Scrooge the 1% for Christmas while helping real working people! Perhaps you live in an area too far away to participate in the Occupy America events. Or perhaps you have been able to attend events but are tired of your messages and numbers being downplayed in corporate media and would like to do something with a little more bite? They may ignore signs in the street, but they won't be able to ignore dollar signs, especially those not coming to them... It's time to
Occupy Christmas
You can participate by utilizing as many (if not all) of the suggestions below untill midnight December 26, 2011 :
Don't buy anything on credit
If you can't afford it, consider using the shopping suggestions on this site to not only save significantly over the lowest big store prices but send the sale profits directly to working people rather than to multi-national corporations.
With the exception of medicine or emergency, buy nothing from a corporate chain store
Locate the nearest produce market. The quality is not only sometimes obcenly better than chain stores it can cost half as much, so bit of travel is little excuse to not do this (think wonderful holiday meals). For meats or seafood seek local owned stores even if you have to get out for a fresh air drive. If you simply must have something not available from a reasonable travel to locally owned merchants and feel you need to cheat a bit at Occupy Christmas, try getting the cheapest alternative at a dollar store, put as little into corp pockets as possible. Buy products made in the USA when possible.
Buy directly from working individuals
The mom and pop stores may be gone in your area but many have taken operations online and you can buy almost any gift from them that you were going to buy from the big guys and almost always at a better deal, including shipping. While the (usually large) companies hosting many of these small merchants do charge them listings fees, the individual gets most of the profit from the sale. The companies platform allows people to create their own jobs and competition in the market keeps the companies from gouging the small merchant. A reasonable tradeoff and not violating the spirit of Occupy Christmas considering a small merchant could build up an online business without using any of these companies. They provide quick existing infrastructure, traffic (eyes, which = sales).eBay is a good place to find good values as are the marketplace links at Amazon.com. Those are the links on the page after you've searched for something at Amazon that show a number of the same item starting at a price usually much lower than the first. Click on one of those and you'll find a variety of 3rd party sellers. .Avoid the companies with a million transactions who undercut everyone by only a penny or so. Look for someone who has been a member long enough to have a good handfull of ratings. It's easy to pick out the little guys. These transactions are safe due to warrantees by the host sites. Check out revlew sites to find other small merchants online with good customer service. More details & links in this section soon.
Buy gas from locally owned stores
Yes, big oil still gets their cut, but the store profits go to local taxpayers who will spend in your community.
Avoid chain restaurants
If possible and necessary, go out of your way to hit mom & pop burger joints to satisfy your fast food cravings. The worst pie at a locally owned pizzaria is almost certainly going to be better than the "best" thing any chain is going to bring to you. If you're on a budget, buy nice frozen pizzas when on sale and "doctor them up" with any desired extra toppings. Investigate locally owned restaurants. Most will likely have daily lunch and dinner specials that are little or no more expensive than the junk you get through the corporate drive-through windows. Enjoy fresh, seasonal & local ingredients while keeping more of your money in your community, not shipped off to the coffers at some billion dollar corporation's headquarters.
Move your assets
Move your money from large banks (especially those with new user fees). Seek out local/regional banks & credit unions.
Let your boycotted corps know!
We wouldn't want any effects of Occupy Christmas to be written off as "slow economy".
Boycott media sponsors
Boycott the sponsors of any media misrepresenting the Occupy movement or other issues, and LET THEM KNOW !
Stop this at Midnight, December 26, 2011 ?
If Occupy Christmas hits hard and vocally for 2 months and releases it's grip suddenly at Midnight, December 26, 2011 it could send a tremendous message to the 1% without killing their quarter or squashing what may be only employment in some areas. Or maybe we should continue and create demand for small merchants that get little appreciated hard working folks out of those corp jobs and keep that economic activity at home? What ideas do you have to break the grip of the 1% while helping the little guy? Do you have shopping or saving tips? Discuss this and more in the Forum
Occupy Christmas ends at Midnight, December 26, 2011. If you made it through Occupy Christmas you sent a powerful message and helped your fellow struggling citizens. Give yourself a holiday treat if you wish and hit the after Christmas sales (least money to corps:) and satisfy your missed fast food cravings. Make your New Years resolution how you are going to use your money in 2012.
Don't forget your newfound merchants!
How to get your non-political or opposing-political friends to participate without their even knowing it ;)
This is the easiest part! Simply highly recommend the great merchants you've found... You don't have to get political, mention this campaign, badmouth the corps or even tell them they are helping the little guy. All they know is that you've turned them on to something that is better quality and value and they love you, truely a gift that keeps on giving!
Further tips, petition and more shortly