My partner used to joke that I was “Uncle Sam’s favorite consumer.” I’d spend my week days ordering random things I didn’t need off Amazon and then my weekends going to Ross to buy more things I didn’t need. I didn’t pay a lick of an attention on whether the corporations I gave my money to were helping build a world I believe in. I was just mindlessly buying for myself when I wanted and where I wanted. I had multiple of the same type of products. I had items that expired well before I got to make a dent in using them. I had clothes with the price tags still on.

Slowly, as I got older, I started to become more financially conscious, but the real shift happened when I realized just how much each brand, or corporation, that I was giving my money to was perpetuating a world where genocide, slavery, and exploitation is normalized. I’ve said before I don’t believe there is a way to be truly ethical in an unethical society and that still stands. That doesn’t mean, however, I can’t make an effort to reduce the amount I contribute to the worst parts of that society. I don’t have to buy from the corporation known for exploiting their workers just to get something 5 days sooner. I don’t have to give my money to the brand that is supporting the degradation of women’s rights. I don’t have to line the pockets of the company that profits off of human slavery.

Netflix – Cancelled

Amazon Prime – Cancelled

Hulu + Disney – Cancelled 

Starbucks – Boycott

McDonald’s – Boycott 

The list could (and should!) go on and on

Can I avoid them all completely? No. …Well perhaps, but I’m not that skilled yet. And to be frank the twisted part of me isn’t sure I’m quite that dedicated. It’s a flaw for sure. There are brands, authors, creators etc. that I have yet to cut off, but I am disappointed in lack of advocacy for human rights and the global world. I’m not proud of supporting them and I don’t want to give them additional reach online. I do not want to give companies or products that do not align with my values a presence in my corner of the internet. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to cut all of those out of my life completely, but that doesn’t mean I have to amplify them further either.

This means I’ve started blurring brand logos of those I’m disappointed in within my pictures and videos, or I make sure to not include them at all when I post. Will I do this for all of them? I’m not sure, but I feel a conviction to do so. It certainly won’t be perfect, as I am not, but I want to be more conscious. I want to hold anything I share to a higher standard. There’s plenty of people amplifying different things on their pages that if they looked into it they might not feel so proud of. I want to look into it before it’s shared. I want to know what I am putting forth online aligns with my values. Hopefully that will start to also merge with all I do consume, but for now at the very least I want to share things that meet the higher standard.

I’ve made small changes that I hope will make a positive difference little by little. I’ve made an effort to switch to reusable products from smaller businesses that use their power to push for a better world. I’ve begun planning when I need to restock on an item so that I can order straight from the source instead of using 1 day shipping. I’ve switched to local coffee shops and genuinely refused to eat if I was with a group going to my boycotted locations. I regularly go to my library for books or shop at independent book stores. My skincare has been switched to more natural products whose companies are not actively supporting apartheid. 

It’s a process. One that is evolving as I grow and learn. At first, when I realized just how much I had in my life that did not align with my values, I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t just cut everything out, but I started small. It’s now been over a year and a half. I made sure to use all the different types of the same product I had – no more hoarding 7 perfumes or lipglosses. Later, as products ran out around the house, I switched to alternatives that aligned with my values. I confirmed on apps like DisOccupied and No Thanks that my money was going to a strong safe brand. Those around me now know not to include me in their fast food runs to places I’m boycotting. (Hell, they even avoid those places now because they would rather include me!) 

The more I’ve incorporated consciousness into my spending habits, the more satisfied I’ve been with intentionally spending my money. It’s not just the instant gratification of a new book. It’s pride in knowing I am uplifting my local bookstore. It’s not just the relief of reducing my plastic consumption through a reusable product. It’s satisfaction in supporting a women-owned business. It’s knowing my purchases truly mean something to me and promote better for the greater world around me. It’s using everything in my power to shape the world as I hope it one day could be.