Since the pandemic began we have been dealing with random shortages, and supply chain issues. Our news station, WJON, shared a quote this week from John Hauslauden with the Minnesota Truckers Association:

This is a systemic problem that's been with us for years and it's just really growing worse. If you take a look right now, Minnesota is short, well..... over 31-hundred truck drivers.

The Minnesota Center for Transportation Excellence says that about 61,000 truck drivers are going to be needed in the next five years just to keep even.

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Ordering things online and shipping things is still going to be a necessity this holiday season, and forever. That's just how the world works now. Supply chain issues will be impossible to avoid altogether, but you can control them a little bit this fall.

Buy from local retailers and vendors.

A great way to do this is by attending craft and gift shows. Craft/Gift/Vendor shows are everywhere this time of year, and there are so many talented people set up at them selling really cool things. You can buy items on-site and avoid the shipping altogether, and in the process, you're supporting a small creator, and business owner, in your area.

Have someone who you view as "hard to shop for?" Find a local boutique. There are lots around Central Minnesota that offer lots of unique items the person you're shopping for will be sure to love.

Not sure what to get someone? Pick up a gift card to a local place they love, whether it's the place they get coffee every morning, their go-to hair salon, their favorite tattoo parlor, or a place they go to treat themselves. Gift cards are a great way to keep it local this holiday season, and you (most of the time) don't need to worry about shipping issues with them.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and some things will probably need to be ordered and shipped this year. But if you want to avoid the bulk of supply chain issues when it comes to holiday shopping this year, keep it local. I'm going to share with you one of my favorite inspirational quotes I see on Pinterest:

When you buy from a small business, an actal person does a little happy dance.

Make someone happy dance this holiday shopping season.

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