Does voting with your dollar really matter?

YES!

Why? Well, our economy runs on money after all. And since big businesses are focused on nothing but profit, it’s sometimes the only way we can get them to listen to us. But, is there any proof that this works?

Let’s find out!

First, it’s not really voting

Yes, I know, it is nowhere the same as casting a ballot at the voting booth. That is not what this phrase means. According to Wikipedia, “in some principles textbooks of the mid-20th century, the term "dollar voting" was used to describe the process by which consumers' choices influence firms' production decisions. Products that consumers buy will tend to be produced in the future.”

Yes, I know, my individual action alone is not going to change the actions of Amazon or Coca-Cola or P&G. It is naive to think that my one single purchase is going to save the world. But, that’s not what this means. It’s about collective action. If 100s or 1000s of us divert 100s or 1000s of our purchases away from these wasteful mega-corporations and back into small and eco-friendly businesses, that will start to make a dent. It does take a lot of us to do this for us to see action, but that does not make it impossible or unworthy of our time.

This is not a substitution for voting at the polls. We need both. This article from Jacobin makes the argument that Floridians passed an increase of minimum wage to $15 even though they voted for Trump, someone who is not really known for wanting to raise the minimum wage The author states that if people wanted the minimum wage raised without taking political action, they would simply only spend money at businesses who pay people $15 an hour before this measure was passed. Would that work? It’s hard to say. But the author seems to think that it’s one or the other; that you need to vote with your dollar OR vote at the polls. But both are important.

What is the goal?

The goal here is to spend money according to your conscience. For example, I don’t like what Amazon does for the planet or their employees so I refuse to give them my money. Again, my sole purchase is not going to make or break anything for Amazon, but why give them extra money? It’s my hard-earned money, I am going to spend it how I see fit, and for me, that is prioritizing small and sustainable businesses.

Whoever we are giving our money to, we are telling them we are okay with what they’re doing behind the scenes (and out in the open) as long as we get what we ordered from them. We are giving them OUR money to invest back into their company, good or bad.

We control supply and demand

Corporations and governments don’t want you to know this…but we have so much power. Our real votes and how we vote with your money matters. Our society is run on supply and demand. Corporations control the supply but we control the demand. If demand goes to 0, guess what, even if supply is through the roof, they won’t make any money. The more that we demand sustainable materials be used, recycling be implemented, carbon offsets be used, or other eco-initiatives be put in place, the more that it will come to fruition.

Take Amazon for example. Years ago, they were known for their waste: plastic bubble packs, bubble wrap, giant boxes for one tube of lip gloss, multiple packages instead of consolidating it, and so forth. Now, Amazon uses recycled materials, has opted out of plastic and uses paper now, and has shrunk the size of the boxes. This is far from perfect, I’m not trying to hype up Amazon, but they did that because of us. They did not do that out of the goodness of their hearts.

The same goes for Coca-Cola using recycled plastic, companies opting to plant trees, and other things along those lines. They don’t do this to make themselves feel good, they do it because broadly speaking, consumers are becoming more and more eco-conscious so they want to follow suit to ensure that they still get our money.

It’s investing in what you want to see

I see it less as “taking away money from Amazon” and more as investing my money where I want to see it invested. At the end of the day, these mega-corporations don’t need my $20. They won’t notice if I give it to them or I don’t. But, a small business will. An eco business will.

I want to see less plastic so I give my money to Plaine Products who refill toiletry items. I want to see local farmers thriving so I give them my money at the farmers market instead of giant farming operations run by giant grocery stores. I want to see local bakers use their passion so I give them my money instead of Starbucks.

No, this is not perfect

I won’t sit here and say that this is THE answer we’ve been looking for for social and environmental justice. Just like I won’t say that EVs are THE answer or carbon offsetting is THE answer. The truth is, is that there is not one sole solution to climate change. We need every action we can take. If we were to vote with our dollar alone and do nothing else for the planet or for social justice, yes, nothing would happen. It’s just one part of the entire activism system.

But, I do strongly believe that where we spend our money matters socially and environmentally. Imagine if everyone on the face of the planet could shop 100% locally at the drop of a hat. What would happen? These mega-corporations would fall. They need us. I know this is not realistic, but it’s important to know that we have the potential for such change when we work together.

Yes, it’s a huge privilege to be able to shop small. I am not shaming anyone who doesn’t. And just like you can’t avoid 100% of plastic, you also can’t avoid 100% of mega-corporations. They are everywhere. I like to reference this image when we think we have consumer choice but it’s really just a few large companies pulling all the strings.

Also, no company is perfect. While I still use a Pela case over a plastic case sold by a mega-corporation, Pela is far from perfect and I called them out in this video. If we were to hold ourselves to this level of perfection, we wouldn’t be able to buy anything. Just like with any action when you live an eco life, it’s about being a conscious consumer, doing your best, and keep learning. One company may be eco but not ethical and another company may be ethical but not eco. You have to pick your own battles and shop according to your morals.

It can be overwhelming to decide which company to support and which one to not support. Take your time. Again, you do not have to achieve perfection overnight. Next time you’re at the grocery store, if you’re able to, take the time to look up some of the common brands you buy. We used to buy Sabra hummus but it’s a mega-corporation. Now, we buy XXX brand which is a family-owned business. This is just one example. You will eventually start to memorize the small and eco brands that you can find locally and online.

But, you don’t have to buy anything

Green America says it best: a powerful form of voting with your dollar is buying nothing at all. Use what you have, repair your items, upcycle, repurpose, and make do with what you have already. Consumerism fuels our economy so the more we break away from consumerism, the more of a message we send and the less environmental harm that comes.

Of course, we can’t stop shopping altogether, but many of us buy much more than we really need. It’s important to look at our consumption habits to see if we’re over-consuming.

And remember, I cannot solve this alone and neither can you. No one is out here believing that one singular dollar is going to save the world. But, many dollars from many people can have an impact.

I hope that this post was helpful and educational. I hope that you remember how much power you have. Companies want us to feel powerless but we’re not. They require our money to function. It’s up to us how we spend it or don’t spend it.

As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

What is Voting With Your Dollar and Does it Really Matter?