Why this "not one damn dime" day is a reallllllllly bad idea

[docwebster]

(snagged from jesterstear)

Bob decides to participate in "not a dime spent day." Unfortunately, this is the day of the week when Bob goes to his local small business and buys a few luxury items for himself. Maybe it's a couple CD's. Maybe it's a few packs of baseball cards. Maybe it's some DVD's.

Now Bob might just go the day before or the day after instead. In that case, his protest is pointless. He's still spent the money.

Bob might not go at all that week. In that case, he's only hurt the profit margin of the small business. The corporate giants haven't felt anything.

Now what is Bob going to do with that money? He has a few extra bills in his pocket. If he spends them on ANYTHING at all in the future, his protest has been pointless. Even worse, that money he might have spent helping a small business will probably go to the corporate machine he thinks he's protesting against, as a few days down the road he finds himself in a Wal-Mart or Best Buy, and buys something new with that money he didn't spend on Thursday.

So as you see, this protest is as useless as those "don't buy gas" on a certain day campaigns. The corporations know that you'll spend the money the day before or the day after.

So please, find a more constructive way to demonstrate your disapproval of this criminal administration. Don't spend this day taking it out on the small business owners, many of whom (like me) voted for Kerry.

If you must make a protest against corporations, pointless as it may be, may I suggest going out of your way today to find a small business and spend money there? Then make your protest meaningful by constantly supporting that small business, even if it means paying a couple bucks extra for your stuff.

Comments

[bfly.livejournal.com]

That's stoda's and my goal - spend small and local as much as possible. It's a little less convenient, but not that much. And we feel good about it every time our grocery money goes to the TriAngle Grocery instead of Raley's.

[inkmistress.livejournal.com]

As a small local business owner I tend to support other small local business owners. You'll never catch me shopping in WalMart! Being lucky enough to live relatively near a small dairy farm and produce farm, we buy our milk (in returnble glass bottles)& produce(in the growing season) from them as opposed to the big chain supermarkets as well. Big business with their hands in public officials pockets have always been the bane of the small business owner.

[disgruntledgrrl.livejournal.com]

Spend your money HERE!!
Then you can get a warm squishy feeling!

[femakita.livejournal.com]

I'm doing it - but truthfully, as Thursday is my day off, who's to say I would have spent money anyway?

I'm of two minds about this. I don't think it will be effective, and I don't think enough people will participate to really cause a dent. At the same time, I think that saying it won't be effective becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I do like the idea of taking the money one would have spent on material stuff, or spent at J. Random Corporation, and giving it to charity instead. An article I read today says that after today, the keeper of the One Damn Dime site is going to use the site to promote "blue" (and hopefully small/family) businesses, and I think that's a lot more productive.

[katharinakatt.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I do like your idea better. Make sure to only spend at the mom and pop stores.

Of course I did go shopping today but I figured since I'm in Germany no one will notice. :/

I wanted to buy some of those black and blue wrist bands they sell now that say 'I didn't vote for bush' but you should SEE the price of them!!! MY GOD! I mean seriously I would have shown up to the airport with 10 on each arm if they were a buck each. Geeze..greedy people.

[dreamline.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

It reminds me of that "hurt the oil companies by not buying gas on a particular day" thing.

[odeyseus.livejournal.com]

My friends and I used to practice something similar. We all smoked and would buy our smokes at the small corner newsagent shop rather than the supermarket because the price was effectively the same but we would rather see our money go to a small business.