The governors of many states are taking the precaution of closing all of the places where people gather for several weeks. This will help promote social isolation and prevent the spread of the epidemic.
However, it is also very difficult on the small business and organizations which rely on all of us to keep their businesses going. Here are some ideas of how to support local businesses. Let us know your ideas in the comments.
- Restaurants - Most restaurants will offer take out during this time. Call in an order and they will bring the food out to your car. This will help them get through this time and help you stretch your supplies. Of course most fast food restaurants already have drive thru service as well.
- Delivery Services - Many restaurants now work with services like DoorDash to deliver food to local addresses. Now you can get delivery of a lot more than pizza. However, these services can be expensive so picking up your order will be a more frugal choice.
- Independent Stores - Many independent stores are still open. They can be worth checking for supplies that you can't find at some of the bigger stores. Plus many are providing the option of calling in orders so you can pick it up without browsing.
- Movies and Arts - We'll be enjoying our home cinemas for a while but we can still support the arts. Consider buying tickets for shows later in the year or a gift certificate for next year.
