“Every dollar you spend can end up being worth much less or much more than a dollar, to you and your chosen community, in a very real way, depending how you spend it. When people realise this, they empower themselves, and make themselves far less vulnerable to big swings in the world and national economies. The more of us do it, the better for our communities, and therefore us. It’s an investment, and it takes a while to grow, because investment is fundamental to living well.”

Whilst researching the effects of spending locally, I found this insightful blog post by Alice Bachini-Smith on society and the economy. I thought it was very nicely expressed and summed up a lot of what Felt is all about, so I wanted to share it with you.

For me, the idea that I can make a difference by how I live my life and spend my money (or choose not to) has literally been a life-changing one. I try to make informed purchasing decisions and if I don’t agree with the ethos of a product or business, I don’t buy into it. I am always interested to hear how other people feel about this.

Do you feel powerful as a consumer? Do your purchases make a statement about how you think the world should be? I’d love to hear your comments.

The winter issue of World Sweet World, ‘Making a Fuss’, has some fun projects to keep the blood moving as the days get colder: make a friendly fire to get cozy, get baking with walnuts, make your own cozy hottie cover, and for gardening early-birds, kickstart your vegie garden with a simple cold-frame glasshouse.

You can also read up on locally made clothing labels to find out what the “buy NZ made” fuss is all about; craftivist Zoe Thompson-Moore is featured, along with artists who took part in the Trade Aid Junk to Green Funk event.

Order your copy on Felt now!