When Scout got home from work yesterday, I congratulated him on making us so boring financially that ABC World News didn’t want to put me on the National News.

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To say he was confused would understate his reaction.

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Heather had called me to see if I would be up for an interview about being middle class – after talking to the lovely woman from ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, lovely woman said we weren’t what she was looking for for the story – before getting off the phone, I gave a shout out on Skype “hey, any of y’all middle class and squeezed?” and Angie was all “UM YEAH!” – so I passed her number to the woman and Angie was on the national news talking about financial struggles in the middle class.

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Angie has a small online store – Good for the Kids – which specializes in finding educational items and toys that are … good for the kids. I’ve posted about doing all my Christmas shopping in one place before. I still have a pretty well stocked present closet from my shopping trips there. I feel good about what I buy from Angie, and I feel even better that I’ve helped a person I have a relationship with, and not just a big box store. From the comments on the post, others are feeling that too.

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(*yes I know that people work in big box stores too, but those people didn’t hold my hand while I wrote a post the night my dad died – Angie did* (pwd protected, just ask for the pwd – you aren’t the reason it’s protected.))

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While Scout and I may be comfy, unsqueezed middle class, I do like to pay attention to where our money goes. I don’t buy things for the sake of buying things. (I really liked the Team Anissa tshirts – but I realized don’t wear crew neck tshirts, for example.)

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There are less dollars to go around – so I figure I better make damn sure that where I’m giving my dollars is what and who I want to support. Slowly but surely I am figuring out how I can get the things I like (oh that I really, really like) and know that my dollars are directly helping people I have a relationship with.

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I may not have a local main street in my town where I can walk and browse and talk to shopkeepers who are my friends, but I have bookmarks all through my browser of a virtual main street where I can wander and get things I like from people I love. (And even help out the USPS a lot of the time!)

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Oh yes, that list with a fancy button are coming!