50 Ways to Starve the Beast

Daisy Luther
Activist Post

A term coined in 1985 by an unnamed staffer of the Reagan administration was “Starve the Beast”. This referred to a fiscally conservative political strategy to cut government spending by paying less in taxes. So, in the original sense, “the Beast” was the government, and people were to starve the beast by spending less and using loopholes, therefore paying less in taxes.

These days the Beast has a lot more tentacles than just the government. The system now consists of the government and all aspects of Big Business. Big Agri, Big Pharma, Big Medicine, Big Food, Big Banking and Big Oil, to name a few. It seems that now it’s the Beast doing the starving, as small businesses close because they can’t compete with Wal-Mart, the family farm is on its way out because it can’t compete with the huge, subsidized Monsanto mega-farms, people are going bankrupt because they can’t pay the outrageous medical bills…

Perhaps it’s time for another financial revolution – one where people group together and use the power of the boycott to starve all the arms of this Beast that would swallow us whole. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, from necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families that were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths.

Every penny you spend with small local businesses is a penny that the big box stores won’t have. 

Everything that you buy secondhand or barter for is an item on which you won’t pay sales tax. 

Disassociate yourself completely with “the system” that is making Western civilization broke, overweight and unhealthy.

Starve the Beast by taking as many of these steps as possible…

  1. Grow your own food (this starves Big Agri and Big Pharma both)
  2. Shop at local businesses with no corporate ties
  3. Use natural remedies instead of pharmaceuticals whenever possible
  4. Homeschool your children
  5. Walk or bike instead of driving when possible
  6. Get care from naturopaths and healers instead of doctors
  7. Make paper logs from scraps for free heat if you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove
  8. Boycott all processed foods
  9. Shop at local farmers markets
  10. Boycott corporate stores: Wal-Mart, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot
  11. Give vouchers as gifts for an evening of babysitting, a homemade meal, walking the dog, doing a repair, or cleaning
  12. Join a CSA or farm co-op
  13. Ditch television (and all the propaganda and commercials)
  14. Participate in the barter system – if no money changes hands, no tax can be added
  15. Buy secondhand from yard sales, Craigslist and thrift stores
  16. Sell your unwanted goods by having a yard sale or by putting an ad on Craigslist
  17. Repair things instead of replacing them
  18. Avoid fast food restaurants and chain restaurants
  19. Dine at locally owned establishments if you eat out
  20. Brew your own beer and wine
  21. Read a book, purchased second-hand or borrowed
  22. Grow or gather medicinal herbs
  23. Give homemade gifts
  24. Attend free local activities: lectures, concerts, play days at the park, library events
  25. Dumpster dive
  26. Play outside: hike, bike, picnic
  27. Mend clothing
  28. Invite someone over for dinner instead of meeting at a restaurant
  29. Throw creative birthday parties at home for your kids instead of renting a venue
  30. Camp instead of staying at a hotel
  31. Bring your coffee with you in a travel mug
  32. Do all of your Christmas shopping with small local businesses and artisans
  33. Reduce your electricity usage with candles, solar power and non-tech entertainment
  34. Drop the thermostat and put on a sweater
  35. Bring your snacks and drinks in a cooler when you go on a road trip
  36. Stay home – it’s way easier to avoid temptation that way
  37. Pack lunches for work and school
  38. Make delicious homemade treats as a hostess gift
  39. Close your bank account; or, at the very least, strictly limit your balance
  40. Visit u-pick berry patches and orchards, then preserve your harvest for the winter
  41. Use precious metals stored at home as your savings account
  42. Raise backyard chickens for your own eggs
  43. If you are a smoker, roll your own cigarettes – if possible go one step further and grow tobacco
  44. Live in a smaller, more efficient home
  45. Use solar power for lighting or cooking
  46. Collect rainwater for use in the garden
  47. Learn to forage
  48. Buy heavy, solid, handmade furniture instead of the flimsy imported stuff
  49. At the holidays, focus on activities and traditions instead of gifts. Go for a walk or drive through the neighborhood to look at lights, get into your PJs and watch a special movie together on Christmas Eve and make certain treats that can always be expected
  50. Make your own bath and body products using pure ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, and herbal extracts

How do you Starve the Beast? Please share your suggestions below…

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Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at [email protected]


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