed little interest in starting up here. Even the closest Wal Mart is 20 minutes outside of the city. Those that have come seem to do so at their peril. Since we have moved here, we have watched the city actually undo a Burger King and a KFC. Big victories in our opinion.

Of course, when we support local, we make a key decision in supporting our community. Sixty-eight cents of every locally spent dollar stays in our community. Compare that to the forty-three cents for chain/franchise situations. Local independent businesses give more to charity by over 300%. They also tend to be more responsive to community needs in general. And let's be honest: Local independent businesses create a diverse, interesting landscape.

We have friends who regularly opt out of elections local and national as an act of protest. But the bottom line may be that no one hears that silence. You may have heard it said that you vote with your purchases. This year we made a pretty firm decision.... Buying Nothing was not good enough. Not supporting multi-national corporations was just not enough. I have decided not to vote for the vacuum that would be created if Target pulled out of Buffalo (unlikely). Instead, we decided we'd celebrate the Advent by making sure corporate doesn't squash my community, by seeding as much money as possible into places near our home.

We are so happy to have local organizations like Buffalo First that throw awesome events like Buy Local Week and provide awesome information to make our community that much stronger. So you'll see us out there with our reusable shopping bags, making Christmas Merry. I hope you'll spend some cash local too. :)