The "Economic Gospel"

Today marks the 4 year anniversary of Indiana's Going Local.

As a "Johnny Come Lately" to the buy local movement I just wanted send you a personal congratulations from a like minded soul up here in New Hampshire. It is truly a remarkable statistic you have on your site (the one with regard to the incredible $300 million dollar impact it would have on your local economy if only half the families in Indiana redirected a mere $6.25 of their weekly food budget to Indiana food growers).

My goodness that is less than I spend on coffee every week!

If every American could come to understand and exercise the power behind that simple illustration!
It's truly mind blowing what could happen if even half the people in state would unite in this kind of conscientious spending! Neither Politicians, Government, nor their policies or programs are going to pull us out of this recession. But the decisions on how we spend our money on a daily basis has way more power to do so if people would just understand.   Pure capitalism, therein lies the solution.  We don't have to be victims of the ignorant choices we have made in the past. The statistics our out there.  Multiple studies have been done, and the Jury is in.  Buying Local works, if people would just make the commitment to do it and help their friends and neighbors understand why it is so important that they do it too.

When I reflect on this I either feel overwhelmed by the task ahead of me (to preach this "Economic Gospel") or extremely motivated to do something radically dramatic.

But that's the beauty of the whole movement!

Neither you, nor I, nor anyone else has to be overwhelmed or radical.  We just have to make one simple choice today, a powerful choice that will leverage itself multiple times over in our local economy.  Am I exaggerating the importance? Not at all, because local business owners, hire and do business with other local business owners (that's just good business).  So when I make that simple choice to redirect my spending locally,  the impact of that decision, the dollar I spend, is magnified by additional local purchases that my friendly local merchant now has the money to make.

So for me, right now, I am making a decision to buy at least one pound of coffee per month from Prime Roast Coffee Company 16 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431 

I can handle that.

God Bless and Keep You, Good Night.
PayLessFirst is a local business with a national vision. We seek to help local merchants to compete with big box stores, itinerant retailers, and online competitors by educating consumers on the benefits of “buying local”.  We also promote and maintain an online directory of independently-owned, local businesses for the encouragement & convenience of conscientious shopping.  To add your business to our national directory for free, click here.