Local gift buying is vitally important to our economic health
Thanksgiving has passed, and that delicious turkey dinner with all the fixings and those exciting college football games have faded into memory.
But don’t forget — come Thanksgiving the Christmas gift-buying season really begins in earnest, and most of us have gifts and stocking stuffers to buy.
Once again, we encourage everyone to do some of that shopping right here in Lassen County. Not only will your hometown merchants appreciate it, but the money we spend locally is vitally important to the health of our economy.
Why should we spend the time and money to drive and fight the crowds in the city when we can check many items off our Christmas gift list right here at home?
You might not think spending $100 locally makes that much of a difference, but it does.
This marks the sixth year the Lassen County Times challenges our readers to spend at least $100 of their Christmas budget here.
It’s a simple concept that has proven successful the past five years. If each of our newspaper readers spend at least $100 shopping at home, it pumps more than a million dollars into the local economy — based on a conservative average of just two readers for every newspaper.
We know the $100 challenge has been working because each year local merchants tell us they heard shoppers mention this campaign.
The $100 — or whatever extra comfortably fits the family budget — doesn’t necessarily need to be just items from your favorite stores. It could be gift certificates from one of our local restaurants, beauty salons, massage therapists, auto detailers, gyms, golf courses or other service providers throughout the county.
Nor does it have to be just presents for those on your list. There are literally hundreds of ways to spend an extra $100 in town, from getting your nails done for that special party, to enjoying a relaxing dinner out or tanking up for a holiday trip to visit family. The idea is to spend some money you would not normally spend here.
So again this year we challenge you to find the ways that best fit your needs and lifestyle to spend that extra hundred bucks locally. This additional influx of cash in circulation provides a huge boost to our local economy.
Thank you for your support of our local businesses. As this festive, holiday season begins to takes shape, may we be among the first to wish you all a very, Merry Christmas.
