A space to learn how to enjoy your own company and make life less scary and more exciting.
🌻 8 Easy, Affordable Ways to Support Local Businesses—and Why It’s Important
|
Shifting just a few purchases to locally owned stores makes a difference as we fight the good fight against mass production and megacorporations. In the last quarter of 2025, in a turn of events that stunned no one, OpenAI announced its move towards agentic commerce, allowing U.S. ChatGPT users to buy items directly in the chatbox. As an aside, let’s not forget that ChatGPT’s self-proclaimed mission is “to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.” How encouraging people to buy more things they likely don’t need benefits humanity is beyond me. But what do I know? Embarrassingly for Mr. Altman, ChatGPT apparently isn’t even useful for shilling products. Per researchers at the University of Hamburg and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, organic Large Language Model traffic (oLLM) traffic performs “below all other traditional channels,” save paid social. But I digress. While I love to roast Big Tech and drone on about the environmental and humanitarian implications of shopping via Amazon Prime, today, as for all days, the focus is on what small steps we can take to make life more enjoyable. One easy but impactful way to support your community and your own wellbeing is to shop local—and you don’t have to break the bank or otherwise inconvenience yourself to do it. THE SHORTLIST: 8 ways to support local businesses (without spending a lot of money)Buy coffee beans or grounds from a local shop instead of a grocery store Get groceries at your local farmer’s market Buy books from a local, in-person bookstore (not Amazon) Shop clothes from local boutiques instead of name-brand stores or online Eat at local restaurants instead of chains For gifts, check out local shops instead of ordering online Follow local businesses on social media—and tell friends When in doubt, ask yourself this question THE SHORTLIST: 5 reasons why you should support local businessesYou keep money in your local community You build your community’s cultural identity You (usually) get better customer service You support skilled artisans instead of mass production You give money to working people instead of celebrities and billionaires PLUS:5 ways to discover local businesses near you to break free from algorithm-led recommendations 6 quotes to remind you to support local businesses 2 quotes to inspire you to keep going with your own project (even if it feels like you’re not getting anywhere right now)
MORE ARTICLES ON MINDFUL CONSUMPTION
Stay positive, Merry NOW GO ON YOUR MERRY WAY...👋 Questions? Comments? Salutations? I love to hear from you. Just hit REPLY and send me a note. 💌 Like these emails? Perhaps a friend would, too. Please FORWARD them this email. 🔔 Did someone forward you this email? Welcome to A Merry Loner, the blog that helps you learn to enjoy your own company—and your life. Sign up here to join the mailing list. |
Merry of "A Merry Loner"
A space to learn how to enjoy your own company and make life less scary and more exciting.
Stories to push you forward. For those born with an innate sense of wanderlust, it can be difficult to imagine there are others who don’t share the same yearning to move. But for some, traveling isn’t a series of glittering memories. When prompted to pack a suitcase and brave the rails, road, or sky, be it across the world or a stone’s throw away, they see not picturesque walks along riverbanks, new aromas wafting their way, or foreign tongues catching their ears. They see long queues,...
One Christmas alone doesn’t mean all Christmases will be alone. This year may be a quiet moment—that’s okay. Spending Christmas alone is a lot more common than people realize. A Mission for Michael (AMFM) conducted a survey in December 2025, combining the results with US census data to estimate how many people will spend Christmas alone this year: 16.3 million. But spending the holidays alone isn’t just an American phenomenon. A study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London found...
Gifts that look good, feel good, and DO good. It’s that time of year again. When every brand you’ve ever interacted with (if only via a few, long-ago clicks) begins force-feeding you a list of “must-haves” for the holiday season. Things you need. Things your mom needs. Your partner needs. Your best friend needs. But you know what they’re not telling you? You don’t need it. Really. You don’t need more plastic. You don’t need more expensive, poor-quality clothes you’ll forget about come...