Buy Local: The 3/50 project shows how to get the biggest bang for your buck

Posted by DominiqueKing | Filed under Royal Oak, art, food, life

Where will you spend your next $50?

The 3/50 project suggests getting the biggest bang for your bucks by spending them locally, and Urbane readers know that I like covering stories about local businesses.

Franklin Cider Mill 4

Franklin Market, near Franklin Cider Mill

Remember my story about Al Winkler and his “Buy Detroit” initiative? I wrote about the owner of Al’s Famous Deli in Royal Oak issuing his own manifesto about making a difference for Detroit and Michigan by purchasing local product like the corned beef, pickles, and bread used at his Detroit-area eateries. Winkler hoped to help his hometown, and customers struggling to keep or find jobs, in at least some small way by purchasing and promoting local products.

The 3/50 project works on a similar premise–the more money you spend in your local area, the more money stays in your local area, and the more local jobs you can preserve and generate.

More after the break…

Briefly, the 3/50 project encourages consumers to support local independent businesses, which in turn help support your local community by making sure as many dollars as possible stay in the local area. The 3/50 project asks supporters to commit to spending $50 each month at locally owned businesses, helping them survive, thrive and continue to support the local community.

Fifty bucks? You can easily spend that for a meal, groceries, clothing, gifts or any number of other products or services in the course of a week. You could just as easily spend those 50 bucks at a local business, rather than a big chain or online outlet in many cases.

The 3/50 project asks consumers to spend more mindfully, and spend locally whenever it makes sense.

Bean & Leaf 1

Royal Oak’s Bean & Leaf Cafe hosts local photographers’ exhibits

Local businesses often not only provide local jobs, but they also contribute to local charities, sponsor local sports teams, finance community groups, and generate bucks to support any number of other things that contribute to the culture and cohesiveness of our hometowns.

It may not seem like you can make a lot of impact by purchasing a sandwich at a local deli, a birthday gift at a local gallery or store, groceries from a locally owned market, or services from a local business, but the 3/50 project organizers beg to differ.

The 3/50 project flyer points out that $68 of every $100 spent in a locally owned indie business returns to the local community via taxes, payroll and other spending. Spending the same $100 at national chains means only $43 stays in, and supports, the local community.

The success of the 3/50 project is also an interesting testament to the power of blogs. Cinda Baxter was a retailer who began advising other retailers about best practices for bricks-and-mortar stores and organizing retailer networks as a self-described Retail Enabler (or retail consultant and coach). Cinda watched several television shows over the course of a week in early March 2009 that talked about the effects of consumer spending on the economy and the importance of positive action and innovation in a down economy. She wondered how to help independent retailers and help individual consumers make a positive impact on their local economy.

Cinda’s musings turned into a blog post, and her proposed 3/50 project snowballed from there.

Today, the 3/50 project Web site lists hundreds of independent businesses and supporters–in Michigan alone!

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April McCrumb at her Catching Fireflies shop in Berkley

Need some ideas about where to spend your next $50? Check out the site or just take a walk around your hometown and stop by a few locally owned businesses. The 3/50 project doesn’t ask consumers to completely forswear purchasing at larger stores or big online retailers, but it does ask you to consider shopping locally when you can find what you want as easily at your local indie biz.

What are your favorite independent businesses around town?

Where will you spend your next $50?

Related posts:

  1. Stop all that clicking and buy local!
  2. Buy Local Update
  3. Buy Local: Oakland Community College Potters Market creates showcase for local artists
  4. Buy Local: Shop fresh at Franklin Cider Mill
  5. Buy Local: Al’s Famous Deli does right by buying Detroit

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Permalink | October 24th, 2009

5 Responses to “Buy Local: The 3/50 project shows how to get the biggest bang for your buck”

  1. Brandon Says:
    October 25th, 2009 at 9:33 am

    Great post — especially true re bookstores. Yeah, you can get a really cheap copy of a book from Amazon or Walmart. But part of the price of that more expensive book in your local bookseller is the luxury of living in a town with a local bookseller.

  2. DominiqueKing Says:
    October 26th, 2009 at 9:48 am

    I think I first heard about this network when I was shopping at an indie bookstore, and Anne mentioned it to me when I was in her gallery the other day.
    It’s really sad to see places like Shaman Drum Books in Ann Arbor close down (great indie that found the struggle too much when U of M profs quit ordering their class books at the indies and increased sending students online to purchase books).
    Food stores are another great place to shop locally–a lot of small local indies and chains around Detroit, many stocking lots of great Michigan product! It’s easy to spend your $50 each week that way!

  3. Shauna Nicholson Says:
    October 26th, 2009 at 10:05 am

    Thanks for the post. It’s definitely easier to buy local when you know where to look. It’s sometimes hard to weed through all of the big shops, whose ad budgets make sure they’re at the top of your mind.

  4. DominiqueKing Says:
    October 27th, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    Shauna-Thanks for stopping by!
    I agree with you about it being difficult to find what you want in the over-abundance of stock at big-box stores. Plus, you’ll often deal with an owner who really cares about your business in a smaller place.

  5. DominiqueKing Says:
    November 18th, 2009 at 10:42 pm

    I noticed a short article in my local C&G newspaper today about the 3/50 project and downtown Royal Oak. Merchants and restaurant owners in the city are offering 25 percent discounts ans specials on Thursdays as the holidays approach. More than 55 downtown Royal Oak businesses are displaying the 3/50 placards and remaining open until 9 p.m. on Dec. 3, 10, & 17 (Thursdays).

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