Would you or wouldn't you? The Anti-WalMart movement

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

As late as the middle of the 19th century, all currency was local... we didn't really go to a national paper currency ("greenbacks") until the Civil War, and as Mr. Silver can probably explain better, didn't really go to the current system ("federal reserve notes" in lieu of "silver certificates") until FDR came along in 1933 or a little later.
The antebellum economy operated on the barter system and a system of hard money......
At the conclusion of the Civil War, the Federal government stopped printing money to try to control inflation. There was so much of it in circulation anyway that it continued on its own momentum. .....Remember, it was a new thing in 1865 that the people in Boston and Philadelphia could use the same paper currency as the people in St. Louis and Chicago. It made the transacting of business so much easier that a national currency was immensely popular. Bank and Brokerage notes dried up quickly, and passed out of existence shortly after the war. The national currency system was here to stay....
Tom
a history buff in the non-biking side of life...

Tom, did you write all this yourself? I notice it is available online...
http://www.sullivanpress.com/finance.htm

[Jolt]

Interesting idea, but is a "local currency" really necessary to get people to shop locally? Part of the issue in some areas is also the fact that the big-box stores etc. are almost all that's available within a reasonable distance, or the local shops just don't carry what a person is looking for; therefore shopping locally isn't always practical. I'll admit to sometimes shopping at Target and even Walmart though I do like a couple of regional discount chains we have here (Building 19 and Ocean State Job Lot) and tend to go to those stores first if looking for something they are likely to have (besides, the prices at those places are GREAT). For hiking/outdoor gear, there is a locally owned store (which even gives a 10% discount to AMC members) that I try to go to instead of going to EMS, although I end up buying a lot of that stuff online at places like Campmor/Sierra Trading Post because of the huge price difference. Sometimes, however, I am not able to find what I'm looking for there so end up going somewhere else anyway. I wish it were easier to shop locally--what might be some ways to help that happen?

[PscyclePath]

Tom, did you write all this yourself? I notice it is available online...
http://www.sullivanpress.com/finance.htm

Nope... this is all Bob's, and in haste I forgot to post the link...

[Crankin]

I just got a nice color booklet in the mail, with information about all of the local businesses in Concord. Some have 10% off coupons or other types of discounts. There is an interview/write up with each business owner. Some are places or services that I have never heard of, and I have lived in the area for 19 years.
This was a nice idea and it certainly made me more aware of what's around. But, even though I voted yes, I did realize, that, I too, rarely use cash. I use my credit card for everything and pay it off monthly because we get American Express points. I bought my family room furniture from Crate and Barrel with these points.