the350project.net - worth a look

I'm quoting here from Vogue Knitting but don't let that stop you from reading about an interesting economic initiative:

"The premise of the 3/50 Project is simple: Pick three local stores you couldn't stand to see disappear and spend $50 every month at those stores (that's $50 altogether, not at each individual outlet). According to the numbers crunched by 3/50 Project founder Cinda Baxter, a retail specialist concerned about the economy's impact on indie stores nationwide. 'If even half the employed population spent a mere $50 per month in locally owned retail stores, those purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue." Want more math? For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 remains in a community's economy, versus $43 spent at national chains and $0 spent on online purchases."

Now, I'm not interested in fact-checking here but it does sound rather like an interesting idea. Primarily because I like local establishments.