We’ve all heard the saying “vote with your dollar.” Sure, that sounds nice, but what does that mean? Here, I propose three ways to vote with your dollar that don’t involve dirty politicians.
Spend your money on companies that support causes you are passionate about
Social good is the latest marketing trend, and most businesses are touting it. Whether it’s donating a percentage of every sale, minimizing waste, or practicing fair trade, modern companies are prioritizing positive social impact. Spending your dollars on products that will have a positive effect on your life and environment is probably the simplest way to vote with your dollar.
Social impact investments
Traditional investments move money around toward an uncertain future, whereas impact investments move money to build a future of mutual benefit for all. Impact investments are made to prioritize a positive social outcome rather than higher returns. The number of impact investment funds and businesses is on the rise—if you want to learn more about impact investment opportunities, please connect with me on Instagram @therealfridman.
Spend Less Money
This is the sad truth: every time we spend money we are having some sort of impact on the planet. Most goods will at least require some sort of tooling or manufacturing, and packaging and mobilization—all of which currently requires carbon fuel. Even if we are purchasing a service which seemingly does not require energy to produce nor generate any waste, we are still providing tax dollars to governments that often utilize these funds for actions that we would not ourselves support.
I will leave you with some personal thoughts. The most efficient way to reduce your impact is to invest in yourself and your own ability to be economically independent. This requires self-sufficiency for your basic needs—outside the financial system—by means of growing food and other independent survival tactics. For most of us, this is a noble aspiration but far from the likely reality. However, it is never too late to start as we have all the tools available to start now.