A term coined in 1985 by an unnamed staffer of the Reagan administration was “Starve the Beast”.  This referred to a fiscally conservative political strategy to cut government spending by paying less in taxes.  So, in the original sense, “the Beast” was the government, and people were to starve the beast by spending less and using loopholes, therefore paying less in taxes.

These days the Beast has a lot more tentacles than just the government.  The system now consists of the government and all aspects of Big Business.  Big Agri, Big Pharma, Big Medicine, Big Food, Big Banking and Big Oil, to name a few.  It seems that now it’s the Beast doing the starving, as small businesses close because they can’t compete with Wal-Mart, the family farm is on it’s way out because it can’t compete with the huge, subsidized Monsanto mega-farms, people are going bankrupt because they can’t pay the outrageous medical bills…

Perhaps it’s time for another financial revolution �" one where people group together and use the power of the boycott to starve all the arms of this Beast that would swallow us whole.  If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of a necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families that were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths.

Every penny you spend with small local businesses is a penny that the big box stores won’t have.  Everything that you buy secondhand or barter for is an item on which you won’t pay sales tax.  Disassociate yourself completely with “the system” that is making Western civilization broke, overweight and unhealthy.  Starve the Beast by taking as many of these steps as possible…

1. Grow your own food (this starves Big Agri and Big Pharma both)

2. Shop at local businesses with no corporate ties

3. Use natural remedies instead of pharmaceuticals whenever possible

4. Homeschool your children

5. Walk or bike instead of driving when possible

6. Get care from naturopaths and healers instead of doctors

7. Make paper logs from scraps for free heat if you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove

8. Boycott all processed foods

9. Shop at local farmer’s markets

10. Boycott corporate stores: Wal-Mart, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot

11. Give vouchers as gifts for an evening of babysitting, a homemade meal, walking the dog, doing a repair, or cleaning

12. Join a CSA or farm co-op

13. Ditch television (and all the propaganda and commercials)

14. Participate in the barter system �" if no money changes hands, no tax can be added

15. Buy secondhand from yard sales, Craigslist and thrift stores

16. Sell your unwanted goods by having a yard sale or putting an ad on Craigslist

17. Repair things instead of replacing them

18. Avoid fast food restaurants and chain restaurants

19. Dine at locally owned establishments if you eat out

20. Brew your own beer and wine

21. Read a book, purchased second-hand or borrowed

22. Grow or gather  medicinal herbs

23. Give homemade gifts

24. Attend free local activities: lectures, concerts, play days at the park, library events

25. Dumpster dive

26. Play outside: hike, bike, picnic

27. Mend clothing

28. Invite someone over for dinner instead of meeting at a restaurant

29. Throw creative birthday parties at home for your kids instead of renting a venue

30. Camp instead of staying at a hotel

31. Bring your coffee with you in a travel mug

32. Do all of your Christmas shopping with small local businesses and artisans

33. Reduce your electricity usage with candles, solar power and non-tech entertainment

34. Drop the thermostat and put on a sweater

35. Bring your snacks and drinks in a cooler when you go on a road trip

36. Stay home �" it’s way easier to avoid temptation that way

37. Pack lunches for work and school

38. Make delicious homemade treats as a hostess gift

39. Close your bank account or at the very least, strictly limit your balance

40. Visit u-pick berry patches and orchards, then preserve your harvest for the winter

41. Use precious metals stored at home as your savings account

42. Raise backyard chickens for your own eggs

43. If you are a smoker, roll your own cigarettes �" if possible go one step further and grow tobacco

44. Live in a smaller, more efficient home      

45. Use solar power for lighting or cooking

46. Collect rainwater for use in the garden

47. Learn to forage

48. Buy heavy, solid, handmade furniture instead of the flimsy imported stuff

49. At the holidays, focus on activities and traditions instead of gifts.  Go for a walk or drive through the neighborhood to look at lights, get into your PJs and watch a special movie together on Christmas Eve and make certain treats that can always be expected

50. Make your own bath and body products using pure ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, and herbal extracts