Unbought and Unbothered.
4 Ways to take back your purchasing power for good.
Capitalism sucks. Turns out that the love of money really is the root of all evil. Scratch just under the surface of those catchy commercials with the inspiring themes, and you’ll see that child labor is powering your cell phones, slaves are sewing your sneakers, and people are dying for that yummy bite of chocolate.
So, how do we opt out of the harmful effects of capitalism when we a) gotta work, and b) gotta live? Here’s a few tips for you do-gooders trying to take back their power.
Step One: Do It Yourself
“I got my own back.” — Maya Angelou
Since capitalism is the privatization of the means of production, one of the best ways to undermine it is to take back that means. Learn every skill you can. Grow your own food, hem your own clothes, make your own soaps.
You don’t need to go big if you don’t have the time or means. Just make small changes. A little basil growing on the window sill, some hemming tape and a pair of scissors, even making your own bread can be fun and easy. The more you make, the less you spend, and the less goes into the pockets of companies whose goals and intentions aren’t as good as yours.
Step Two: Engage in sharing economies.
“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” — Kurt Vonnegut
Listen, we know everybody doesn’t have time to be making their own clothes. (Time poverty is a real thing). But, that’s not the only way to opt out of toxic capitalism. Again, privately owning the means of production doesn’t go far when what people need has already been produced. That’s why sharing with a community is so powerful.
This can be the most fun and healing part of divesting from capitalism. Whether it’s a clothing swap among friends, a community garden, or a shared fridge up the street, coming together to share what you’ve got is good for your wallet, your community and your mental health. And that community doesn’t have to be limited to your friends and neighbors.
Libraries, thrift stores, freecycling, curb sharing. Borrowing, bartering, and buying used not only keep coins out of the slave catchers pockets, but it helps the environment as well by cutting down on the resources it takes to make stuff. Also, chances are that new thing you were about to buy is available somewhere else, used, for cheaper. Save ya money, fam. They don’t need it.
Step Three: Let Your Money Talk
“And I’m quick to cut a [person] off, so don’t get comfortable” — Cardi B
So, you’re growing mushrooms in your cabinet and wearing thrifted jeans. You’re still going to have to buy something new sometime. The key is where are you going to spend that money? Companies like Amazon, Nike, Nestle, and Citi-Bank have stuck their flag in the ground as brands that are willing to commit harm on massive scales for money.
Unfortunately for them, alternatives abound with very little effort. Replacing these companies can be as simple as typing into a search engine what you’re looking for. “Fair-trade sneakers” “Ethical banks” “Vegan fair-trade chocolate”. When you spend money, put your money towards brands that share your values, and remove your spending power from businesses that you know are causing harm. Simple.
Not only will this fuel the businesses you love, it is one of the only ways to create changes in the companies doing harm. You create the market for what you love and the standard for what you’ll accept.
Step Four: Be a Better Boss
“We measure success by how many people successful next to you
Here we say you broke if everybody is broke except for you” — Jay Z
We’ve talked about the ways to do good as a consumer, but what about when you’re the boss? This may seem obvious, but the first step is the business you decide on in the first place. Before you make that fashion brand, that tech startup, that food or drink business, ask yourself, “How does the existence of my company help the world?”. And if your answer is “It doesn’t”, or some frippery like “It’ll make people feel confident”, I’d say dig deeper.
The world needs help right now. People are hungry, people are sick, people are dying. You don’t need to stand up for everything, but it’s easy to find something solid to contribute. Companies make more money than people. That means you have a chance as a business to make a bigger impact than you would as an individual. Give back.
And the second step is: Pay. Your. People. A lot of times, the businesses with the best intentions pay the least. It’s your job as a founder to make a business plan that includes a livable (not just survivable) wage. That wage includes enough time away from work for your team to take care of themselves and their families. If you ain’t got it, share equity. Hire part-time or freelance and pay them well. Adjust your business model. Whatever you can do to get your people paid fairly, do it. That’s our job as founders.
We live in a capitalist society. Money isn’t going to disappear tomorrow, and neither are the businesses that prioritize it. But as individuals and as business owners, there are things we can do to navigate this world and still do good. Self-sufficiency, community, selective consumerism and conscious business practices are tools we can use to shape capitalism into something less harmful.
