Friday was the one-day economic boycott and although I’m a low spender to begin with, it did effect my spending as my husband had asked me to pick up a couple specific things from H Mart — sweet chili sauce and furikake. I bought neither item.
A single day to boycott retail corporate America is a great idea, but a better plan is to expand that day to an entire month! I’m absolutely furious with how the current administration is prioritizing big business over care for vulnerable Americans and our natural habitat, so I’m going to continue with my economic boycott. I feel that voting with my dollars has more power than the actual votes that I cast in November’s election.
My wallet votes for the world I want to live in.
Are there rules? No, because we all have different resources available to us. However, I encourage you to only spend on absolute necessities and shop locally owned whenever possible, but do your research. (Locally owned bakeries that refuse to sell wedding cakes for LGBT+ weddings come to mind. Not all “locally owned businesses” are created equal.) Avoid Amazon, Wal Mart, Starbucks, Hobby Lobby, McDonald’s, Safeway and Kroger, (tried to create a grocery monopoly) and Target.
And that picture above? I found a recipe for homemade sweet chili sauce and cooked up a batch using ingredients I already had on hand. By the way, it’s absolutely delicious and my husband and I both agree that it’s better than the bottled stuff!
Are you interested in joining a No Spend Month? Let’s collectively tell corporate America that we have the power to spend our money in an ethical manner!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Such great points! I agree with you that we all are in different circumstances but for us we are trying to shop more locally and with companies that aren’t actively supporting the dismantling of our democracy and country.
Well put!
I’m all the way in! I might even blow the dust off my old blog and report on it there too. Love that you made your own sweet chili sauce (and it looks great in the recycle bin sourced jars).
I saw a meme that said something like without all the park rangers, bison petting season is going to be interesting. I am also so heartbroken and angry at the dismantling of our natural treasures. There was even an EO signed to basically clear cut our forests on the eve of Dr. Suess’ birthday (Lorax). 🙁
Dust it off, baby!
I’m in.
Love it!
This is going to be…quite a challenge.
Fortunately, I love a challenge. I’m in. Except for pet food which is delivered regularly and so I don’t have a stockpile. My 130 pound rescue dog has tummy issues–probably why he ended up in a shelter– and can only eat special food. (Trust me, you don’t want a 130 pound dog having tummy issues in your house!)
I, however, can eat just about anything so here goes. Aside from groceries I don’t think no-buy/ultra low buy will be a problem. And I already bought whiskey.
So you won’t have to resort to bathtub gin?
Almost as bad–I have a small stock of Everclear that I use for making my herbal tonics. That stuff is NASTY!
I am already doing a low spend, necessities only year but can easily take it lower. Among the other outrages, I am absolutely livid at the treatment of Ukrainian President Zalensky.
Ruby, I’m with you on all counts. And to add to my disinclination to spend money anywhere, it turns out that I did crack a rib in my fall on the driveway ice last week. So I’ll be bundling up, chowing down, and staying home until movement becomes less painful.
Oh, I am so sorry about your rib and hope you heal up soon.
Ouch! Sorry to hear that, A. Marie. Sending virtual chicken soup with pierogies your way.
Speaking from experience, broken ribs are nasty, wishing you a speedy recovery
@A. Marie, I am sorry to hear that your fall cracked a rib – I gather that is a particularly painful thing, and in this day and age when we are constantly gasping as what is happening in the news your pain must be doubled. Take care of yourself and heal quickly!
My local council has started a Library of Things which means people can borrow tools, camping equipment, party supplies, kitchen appliances etc, instead of buying them from big chain shops.
We haven’t been to a McD’s in years. Their food is garbage. We don’t have Hobby Lobby, Safeway or Kroger near us. I only go to Starbucks when I get a gift card and they have a bogo special so they really aren’t making money off of me. I think I have been in Target twice in the last 6 months. We do use Amazon. Hubby has to use it for work so we have a free membership. I try to shop used and locally but sometimes I get lazy. I am trying to be better about that. Also my future SIL works for them so I feel like my money is supporting him. I always try to avoid the big companies when shopping. I love to shop at craft fairs and farmers markets where I know the money is staying local.
Friday I didn’t shop but I did go to my local library. So much better than shopping. Make sure you vote for your library’s budget. I returned books and put 2 puzzles on the free puzzle shelf. I got more books and 2 more puzzles.
Before work on Friday, I got 2 huge cabbages from my buy nothing group. They were over 10 pounds each. Saturday morning I used 1 to make coleslaw. I gave a container to my son, 1 to my daughter, 1 to my neighbor and 2 to friends. We still have 2 containers for us. I used the mayo that my neighbor gave me. They had gotten it with a catering order but wouldn’t use it.
Saturday Hubby and I went to my favorite thrift store. It is church run and only open the first Saturday of the month. Otherwise it is M-F which Hubby can’t do. They always have specials. I got the cutest set of flannel sheets for $1. They are red trucks with Christmas trees. I’m giving it to my daughter who sews. Hubby got several golf clubs for $1 each and a new golf glove for $3. I picked out 4 things for my birthday in May, $7. I got a Pyrex glass dish for $2 and a new pack of silicone cupcake holders for $2. Hubby found 2 CD’s too for $1 each. They were making hot dogs and giving them out. We each had 1 with sauerkraut and mustard. We didn’t take a drink because we both had our refillable water bottles.
We then went to Savers. I had a $3 off coupon that was going to expire. Hubby has been looking for a light jacket and found 1. I thought it was a little expensive for $16 but we have been looking for a few months. I got a book too. That was our shopping for the weekend.
Today I have been cooking and cleaning.
March is always a good month to go on a grocery food buying diet, because we are starting to get temps above freezing many days so stuff that has been in our blue totes acting as freezers will start to thaw unless we can eat enough to empty them. I am not sure how we collect so much excess frozen food during the winter, but it happens every year. The lure of sales, I guess. Won’t be able to avoid buying milk, but should be fine for anything else.
Need to figure out correct pollination for the heirloom apple trees I’ve planted in the past couple of years and then buy probably crabapples for that, so that’s one thing to spend on. My landmark birthday is in a month and I generally expect there to be a promotional circus at least–I decided to get takeout to save and to get the delicious main dish I love for takeout (wish I could figure it out myself) and asking Daughter for Gigantic! Creme! Brulees! Gift wise I asked my daughter to craft me something and my son to buy me a certain fossil, so we shall see.
So. question. I am down for this challenge, and I’ve eliminated eliminated most of the companies named above. I still have Starbucks because I keep getting gift cards for them. Safeway is walking distance from my house, and they have a big sign saying they are a union shop. Are they particularly bad? I’m grading on a curve now and they definitely don’t have any claim to a monopoly where I live. Just trying to make the best choices I can. Just re-upped my CSA for next year, so definitely won’t be contributing much no matter what.
I’m having trouble figuring out a CSA for where I live now but am committing to going to the Tuesday morning farmers’ market nearby as often as possible.
Yay! I’m definitely not getting a bargain but I’m so grateful that my money is going to some lovely folks in my own community!
Spend any and all gift cards, as companies earn money off of sitting on your unused cards.
Thank you! I am, though, deliberately walking to Safeway for incidentals. Are they really bad? I’m trying to really game my spending and I had resigned myself to them as a lesser evil.
Here’s an article:
https://nwlaborpress.org/2024/12/kroger-albertsons-merger-collapses/
“The two companies reportedly spent over $1 billion on lawyers and consultants to pursue the merger, according to securities filings. But it was obvious to most observers, including Wall Street investors, that the merger was going to run afoul of laws meant to prevent anti-competitive monopolies.”
Hey, thank you so much! That’s very helpful in my ranking scheme. I’ve got around me, within a 15 minute drive, 3 Safeways, 2 Giants, 1 Wegmans, Trader Joes, Aldi, a Mom’s organic, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Aldi, H-mart, Lotte Plaza… there might be a Lidl coming soon. I’m trying to get all the info I can to shuffle them all around and make good choices. I love your website and your inspiration has led me to a lot of “just don’t buy it” decisions, so I really appreciate the time you take to do this.
I have a similar questions, Katy. The Acme (I live in the northeast) is within walking distance of my house. Acme is part of the Albertson’s group, which owns Safeway. I have trouble deciphering which big corporations owns what, which matters when you are trying to decide the best way to vote with your dollars.
My take is to control your controllables and do as much as you can to limit harm now, and do more when you can. The research needed can be overwhelming to figure out what brands and companies are owned by who and what evils they’re trying to hide. The YouTube account “Denise Conroy’s Bridges to Burn” has done a lot of research in the grocery sector (with plans to continue into home improvement and more) on a matrix that is meaningful to her (like political donations, stance on unions, corporate statements on inclusivity, etc.). Her videos have helped me learn about some stores I want to fully avoid and which to limit spending as much as possible.
Okay. I am in as best as I can. I am back living in a food desert and the nearest grocery is 20 miles away and happens to be Walmart. There is another grocery store in that town so I will try it.
I’m pretty sure I can do this, but I might still shop at Kroger because I shop in a way that almost certainly earns Kroger no money. When I’m not buying loss leaders, I’m buying deeply discounted items. For example, last time I was there, I bought half a gallon of milk for 68 cents, a pound of strawberries for $1, and a pound of organic blueberries for $1. I don’t think they made money on that transaction!
I’m in for the month and will do all I can to make this a super low-spend year. We raised a family on one teacher’s salary, so we’re already VERY frugal. But there are always places to cut.
1. I bought produce at the farm shop 6 minutes from my house.
2. Up potted kale seedlings (grown from free seeds) that were ready for more space. I gave away the extras on Buy Nothing. Spread chicken manure around rhubarb and put free compost around the garden.
3. Pulled out saved fabric, picked up for free, for DIL to choose for me to sew the kids shorts for the summer.
4. Rode my bike to do 3 errands. One was a pile of kids books from the library to read to my grandson on the phone.
5. Had guests for lunch yesterday. Made it all from food I already had, even though it was the end of the month and the fridge was almost completely bare. I made baked potatoes, tuna (it’s an English thing), chili, cheese, coleslaw and cucumber salad. For dessert we had rhubarb apple crumble. We grew the rhubarb and the apples so that dessert probably cost about 75 cents to make. We run graywater to our fruit trees and supplement with water from the rain barrels, so water costs almost nothing. That is often the somewhat hidden cost of growing food.
We’ve already reduced our spending as we need nothing.
It’s challenging when you live in a hamlet of 6500 and are 25 minutes from nearest town to not shop at Walmart. We have almost no local retailers except for antique stores. However I’ll give it a try
I managed to go the entire month of February without buying a single thing from Amazon. Pretty sure I can do that all through March (and beyond). Buying groceries at Sprouts (which is still firmly and proudly in the pro-DEI camp) but need very few with a full freezer and pantry. Am going to my local ACE Hardware franchise for a water pump and pads for the evaporative cooler. I was having Amazon send dog food and treats every month but canceled that and will find them locally. Canceled my Washington Post subscription (again!) but because they charge you for a year at a time it still has a way to go. The reporting is fine and I can skip the op-ed junk.
I cancelled my Amazon Prime (it would have renewed in September, but the cancellation is in now). While there, I researched how to cancel my Amazon credit card, which I succeeded in doing.
I researched a supplement that I had originally found at Amazon, discovered they are a Canadian company, was able (with a bit of hoop jumping that included their excellent [weekend!!] customer service) to order direct for less than Amazon prices, free shipping, and 10% off as a new customer. Feel pretty pleased about that. Thanks to all who suggested using Amazon for research then buying direct or local.
As for no-or-low-spend, I can say that is the plan – this blog has been particularly helpful at raising my awareness of my tendency to shop more than necessary, as well as increased my focus on where things are from. I already shop at a local greengrocer and a regional grocery – I have a costco membership but don’t get there often enough to justify it, so likely will let that go, as well as the associated Credit card.
I have lots in the freezer, looks like enough seeds to keep me happy in the garden, a library card and more books in my TBR pile than I have time to tackle, and a recently refurbished supply of new socks, LOL. Now is a time to focus on getting things out of my house, rather than bringing more things in!
Making March a low- or no-spend month will be a good thing. (Esp. since I had to make a large purchase to replace some flooring.) Count me in!
I didn’t buy a single thing on Boycott Friday (Feb. 28). On Saturday, I only purchased a dust mop from our store bc the Swiffer wasn’t doing a good enough job on my newly installed vinyl flooring (there was lots of sawdust where they cut the planks to fit). But towards the end of my shift, I started getting chills and aches — you guessed it, I came down with the flu. So after I went home, I haven’t left the house.
I don’t buy from Amazon, anyway, since that hurts the local merchants, esp. small businesses. Instead of buying some ceiling lights from Amazon or Home Depot, I went to our local Dealers’ Electric Supply and ordered some. I got excellent service, good information from friendly, knowledgeable employees, and good quality products made in USA. Bonus: their prices beat Amazon’s! (I know. I checked.) Although I had to drive to Dealers’ Electric to both place the order and pick it up, I grouped my errands to save gas and didn’t mind driving across town.
I haven’t bought anything from Hobby Lobby in a VERY long time, after hearing about their rotten trick to deny their female employees birth control coverage on the company insurance. I shall continue to boycott them.
I will still need groceries, even in March. Is it OK to buy from Aldi and HEB?
I’m in.