I’m going to interrupt the usual updates about aerosol art (But only for a minute) to talk about the importance of shopping local.
As a small business in a regional town, I cannot stress the importance of shopping local. Sure, I love my iPhone, iPad, Ipadmini and all the other consumer gadgets associated with multinational companies. Who doesn’t love some easily outdated and expensive fancy piece of technology? But sometimes, we need to think more about the consequences of our purchases.
When you buy a coffee from your local cafe or pick up the paper from the corner store your money stays in your town. If you care about local jobs and a healthy economy, you need to look deeper than balancing some ephemeral government black-hole blow-out. A weekly splurge at the local bakery on carrot cake or an old fashioned sponge can be the difference between ballet lessons for their children (With the local dance instructor, of course) or going without.
Getting to know your local delicatessen or grocer isn’t just about spending more money on things you don’t need. It pays to be mates with the locals. Just like your local hairdresser will have all the good gossip, the local businesses in town will have all of the in-knowledge when it comes to great deals, bargains and specials. Some places even have cross promotional deals, or if the business is feeling generous, you might just get Mates Rates.
In our local town Murwillumbah, we have some great cafes, coffee shops, clothing stores, hair and nail salons, stationary shops and printing places. Support your local, because they support you.
