Blood Sucking Gummy Bears....

We have a really hard time getting our 9 year old to eat good wholesome food. 

He would live on candy and sweets if we let him.  It's most concerning because he is so skinny that I suspect if he were to get a serious illness he doesn't have enough meat on his bones to battle an infection or a virus with much vigor. 

This got me thinking about Blood Thirsty Gummy Bears....

Blood Thirsty Gummy Bear by PayLessFirst
See more Gummy bear T-Shirts

Certain things that we consume can make us more robust and strong, while other things will hurt us and make us weak.  Sometimes it's external forces, some clearly detrimental, others may be seemingly benign (or even beneficial) that can ultimately make us sick.  

The economy is very similar to an immune system in that regard.

A national chain store can move into a region and people might get excited about the "great prices" and perceived net new jobs it will bring to town.  Some might even get a little puffed up and proud of the fact that their town was deemed worthy of a Walmart (we're on the map now!)

I submit that in much the same way my son (in his ignorance) consumed by his appetite, would eat candy before every meal, the average American doesn't realize how his attitudes, reactions and ignorance can and does make the economy sick.

If I tell my little guy that he MUST eat a salad or a nice healthy sandwich on whole grain bread,  before he can have a few gummy bears, few would argue that I am making an investment in his health and well being.

So how can I invest in an economy that feeds and fosters my ability to provide for the material needs of my family?  

I used to think that any time I spent money I was accomplishing this goal.  Today I look for a bigger "bang for my buck" - a "happy meal" might have more nutritional value than a handful of gummy bears, but it certainly doesn't rival Mom's casserole or a healthy slice of Pizza!  Why settle for less?

Spending my hard earned money at a national chain store, is kind of like a trip to McDonald's. The wear and tear on the public roads, congestion and chaos, lack of personal service, and the fact that most of the money I spend will leave town before I leave the parking lot are things I used to think I had little control over.  These negative results of shopping the big box stores are like the excess fat & calories that a body has to contend with along with any modest nutritional value that comes from fast food.

Today I try and evaluate the whole picture.  How much "convenience" and "savings" really worth in comparison to a healthy, robust local economy.  A town that is fun to live in with a collection of unique and eclectic retailers that bring more variety and better quality products with them.  Retailers that sponsor inexpensive to free activities for my family to enjoy on the weekends? (Like the Keene Dog Park I mentioned in my last blog, or the Pumpkin Fest, or the Open Mic at Fritz's?)

So the next time your tempted for the convenience and perceived savings a big box store offers, remember the blood thirsty gummy bear........

Then walk down to visit your local independent retailer instead.   It is an investment in an economy that will sustain your family today and the one you will pass on to your kids tomorrow.

© 2011 PayLessFirst

What does a Dog Park Have to do with a Healthy Economy?

I has EVERYTHING to do with it!!


Please let me explain.....


I have a female Akita who is about 8 years old named Keiko.  My readers from Keene NH have likely seen me walking her around town a time or two : )

On Sunday there was a Dog Walk to raise money for the Monadnock Humane Society.  What better activity could there possibly be for me and the kids to do on a Sunday afternoon than that!


Now,  I admit I'm a little biased, but nearly every time I take this dog out in public a total stranger will tell me what I beautiful dog she is.  It's gotten to the point that I almost feel snubbed on the rare occasion that we make it home unnoticed.  As usual, a nice lady at the event approached me to share some accolades but this time she went a little further to tell me of a wonderful book she had just finished that I absolutely "HAD to read".  She explained that the book was called "Dog Man" and it was a wonderful story about a man who saved the Akita breed in Japan after WWII.  I had never heard this, but I found out that the Akitas in Japan had nearly all been killed off or eaten by the Japanese people and military during the war.





I quickly came home and ordered the book on Indiebound.org (am Amazon alternative that will allow you to shop and purchase books online but pick them up at your local independent book seller).  The next day I picked up the book at the Toadstool Bookstore (no shipping!) and have been reading it to the kids all week.  So one community event resulted in at least one local sale that I can validate.


At any rate, one of the vendor tents at the event was a fundraising table for the Keene Dog Park.  A local non profit that is 2/3 of the way to raising enough money to open a place where dog lovers in the community can bring their dogs to run and play with other dogs while their owners have a chance to network and associate with other Canine lovers!   They were selling bumper stickers that had apparently been printed up (for free) by a local printer Gem Graphics so that 100% of the proceeds would go to the construction of the new park.



Why would my friend Steve (the owner of Gem Graphics) donate time, materials and printing to the Keene Dog Park?  Other than the fact that he is probably a dog lover, I would submit that it's because Steve is not only community minded but a very good business man.


The Keene Dog Park means that customers from all over the Monadnock Region will have a good reason to come to Keene at least once a week.  They will probably stop by Brewbakers for a cup of coffee on the way, or perhaps drop by Joe Peanuts for lunch on their way home.  Maybe they will think of some other goods or services that they need while they are in town (I just hope they don't go to Walmart).  Are you connecting the dots yet?


When visiting the Keene Dog Park website tonight, I was not surprised to find NINE other local independent businesses helping the cause by selling the stickers that Gem Graphics had printed up in their stores.


They can't all be dog lovers can they?  Maybe, maybe not, but they are members of this community and what's good for us, is good for them AND vice verse.  In fact, anyone who spends a little time researching the benefits of buying locally will undoubtedly come across the documented evidence that when you buy local you help to make your community more unique and more attractive.  This sounds plausible, but it does my heart good when I actually see it playing itself out in real life.


I can guarantee one thing.... supporting the construction of a dog park in Keene, NH does not fit in to the marketing plans of corporate executives, nor the expectations of the stock holders with Walmart, Target, The Olive Garden etc.


But it matters to the following members of our community, your friends and our neighbors.  When you support them, you are supporting yourself.


One Stop Country Pet Supply
Pocketful of Rye
Horse and Buggy Feeds
Snooty Pooch Pet Grooming
Nicole and Bonnie's Professional Hair and Nail Care
Fritz
Your Kitchen Store
Paws to Groom
Toadstool Bookshop (in Keene)


Keiko and I THANK YOU!









© 2011 PayLessFirst

Take & Bake, about as LOCAL as it gets.....

Today I met Melanie and Ed, the owners of Little Zoe's Take and Bake Pizza in the Center of Keene.  What a delightful couple!

Little Zoe's is the epitome of the independent, local business I had in my mind's eye when I launched PayLessFirst.com last month.  They are clearly dedicated to supporting the community through the provision of a valuable product and service while sourcing local products through their store.  Conventional wisdom dictates that over 60% of the money a shopper spends with a local merchant, ultimately stays within the community. From what I can see, Little Zoe's is no exception to this rule.

As I chatted with Melanie, I learned of their commitment to supporting other locally owned businesses as evidenced by the unique bottle cap mosaic art that was displayed (for sale) around this clean and sunny store.  Ed and Melanie explained that the artwork I was admiring had been created by Rhett Darner Jr.,  a young construction worker who came up with the idea of creating mosaic pictures using different colored micro-brew beer caps and his own custom made frames.  I was blown away by a very cool, large floral design that Rhett had made, truly unique and most creative.  If you need a one of a kind, hand made sign from a local artisan, I strongly suggest you stop by little Zoe's and check out Rhett's work.  It is remarkable!

Melanie and Ed's son Jacob was there helping his Dad around the kitchen. While I waited for Ed to hand craft my pizza, I enjoyed hearing the story of how their business got it's name.  They have a daughter named Zoe (of course) so I asked Jacob (a man of few words) how he felt about the store being named "Little Zoe's" instead of "Big Jakes" - The charming story of how the store got it's name is shared on their website.  I strongly encourage you to visit the site because, it not only conveys their personality quite well, but also explains their fantastic "Eat More Spend Less" program.

I absolutely love PIZZA, and I really enjoy trying different kinds every chance that I get.

Of course I have my staples:

Athens (family size 1/2 Canadian Bacon & Pineapple 1/2 Meatball Mushroom) best value 
need a website!-

Ramuntos (Garlic Knott) most filling, satisfies the garlic fix.
 Foodees (Milford, NH) best variety & all you can eat lunch buffet  
Pizza Pie most economical (kids favorite)
Cheshire Village Pizza  (Eggplant Topping) best according to my wife - 
 need a website too!

Bratskellar (Portsmouth, NH)  best pizza in the world, sets the standard!


Here is a picture of the masterpiece my family just enjoyed for supper compliments of our new friends at Little Zoe's.

The Pizza is prepared on an oven safe, paper tray so that all you have to do is unwrap it and place it in the oven.

The quality, taste, texture, everything about Little Zoe's calls for repeat business.  The best part is that there is so much variety (multiple crusts, sauces, cheeses & countless toppings) that I think we will be able to go many times each month while never ordering the same pizza twice.

 © 2011 PayLessFirst

Think Twice....

Pulling the American Economy out of recession, one local business at a time, that is my personal goal. 


As a father of four young children, I want to leave a robust economy with more opportunity for them than I found when I came of age.  Unfortunately, right now, it seems like we are going in the other direction.  Whether you think Government can or should be working to restore the American Economy, one thing is certain, times are tough, and it seems like they may be getting tougher.

This is why, now more than ever, it is extremely important that individuals consider how consumer choices can add up to as much or more change, economically speaking, as individual votes can on election day.

When you spend your hard earned money with a local independent business, 60% of that money get's reinvested into your community. This is a fact that has been validated by multiple studies.  Why is this important?

Well, if you like having choices, nice parks for your kids to play in, a sponsor for your little league team, more and better higher paying jobs..... spending your money conscientiously  matters a great deal.

In comparison, less than 40% of your money stays in the community when you shop at a national chain (most of it in payroll dollars).  National chains as a rule have no reason to do business with other local businesses, your money is sent out of state to pay for corporate services (or even over seas)!  These publicly traded companies have to show a profit for their stockholders.  It sounds dramatic, but the reality is that they impact a local economy like a plague of locusts - gobbling up resources and giving little in return.  

Saving money at a national chain is really an illusion when you consider the whole picture.  Perhaps a relevant parallel might be to compare a choice to Buy Local to a choice to contributing money to a 401k plan that offers an employer match.  It might give you more money in your paycheck if you don't contribute, but you will forfeit the matching percentage your employer is offering if you do.  When you shop at a national chain, to save a couple of bucks, or for the "convenience factor", you are forfeiting the investment the local business owner will make into your community.  In my ignorance, I never used to consider this, but now I get it, and now that you have read this, YOU are responsible.  If you have read and comprehend what I have written here and continue to participate in a process that is leaching money out of your community, you honestly can no longer blame politicians or big corporations for shipping jobs overseas.  Rather, look in the mirror, because you are feeding the machine that is consuming your opportunities.

If you want to run the risk of becoming a buy local evangelist like me.. read this book (just make sure you buy it from a local bookstore through this link, and NOT on Amazon!)

You Gotta Read This Book


PayLessFirst is a local business with a national vision. We seek to help local merchants to compete with big box stores, itinerant retailers, and online competitors by educating consumers on the benefits of “buying local”.  We also promote and maintain an online directory of independently-owned, local businesses for the encouragement & convenience of conscientious shopping.  To add your business to our national directory for free, click here.  To search for local independent businesses in your area, click here

A "Buy Local" Happy Ending

My wife owns a Toshiba Satellite Laptop Computer...

About 9 months ago the manufacturer's power supply cable (the one that keeps the battery charged) died... :(

Being the "un-enlightened" consumer I was at the time,  I made the obligatory trip to Radio Shack to buy a new one.
They had one universal adapter that came with about 8 different removal parts, one of which fit into the female slot on the side of the computer.
Reluctantly I handed over my $60.00, relieved that I would not have to order a new one through the mail.  The replacement never really worked that good, the male adapter always falling off the universal cord that was attached.  I was sure that eventually the male adapter would get lost, rendering the unit useless to me.  Well, I never did lose the adapter but I didn't have to because one of the prongs that attached it to the universal cord broke off in less than a years time.

This past weekend, I went out to replace the adapter, empowered by my new commitment to support my local retailers.  Hopeful, I stopped in to ..

I was greeted by a very knowledgeable member of the staff (I think it was Rob) who told me he had just the thing for me.  I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled out a real power supply (not a universal) that actually fit into my laptop without any crappy adapters (just like the original one that came with the computer. But I was blown away when he told me it would  only cost $19.99!   I came in fully prepared to pay another $60 to $70 dollars at least.  Needless to say I was sure wishing I had gone to Computer Solutions 9 prior, because I am sure that I would still have the same $20 replacement adapter I would have bought then.  My total savings would have been another $60 dollars had I only known!

The moral of the story?  Local Independents are not always more expensive because they are smaller. In fact, because they are smaller, they frequently have a better and more exact inventory as I am learning.  So here is a shout out to my new friends and neighbors at Computer Solutions of Keene.  Thanks for saving me $40 bucks that I can now "invest" with another local merchant in Keene.  I will be back, you can count on that.

"Even a Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut Once in a While!"
PayLessFirst is a local business with a national vision. We seek to help local merchants to compete with big box stores, itinerant retailers, and online competitors by educating consumers on the benefits of “buying local”.  We also promote and maintain an online directory of independently-owned, local businesses for the encouragement & convenience of conscientious shopping.  To add your business to our national directory for free, click here.

Binghamton NY Flood

Angela Skorko submitted a great suggestion to pressconnects that many people probably have not considered in the wake of the flooding in NY, Hurricane damage, or any other natural disaster past, present, or future.  


Many people are so busy trying to rebuild their personal property and lives that few probably consider the longer term impact these problems can be to the local economy.  Certainly FEMA, The Red Cross, and other organization & volunteers work hard to deliver relief to individuals who suffered loss during these events.


 However, Angela suggests that residents and neighbors from nearby communities could help in a very active way without dipping into their own savings for direct donations, or even volunteering an hour of their time....by simply buying goods and services from some local merchants in the areas touched touched by natural disaster.

I  have heard that my neighbors to the west (Vermont) really took a beating from the recent hurricane.  Maybe next weekend, I'll take the kids on a road trip to take a look at some of the road reconstruction that is taking place, making it a point to stop in for lunch with a local eatery.


Thanks for the great suggestion Angela!

PayLessFirst is a local business with a national vision. We seek to help local merchants to compete with big box stores, itinerant retailers, and online competitors by educating consumers on the benefits of “buying local”.  We also promote and maintain an online directory of independently-owned, local businesses for the encouragement & convenience of conscientious shopping.  To add your business to our national directory for free, click here.

Community Advantage Cards that fight Illiteracy While Promoting Local Business?

Now here's a great idea coming out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. 

Literacy Partners have teamed up with the County's "Buy Local Initiative, introducing a Community Advantage Card.   The card costs $10 but will promote literacy programs in the county while qualify consumers to receive discounts at over 25 local merchants in the county. 

This is truly a "match made in heaven", especially if the literacy programs can figure out a way to couple economics lessons with the reading programs.  Almost as important as knowing how to read, is knowing how important it is to keep your hard earned dollars out of Wal Mart's coffers and in your community.
In ignorance I used to laugh at people I saw on television fighting to keep big box store out of their community.  I thought they were ignorant "tree huggers" who were enemies of the economy.  In reality I was the ignorant one.  I had no idea that these national chains were nothing short of imperial colonists pulling dollars out healthy local economies much the same way European kings and queens did 200 years ago.

Being "enlightened" is a double edged sword.  The good news, is I no longer contribute to the problem, the bad new is, I have this unexplainable urge to hug a tree!

PayLessFirst is a local business with a national vision. We seek to help local merchants to compete with big box stores, itinerant retailers, and online competitors by educating consumers on the benefits of “buying local”.  We also promote and maintain an online directory of independently-owned, local businesses for the encouragement & convenience of conscientious shopping.  To add your business to our national directory for free, click here.