There is strength in numbers.

Many of us feel an overwhelming desire to make a difference, to do SOMETHING, on a range of issues we face as a society. Whether it’s efforts to roll back women’s rights to choose, to limit bodily autonomy, to restrict who we want to be or to love who we love, to block popular common sense gun safety measures, or to limit or restrict voting rights — there is a shared and growing sense of frustration and outrage with our seeming powerlessness to effect the desired change.

Together, we have an opportunity to make a difference. Together, our power not only as voters, but as consumers, can be harnessed to drive the change we wish to see. While some corporations apply their millions in direct opposition to our views on these issues, we — as consumers — have trillions of dollars at our fingertips that can be leveraged for a better societal outcome.

Let’s look at an example of the potential fiscal impact of a small purchasing switch away from companies using their dollars against our rights and freedoms. If one person switches their annual purchasing choices for 3 common products — toilet paper, paper towels and internet access — that adds up to an annual average of $1,250* in redirected individual purchasing power.

Now let’s magnify that: if the 180 million Americans who support marriage equality join together and make the same three product switches, that becomes a whopping $225 billion in annual aggregate spending power. Together, we can vote with our dollars to make a difference!