As an observant, young reporter, I have ears that are consistently in tune with the conversations of my peers and instructors. One topic of conversation that seems to arise more times than not is the need for a Starbucks in Florence.

Some people are simply baffled about the absence of one in our town, as if the cookie-cutter, corporate chain is a staple to every community in the U.S. Despite the fact that there are locally owned and reputable coffee shops within walking distance of campus, many people ignore the fact and are outspokenly angry about it.

For those students, the possibility of having a Starbucks may soon become a reality, as UNA recently signed a contract with the corporation in hopes of putting it in the new student center in the coming years.

I do not support this anticipated new addition to our campus. Why would students, in a struggling economy, willingly choose to give money to distant executives and not to the perfectly great, mom and pop’s shops down the street?

The dilemma doesn’t just affect coffee shops. Local businesses everywhere are suffering the repercussions of the economic crisis as more and more “for rent” signs appear in store windows.

When will people start thinking more proactively about their local economy rather than dumping their hard-earned cash into mega-stores where almost no profits re-enter the community?

I am one of the thriftiest, money-savvy college students out there, so I understand the allure of finding the cheapest prices on common goods. I am also guilty of giving money to corporate businesses, but the change which I hope to make doesn’t require that I or others completely reconfigure their spending habits all at once.

The 3/50 project, created in 2009 and popularized by a blog post, proposes that if half of the employed population spent $50 every month at local businesses, it would produce more than $42.6 million in revenue. With every $100 spent, $68 dollars returns to the community. The project reports that at a national chain, only $43 of the same amount spent returns home.

Investing in this frame of mind doesn’t mean that one must swear off buying from corporate businesses altogether, as certain items are only available through larger chains or the Internet. The project does, however, force people to think more about maintaining a happy medium with where they spend their money.

While buying local may seem like a trendy or hip thing to do, just as the idea of being more environmentally friendly has its own stigma, it may be one of the wisest decisions we can make as community members in saving our local economy.