Local Living, Local Choices: When local is not an option

Up until now in this series of posts on Local Living, Local Choices I've discussed how to incorporate local options into our lives in various ways.

But sometimes local simply isn't an option. What do you do when the big box store arrives in town, and it offers items much cheaper than anywhere else? Should we continue to shop with the little guys, refusing to save money, even while we struggle to make ends meet?

Times are really tough, and I don't think anyone would suggest that we should avoid trying to get the best deal we can. Unfortunately, that does mean that a lot of businesses are going to fail, and a lot of people are going to be out of work.


"Discount" stores are often NOT the cheapest!

If we can support local businesses, and their prices are the same, then it's best to do so. Interestingly, I've found by shopping around that the big box discount stores often do NOT have the best price.


Shop around and check prices

It's especially sensible to check out the price elsewhere of anything advertised as being "on special" at the discount stores. Time and again, I've found the same product cheaper for sale elsewhere. "On special" these days seems to mean that the company hopes you won't look around to see whether they're charging you too much!


Ask shops to beat the discount stores! Or ask for price matching!

Another alternative, if the discount store is the cheapest, is simply to ask the smaller, independent store to beat the price offered elsewhere.

Often they will do so. You'll get a better deal, while at the same time keeping an independent business open. Win win!

If they can't beat the price, ask if they will at least match the price. Explain if they can match the price you'll buy the item there. If not, you'll have to buy elsewhere. Chances are, they'll match.


Ask for a discount - even when there is no "sale" on!

And ALWAYS ask for a discount on anything you buy. I asked for - and received - a significant discount on some new furniture I bought recently. No, there was no sale on. But I'd bought furniture at the same shop before, they knew I was a repeat customer, and they knew if I got a good deal and was happy I might be back again.

As a result, I got several hundred dollars discount. And yes, I am happy - and I probably will go back! At the least, I'll tell my friends to shop there, as they're "good guys" for furniture in Dunedin!

Below I've offered some ideas on what to do when local options are not available or affordable. We live in a globalised world where sometimes the only option is the "Made In China" option - and you live in New Zealand!

With a bit of thought, we can still support out own communities, reduce damage done by slave labour systems and "lowest paid worker" ideologies to communities in other countries, and keep as much money in our pockets at the same time.

When local is not available or affordable

• If you can't afford furniture produced locally, buy secondhand. It is better than seconding dollars offshore. Secondhand furniture shops and online outlets like TradeMe and Ebay have some terrific furniture for sale. Or look in the local paper.
  
  
• If you do have to buy imports, buy items that are secondhand or built to last. Or, ideally, both.
  
  For example, electronics items are only manufactured in a few countries, so if yours is not one of them, buy an item with a long life expectancy and use it until it dies - don't upgrade early or unnecessarily.
  
  With interior decorating, sometimes locally-made home and kitchen items are not available, and the secondhand option is, well, not an option.
  
  In these cases, buy items designed to last. Build an interior design style that will not date and look ridiculous in five years. Buy furniture that is easy to clean and needs little looking-after. Choose items that will grow with your family, and furniture that your kids can take with them when they leave home.
  
  
• Girls rooms are often traditionally decorated in white furniture, and children's furniture generally is often cheaply-made plyboard. Consider avoiding this option and choosing solid pine items that will last your kids through their teen years and beyond.
  
  Pine is cheap, can be easily sourced from sustainable plantations, can be re-stained and re-painted over and over if necessary, and is solid enough for kids. It's a great option.
  
  
• Cars are not made in a lot of countries. If your country does not make cars, try to always choose a secondhand car. And remember to choose a very economical car, as petrol is almost always imported too!
  
  Buy the smallest car you can manage with, and don't get conned into believing that a large person needs a large car. I'm six feet tall, and my brother is six feet seven, and our first car as teenagers was - a purple VW beetle! And we fit into it just fine!
  
  Seats adjust, and kids can fit into any back seat. Our family of four fit comfortably into our 1998 three door Toyota starlet.
  
  
  Our Toyota Starlet, bought secondhand (of course). We all fit comfortably, and the mileage is terrific.
  

Look at the big picture

I think that putting down roots and living locally in every way has some big advantages for our communities and ourselves.

The truth is, I think over the coming decades we're going to have to learn to live more locally. It is time to start building the roots of our future now.

Living locally can be powerful, healthy and joyous. It doesn't mean limits, it means sensible and wise choices. It means looking at the big picture.

I hope you have got some value out of this series on local living and local choices.


Have a lovely day!