Shift Your Spending This Holiday Season

SimplyPanda via Flickr

The official holiday shopping season kicks off the day after Thanksgiving with a day known as Black Friday. Practically everyone knows that.

But have you heard about Small Business Saturday? This shopping holiday is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving and encourages shoppers to visit their local brick and motor businesses.

Local First Utah’s Shift Your Spending Week kicks off on Friday, November 29th with a similar goal. They suggest setting a goal to shift 10% of your spending this holiday season towards locally owned businesses.

According to them, if we all shift just 10% of our spending to local businesses, on a yearly basis, $1.3 million will stay in the Utah economy.

Shop e2

Salt Lake City’s e2 businesses are local businesses that have made a commitment to reduce their environmental impact.

Be sure to stop by Earth Goods General Store, Liberty Heights Fresh, Cali’s Natural Foods, Artistic Framing Company, C.G. Sparks, Retro Rose, The King’s English Bookshop, Golden Braid Books, Landis Lifestyle Salon, Matrix Spa, Sacred Mountain Healing Center, Cactus and Tropicals, Especially for You and Huddart Floral Company this holiday season.

Local First Utah’s Top Ten Ideas to Shift Your Spending this Holiday Season

1. Support local artists! Check out local galleries or pottery studios for unique, handmade gifts.
2. Spend a day in a neighborhood business district. Stroll through your nearest cluster of locally-owned businesses. In Salt Lake City, check out OnlyInSaltLakeCity.com for detailed neighborhood descriptions.
3. Give the gift of fine dining! Many locally owned restaurants provide gift certificates which can be used year round.
4. Shop locally, online. Many local retailers and manufacturers also have a convenient online option. There is no need to send the money to an out-of-state megalith.
5. Browse and buy at a your local bookstore.
6. Give an educational adventure. Buy memberships to local museums, gardens, zoos or aviaries.
7. Make a gift basket filled with Utah’s Own products.
8. Give the gift of experience: buy certificates to a locally owned spa, yoga studio or cooking school.
9. Donate to a local non-profit on behalf of a like-minded friend.
10. Winter markets abound throughout the state allowing craftspeople and artisans to sell their hand-crafted goods directly to the public. Pick up a one of a kind gift at a market near you!