I wrote a segment a while back about ‘Corporate Responsibility’ highlighting corporations that I felt where doing a responsible job at their business, and thus, were worth shopping at. Since then, I now do a monthly Corporate Responsibility segment on a world-famous podcast. It’s important to have a chance to educate others on where to shop, because so often the excuse for not buying responsibly is a plea of ignorance.

However, even after you get educated about ‘fair trade’, ‘eco-friendly’, socially responsible options, you still have to make a decision and make that purchase. Capitalism is a system that is run by your purchases, much like a democracy functions through peoples votes. Boycotts in a basic sense are simply using your purchasing power as a vote, banding enough people together to ‘vote’ a particular corporation to make a decision. On a smaller scale, every purchase you make, as it aligns with your values, is a small vote toward a particular business and value system and/or away from another. What’s my point? Though your purchasing decisions can be a powerful tool to enact the kind of global justice you’d like to see in the world, if you do not have firm values, that purchasing power can become worthless. Let me illustrate.

This past week I need to paint. Not something you do every day, but definitely a very common and frequently purchased item. As I thought about the idea of purchasing paint, three values came to mind: environmental concerns, supporting local businesses and price. I’d noticed a local coop that advertised non-toxic paint and gave them a call. To purchase a 5 gallon bucket of non-toxic paint I’d have to pre-order and the cost would be somewhere around $200. Sounded expensive, but this would support my value concerning the environment. A quick call to Home Depot revealed that I could purchase a 5 gallon bucket of white paint for about $50. This definitely fit into the price value, allowing more money to go toward debts and others needs. Finally, I stopped by my local hardware store, 5 gallons= $80. Three different options, each supporting three values of mine, but seemingly in conflict. So, what was I supposed to choose?

The problem with the way I went about this purchasing decision is that I was vague on my values. Had I waited, thought through what values was most important in this decision and then stuck to that, the decision for what paint to buy wouldn’t have been a difficult decision. Not only would it not have been difficult, but I believe it would have given me more purchasing power.

Businesses don’t necessarily recognize this on an individual scale, but when they look at the big picture they can see the trends. They can see that people like me, who might tout the environment on my blog, but when it comes down to making a decision, I’m going to go with the cheaper option. When they look and see where the ‘votes’ really are, they recognize whats really important for their business, and my ability to sway them with my purchasing decisions grows weaker and weaker.

The point of this story is to help us recognize the importance of being clear on our values. Especially, when it comes to any collective efforts. The decision to shop locally, if done by an entire community can have an incredible impact on the well being of that community, but only if it is done consistently and collectively. The decision to purchase environmentally friendly products can have a great impact on the planet and you and your household, but again it should be done consistently (non-toxic paint, cleaned with toxic cleaners might balance each other out). I’m not advocating always buying the cheapest possible thing, but I want to encourage you to think through your values before you begin considering your purchases, which should help you both make your decision and promote your values.