If you don’t like large corporations, don’t buy S#!+

Many companies are quite large. Some are good and some are bad. Some people really hate large corporations. Here are a few I loathe: Monsanto (now Bayer, poisons food and sells pharmaceuticals when people get sick), Koch Industries (petroleum, chemicals, etc and ruin democracy in the process), CoreCivic (make money from enslaving people – mainly Black people). 

I’m not going to comment on whether or not big companies as a whole are good or bad. However, I will comment on the way people interact with them.

Many people (not all) complain about big corporations but do not back it up with their actions. Walk your talk. If you do not want them to exist, stop buying things. 

Don’t like oil or chemical companies? Don’t buy new clothes. Your existing wardrobe has been serving you well to this point. Thrift stores are loaded with clothes. Walk, bike or take public transportation. Limit your flights. Buy more fruits and vegetables – it is less often in plastic and takes way less energy to produce. Dumpster dive or save leftovers. 

Don’t like Coca-Cola or Pepsi? Don’t buy bottled water, fill up a water bottle instead. Soda is basically poison so skip it. 

Don’t like Facebook? Stop spending your time there (or Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc). Advertisers will give them less money and they’ll go away or figure out how to be less of a BUMMER to society.

Walmart or Target? Don’t buy random clothes, tech products, or crap you don’t need.

Large banks or credit agencies? Bank at a local credit union. Pay back your credit card bills on time every month so they aren’t making any money off you.

Insurance companies? Don’t buy as many cars and you’ll have less to insure. Eat healthy and exercise often to mitigate long term health costs.

Tech companies like Apple, Samsung, or Microsoft? Stop rushing for the newest phone model.

Amazon? Stop ordering things online, especially with 1-2 day deliveries.

Big Pharma? Eat in a way that’s proven to fight chronic illness. Food is medicine.

Think Real Estate is destructive? The need for bigger and better houses fuel that. Check out this article to see how little space most people actually use in their house .

Big Food? Don’t eat processed food and stick to local produce. A lot of these companies also support grain for animal feed.

Smoking keeps Philip Morris in business.

Here is a small sampling of more things you don’t need to buy: Garbage bags, new cars, candy, dead animals, toys & gadgets, disposable kitchenware, themed things when you already have one that works, furniture, tsotchkes like keychains, shot glasses, did I mention new clothes? The list goes on.

Almost anything you need can be found used (“repurposed”) on Craigslist, OfferUp, or by cruising around your neighborhood alleys and curbs.

You probably already have everything you need. Yes, things come up in life and you do want to have fun. 

However, it’s important to realize everything we do has consequences and we are not excused from responsibility because we are “small”. As Greta Thunberg would say, No One is Too Small to Make a Difference

If you really want to damage harmful corporations, stop giving them your money.