Spending money to help people?
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Most of us are not spending cash these days unless we have to. So Ron Hall of St. Paul, one of our Public Insight Network sources, caught our attention recently when he told us despite tight times, he was spending money for the greater, local good. He wrote:
We have the ability to stimulate the economy, so we do so in ways that make sense to us. We eat out at a reasonable restaurant near by, so they stay open.
I saw that a woman has opened a tailor shop on the skyway, and I can tell it could close soon if she doesn't do well. I'm going to take her a half dozen pants for hemming, even though I've always felt that $10 or $14 dollars for that service is too much. It's not if it helps keep her open.
We tip very well there and anywhere else we eat. We go to yard sales all the time, but we're talking about buying things we don't need at certain sales and just taking them to a thrift shop. We aren't going out for entertainment, so we are willing to spend money we wouldn't have on things that keep us home.
In all, this economy hasn't been so hard on us, and we're willing to spend our money in such a way that it circulates among those most likely to spend it.
Hall's perspective runs counter to much of the sentiment we've heard. But we are seeing it -- most recently in a buy-local effort led by kids in Northfield, Minn.
If you've been doing the same thing -- spending money purposely to help the local small business owner -- please post below or drop us a story.
Also check out on the map below what other people are telling us about money issues.
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