Buy Local This Black Friday
Why Shopping Small Might Actually Save the World.
Or At Least Tuolumne County.
Photo: Clever Crow, Twain Harte
This Friday, millions of people will head straight for the clearance bins, the click-to-ship deals, and the promise of happiness. We have all done it. Sometimes it is just easier to let our fingers do the work.
But this year, I want to offer a different idea.
Let’s skip the algorithm. Let’s skip the big-box. Let’s shop where people still know our names and our kid’s names… and our pet’s name. Let’s back local.
First! Where Does Your Money Go?
When you spend money with one of our many small businesses here in Tuolumne County, it stays here. It pays for Little League uniforms. It keeps the lights on downtown. It covers rent for a local family. It fed that cow you bought and is now taking up all the space in your freezer! Who knew half a cow would look like two cows?
When you spend money with Amazon,
here is what happens instead:
A portion goes to a server hub somewhere in the middle of nowhere
A portion goes to a billionaire’s new submarine, their space-rocket fuel, and their bespoke gadgets that no one else in the world will ever have…
The rest vanishes into a spreadsheet that will never know where Tuolumne County is
You will still get those beige socks that say “Taking Care of Biscuits”. But nothing else will end up here in our county.
Shopping Local Actually Does Something
Photo: The Local Collective, Sonora
Here is what happens when you shop local:
You support real jobs
These are not jobs at a fulfillment center three time zones away. These are jobs for our local people who smile at you from behind the counter and remember how you like your coffee.
You keep the lights on
Not just the literal lights, although yes, those too. You keep a building active, our downtown visible, and a business alive through the slow seasons.
You make our towns more interesting
A town full of independent shops is a town people want to visit. It is a place people want to live. It is a reason to pull off the highway. It’s a reason for all of us to hangout… right here in town. Let’s hangout.
You help someone keep a dream alive
Most small business owners are not trying to get rich. They are living their passion, their dream and simply trying to keep going. They are building something they believe in. You become part of that dream when you walk through the door.
What’s The Bigger Picture?
Really, this is about more than shopping. It is about building a county that supports itself. It is about growing our roots deeper instead of feeding the machines. When we shop local, we are investing in housing, jobs, stability, and real opportunity.
Look, I know we cannot fix every economic problem by buying a candle from the shop down the street. But we can keep our dollars moving where they matter. And we can remind each other that we are still here. We are still showing up. We press on and are still building something. Something for ourselves, for our children and their children’s children.
This Friday. Go for It.
Photo: Sonora Fly Co., Sonora
Find a new shop or go back to your favorite. Buy a thing you did not know you needed. Tell someone about it. Tell everyone about it. Leave a review that is not snarky. Or be snarky, but at least make it funny.
Yes, you will not get two-day shipping. You’ll get it now! And I promise you will get something better.
Connection. Conversation. Maybe make a friend.
I am backing local this year. I hope you will too.
