Well hey there. Turns out when I get overwhelming busy I also drop the ball here in Blogland. Our summer workload is always pretty nuts and the heat tends to zap my energy so those are my two major excuses. Now let’s get on with the show.
I saw this tweet a few weeks ago and really took it to heart:
I have not had Wendy’s, T Bell, or McDonald’s in WEEKS. (One exception- after the NASCAR race we needed food and stopped at a late-hour McDonald’s. My brother bought my meal.) Maybe you don’t normally eat at these places, but I do.
So like I said, I have not had any of these foods since the beginning of August and, honestly, it’s been so dang tough. Who knew I had such an unhealthy addiction to McDonald’s? (I did. I knew.)
But then I found THIS ARTICLE. Guys… being fiscally responsible when it comes to consumerism and knowing who/what/where your money is going is HARD.
I’m already careful to only buy cruelty-free, avoid any and all P&G products (because of animal testing), and stay vigilant as far as large company support goes (like Yeti vs. the NRA). The whole “who gives $$$ to what candidate” is an extremely exhausting avenue to take… Trust me, I tumbled down that rabbit hole after reading the tweet above.
So where do we draw the line? Some companies outwardly proclaim their ideology. Chick-fil-a and Hobby Lobby have been in the news for their stances. Employee conditions at Amazon and Walmart are always under a microscope. Have you noticed that Forever 21 has a Bible verse on their shopping bags? (I’m not condemning that- I’m just pointing it out.)
Anyway… lining up OUR beliefs with the companies and brands we financially support is tough- probably impossible, actually. So what do we do?
Honestly, I don’t know.
When I went to my first PRIDE parade last year I took note of which companies marched and who was represented. I know which vodka gives back to animals (it’s Tito’s). I try really, really hard to make good choices when spending my money.
How do you approach “responsible spending”? I’m not looking to judge anyone. I know some people focus on shopping local, some people don’t pay attention to cruelty-free things, etc. I’m genuinely curious if this is something you worry about.
In the meantime, I think I’m still going to ban McDonald’s- mainly because I’ve broken my addiction and I want to see how long I can keep it up. I’m going to be a little pickier about my spending in the future with some other brands, too.
But tell me… what do you value and how much time/energy/thought do you put into where you spend money?
Life as Louise 
I’ve been boycotting P&G since I was about 18 because of animal testing. My dad won’t buy Nestlé products because of something their CEO said about water not being a human right. I try not to buy Nestlé if possible but honestly it’s pretty difficult in Switzerland (I recently found out thay Findus in Switzerland is owned by Nestlé – it isn’t anywhere else. I only bought their spring rolls because every single other thing in the freezer involved plastic packaging – this was during July). I try to buy local or own brand products where I can but that’s not always possible. So yeah, it’s hard. We have to draw a line somewhere otherwise we’d all starve!
I haven’t eaten at McDonald’s since I was something like 11. I saw on the news that people had got food poisoning at McDonald’s branches all over the UK. Some spokesman was on saying they’d given out instructions with the wrong temperature (I think) for cooking the meat but it was fixed now and all fine, but it’s still put me right off. I always liked Burger King better anyway plus my family rarely went to either so it wasn’t a big deal. I still don’t eat at McDonald’s to this day. Most of those other places you mentioned don’t exist here anyway. I mean obviously I can order from Amazon but there is actually no Amazon Switzerland (hence why I can’t get Prime). I can order from Amazon Germany or UK if they will deliver the product to Switzerland.
Wow, long comment. Apparently I had a lot to say!
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Good for you (& your dad!) with P&G and Nestle. MARS company is another one. What’s wrong with all these candy bar makers?! Ridiculous.
I’ve still been able to hold off the McDonalds. Honestly, I’m impressing myself at this point. One of the main reasons I won’t go vegetarian is because I LOVE their nuggets but I’m almost 2 months without anything from there so maybe it’s a possibility for me!
I love the long comment! Super interesting!
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Yes, I’m extremely particular and diligent about where I spend my money. Made easier by the fact that I really don’t spend much of it.
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That would definitely be a perk to limited spending. I am SUPER particular when it comes to household items and make-up being cruelty free. I’ve been hung up on that for over a decade. Opening the door to scrutinizing companies is new and overwhelming right now.
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Honestly, this isn’t something I think about a lot because I’d drive myself crazy, but I have thought about it before and it’s a great question. We are extremely particular about what we support as far as organizations for world relief or different causes people are raising money for, but there really isn’t any business I actively boycott. That’s not to say I shouldn’t or don’t care about where my money goes, but I think I more focus on supporting companies/causes I DO align with more than boycotting those I don’t.
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I don’t think that’s a bad approach at all. It is exhausting and tricky to research companies and how those companies funnel their money. It’s not common knowledge for the most part. I’m picky with animal testing, but even that is a little easier to research. We’re picky about who we donate to, too. I think that’s super important because you want your hard earned money to go to directly to the people or places or animals you’re trying to help- not someone’s private pocket.
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On one side, I cant eat McDonalds anymore just because they make their fries in COW LARD!!! When I cant even eat fries because of animal harm. UGHHH
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That is so frustrating! I can’t believe that! And how they don’t have to advertise that is beyond me! Sheesh!
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This is a great question and one I regularly battle with myself. It’s hard because almost every company seems like they are doing some shady shit. Everyone has different triggers so I’m really trying to figure out which are my biggest because I do believe it matters where you choose to spend your hard-earned cash. Right now, admittedly companies supporting our openly racist President are a massive no-no for me. It bothers me on multiple fronts but mostly for their hypocrisy. Because every single one of those major companies has written company policies/bylaws against racism. Many of them, especially fast food places, employ many minorities who face more hate than ever because of the President, yet they give to him. It’s not normal times. It’s not just a “standard” donation to the party in charge, which was the way I looked at it in the past. I may not have been thrilled by it but would have accepted that it was “good business”. Now, I don’t. Now I think it’s a huge slap in their employees’ faces. People who get paid very little have their own employers lifting up people who hate them because of a skin color that they have no control over having. I accidentally ate at McDonald’s because I forgot but I live in a very large city with many, many choices (and so many Mom and Pops who could really use the support) so I’m fortunate in that regard.
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You are so right about companies doing shady shit. And I agree about prioritizing those that openly support president p.a.b. (as Chrissy Teigen says lol). Same with those that are OK aligning with the NRA. And huge animal testing companies. It think it’s very smart to figure out what triggers you the most and start there.
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I think about this a lot and do the best that I can. I absolutely vote with my wallet. When faced with two choices, I will make the better one. If I have one choice and an extreme need, this is less of a factor.
When I know companies align with me, I try to support them. I try even harder to support small, local businesses and black or women owned businesses who align with me.
I will go to lengths to avoid companies that outright support this administration and those who donate specifically to trump.
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It took me a long time to cut out some companies. Chick-fil-a was tough. I’m a Christian so I don’t mind supporting Christian organizations… but only when they are *actually* taking a Christ-like approach to their stewardship. Not using the Bible or God to justify their hatred. And the way my LGBTQ+ friends feel because of Chick-fil-a is enough to make me say eff that.
Around here in this small, red town I am very sure that most local mom and pop shops are very republican. So even shopping local has its glitches. But it’s definitely something I try to pay attention to and something I’d like to get much better at.
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Great question! While I wish I was diligent about every dollar, I think I’d drive myself crazy trying. Supporting what you love and agree with seems more important to me that avoiding everything else.
Good for you with giving up McDonalds! They make it really easy to eat there on purpose, and going against a habit is so difficult!
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I don’t disagree with that sentiment at all. Honestly, I need to be better about mindful spending anyway. And I think being ethical with money kind of comes along with that.
McDonalds iced caramel coffee and their chicken nuggets were a CRAVING for a long time. I can’t believe I broke the spell when I was most vulnerable to cravings. Haha!
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It definitely makes you think, and I probably should be more responsible with where I spend my money, but I try! I’ve never had Chick-fil-A and I never will, because they openly support anti-gay organizations and think being gay is wrong, and I can’t stand for that. So yes, it’s something we should all keep in mind, and we should do what we can to not support the organizations that go against our beliefs, as much as we can.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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It was hard for me to give up chick-fil-a. I love it and we don’t have one so it’s a fun treat when I visit different cities sometimes… BUT my best friend is a lesbian and she hates what they stand for and I do, too. So while it hard to give up yummy/cool/trendy things, I agree that it’s an important stance to take.
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Whew, you are such a thoughtful, aware human being and I’m cheering you on!!! It is hard for me to take the time to really investigate all those things, and I also lose hope that my measly spending doesn’t make a difference. That said and with this post in mind, I am going to try to be better about knowing where my money goes!
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It’s a slippery slope and a tough slope and I think I get it wrong OFTEN. Sometimes it’s best to focus on something that really important to you (cruelty free products, ethically produced clothing, etc.) and start there. Then you can go as hard or not hard as you want to and add in other factors as you go.
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