You may not be registered to vote and I’m not writing a lecture about that decision. But I think it’s worth remembering that we’re always voting with our pocketbooks.

Of course that’s not always the case. Some expenses are legal obligations like taxes, but if you’re worried about that, you should probably register to vote.

I know it’s been said before and I know it’s not a groundbreaking revelation, but it’s easy to forget the impact our spending has on our communities.

Shop local! That’s a mantra generally agreed upon by most people, although many of us, myself included, make purchases from Amazon when we could grab a similar item somewhere local on the way home from work.

Or at least we used to be able to do that. And that’s kind of my point -- sometimes saving a few bucks online costs us more in the long run. Many stores we used to drive by are gone now. In some cases, that’s at least partially our fault. After all, it’s hard to stay afloat without customers.

But even when we shop locally, many of us still have a tendency to visit big box stores instead of the local hardware shops, and niche grocery stores.

[img_assist|nid=339153|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=200|height=151]The good news is, box stores and chain restaurants still employ members of our community, but it’s safe to assume that in many cases the lion’s share of profits is shipped to another state.

Local charities need help too. When you round-up spending at fast-food chains, it’s worth investigating where that money goes and who benefits. Take a minute and decide if that cause is superior to those of struggling charitable organizations here.

Remember that money could be used to help local families in need. It might make a difference for your children’s classmates.

Investing locally is important for those who can spare the dime. It’s possible paying a slightly higher price at a local store will help them grow and offset taxes for the community when they expand.

At the end of the day, how you vote with your wallet counts. I know it’s not always so simple, and time, convenience and costs must be considered.

But when you can afford to, try to remember local organizations and businesses employ friends, family members and neighbors.

In St. Lawrence County, the largest employer remains the government. That’s not exactly a sustainable model and we need to remember that when we are spending if we want that to change.

I’m not asking anyone to stop shopping online. I’m just reminding you that a dollar invested in the community can pay dividends. It’s worth thinking about how you’re casting those green ballots.

Jimmy Lawton is news editor of North Country This Week and NorthCountryNow.com