Judging from our media, you would think that Americans made the Thanksgiving holidays specifically for shopping. Each American spends an average of $856 on the holidays, according to the American Research Group.

Most of those hard-earned dollars will go straight to China, since more than 70 percent of the goods on store shelves are from there. If we multiply that by the current U.S. population, that's $257, 775, 794, 632 leaving home for the holidays! I was surprised that shopping wasn't an Olympic event this year, considering how skilled we have become at sending our money overseas.

If you shop for the good of the economy, keep in mind that buying products made outside of your community means that your money also leaves home for the holidays. Instead, feed your local economy by making your own gifts and buying what gifts you can't make from local, independent stores and artisans.

A recent economic study conducted in Austin, Texas found that if each household in Travis County (population 921,006) simply redirected just $100 of planned holiday spending from chain stores (carrying cheap imports) to locally owned merchants, the local economic impact would reach approximately $10 million. Imagine how $10 million would boost your community's economy.

It used to be that time was less important than money in our culture, but we have become a nation of work-a-holics. A recent survey found that 70 percent of us (making more than $30K/year) would gladly give up a full day's pay to have that day off from work. If you are buying gifts or giving money, you are cheating your loved ones. Instead, give gifts of time. Offer to change an elderly parent's light bulbs to compact fluorescents, or give them a coupon good for a free day's worth of caulking and winterizing. This is something they could really use, and time spent together will benefit you both.

On average, we spend between 20 and 40 hours shopping for holiday gifts and waiting in long lines. You could easily make most of your holiday gifts in that time and have the added bonus of time shared as a family. Climate writer Bill McKibben, in his excellent book "Hundred Dollar Holiday" says, "I can remember almost every present that someone's made for me since we started doing these Hundred Dollar Holidays. And that's testimony in itself. I have no idea what gifts came in all those great piles under the tree in previous years. They didn't attach themselves to particular faces, particular memories."

Saturday, Nov. 30 is National Shop Small Businesses Day, encouraging consumers to spend their holiday dollars in mom and pop stores instead of large chain stores. If you're buying gifts, shop local. Even better, spend time with your children and make presents for everyone.

By simply redirecting $100 of your holiday spending to a locally owned retailer, you could help pump more than $10 million into your local economy.

Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning columnist and founder of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at ShawnDellJoyce@gmail.com. To find out more about Shawn Dell Joyce and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM