So, we just wrapped up standing in solidarity with the Sept 16-20 blackout organized by @blackoutthesystem (if you're not following them, you should be!). Here's how it went for us: We did our normal grocery trip into Tillamook on Monday. It's about 30 minutes each way, but at least we didn't have to take the two-hour drive into the Portland area. We did wind up having to make one additional trip in this week, but we managed to stay in solidarity on the 17th, which was the minimum one day boycott. The reason for our second trip in this week was because we did not plan our first shopping trip well enough. We didn't have a complete list of what we needed before we went in, and our local farm stands had less selection that usual. 🤷 Real talk for a sec: this takes practice, just like anything else. You don't need perfection out of the gate. The key is to keep trying to keep more of your dollars in the local economy. And you can't beat yourself up when you have to shop for essentials. What you can do, is use it to your advantage! For example: we are turning that extra trip into a win by stretching our produce for next week: we still have a whole zucchini and a squash (they're HUGE!), so that covers part of dinner for about 5 days. Our big win for this last week was cutting out processed sugars. We didn't get any soda, cookies, or Skittles (my fave), and instead got some extra veggies for snacks. The bigger picture: Even imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. We kept most of our money out of the big corporate machine this week, and we're getting better at it. The system wants us to feel powerless. Every dollar we redirect, every unnecessary trip we skip, proves we're not. How did your week go? What are you adjusting for next week?

We’re so glad you found your way here! This isn’t just another online group — it’s a place for people who want to live differently. What does that mean? Well it means putting our dollars, our energy, and our attention toward the things that really matter: people, communities, and planet. It means sharing hacks we discover, struggles we face, and celebrating each other's wins! This is a place where we can freely discuss how to: - Spend with intention → every dollar is a vote, and together those votes add up - Support people over profit → local stores, small farms, makers, neighbors - Grow or source food differently → gardens, foraging, co-ops, bulk bins, farm stands - Take action together for a better world We’re figuring this out as we go, because the goal is not perfection, but to make sure that our money is sending a message we can each be proud of - and building the future we want. 👉 To kick things off: What’s one small shift you’ve already made (or want to make) toward living outside the system? (It can be anything: skipping bottled water, shopping thrift, buying veggies at a stand, or even just thinking about your first swap.) Drop your answer below 👇 — because every shift, no matter how small, moves us closer to the world we actually want to live in, and deserves to be celebrated!