Social/Digital Media Swaps & Recommendations
Pre-January 20th Checklist
Suggestions by contributors found on @magnolianbeefsauce | TikTok
OVERALL WHY:
One goal is to limit consumption while keeping sustainability as a priority.
Making sure you feel prepared for the unknown can help some ease the anxiety caused by that unknown. While this might feel overwhelming, please understand this is beneficial for some of our mental health to give us direction, focus, and actionable steps to be proactive about what we cannot control. -- And we cannot control everything, so it’s the little victories we need to celebrate.
** Please also do a little bit of self research before fully committing to any of these changes, as this is a community-made list, and we’re not all experts- including me.**
You do NOT need to do everything. Just what you can. We’re all in this together. 💙
If you still want to be connected with me, here are my socials: Instagram, Lemon8, Bluesky, YouTube, RedNote
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CATEGORIES (Each include at least recommendations, AND swaps):
TOP 10 ACTIONABLE ITEMS TO DO BEFORE 1/20
❌ Google, Facebook Messenger, SMS for sensitive information ✅ Proton Mail, Tuta, or Thunderbird, and Signal app, or Session app (Messaging apps for privacy)
SOCIAL/DIGITAL MEDIA 🧑💻📱🛜🔇
Swaps 🔄
❌ OUT ❌ | ❔ WHY ❔ | ✅ IN ✅ | 🗒️ Notes 🗒️ |
Spotify | Fired thousands of employees and pay artists poorly CEO cashed out over half a billion $ | Physical media Library book sales! (Sometimes include CDs!!) | |
Netflix Disney+ Hulu Other TV subscriptions | Saving $$$, Using our time more creatively | Dropout TV Library rentals Library book sales! (Sometimes include DVDs!!) Look for free platforms, or free to air, buy physical media | Some libraries give you access to Kanopy, which is a free streaming service for movies and tv. |
GoodReads | Amazon (Bezos) owns GoodReads & StoryGraph is Black & Female-owned | Bookmory HardCover | Some users have complained that Fable’s book database is small right now, (AND had some racist controversy recently, so research first!!), and StoryGraph lacks the social aspect GoodReads has. ALSO SG is “opt-in” and uses small doses of GenAI, but Fable is largely AI. I guess pick your poison between the three. Do a little more research. 💕 |
Audible | The library is still a democratic institution- some also have museum passes, 3D printers, board games, video games, classes, state park passes, etc. The other apps are free! | Library card | You do need a library card to use Libby and Hoopla && Libby has audiobooks AND books you can borrow and download to your Kindle |
Gmail | More data privacy (No selling your personal/private data to big businesses, (i.e. targeted marketing for one) | *Proton Mail allows you to transfer all your previous contacts and emails *Tuta doesn’t require a mobile # = more anonymous!! *Don’t forget to switch your email info in websites/apps you use or for school, work, etc. | |
(Chrome as in the web browser) | More data privacy Secure untraced browsing | DuckDuckGo | If still using Google Maps, make your settings v strict *G Suite has better privacy guidelines, but free accounts do not *Ecosia plants one tree for every search Firefox separates your searches in a way where your research, purchases, and general browsing aren’t connected/leave a trail to you |
The Cloud (use w encryption —>) | Data protection!! | (NOT A SWAP, BUT USE…) Cryptomater to encrypt to cloud backup | Also helpful to have a physical SSD that’s also encrypted |
SMS/texts (during emergencies!!) | Allows you to send encrypted text messages in an emergency and to organize | ||
Big wireless phone companies | While the smaller options are still under the big companies, we’re wasting WAY less money for the same services. | Your service may be slower with the smaller options, but I personally haven’t noticed a difference. | |
Microsoft 365 | Libre Office doesn’t pull your writing to train AI Zoho office has a ton of familiar and useful features Microsoft also donated to T’s campaign | OpenOffice? | Not sure if the link found for LibreOffice is what was meant to be suggested or not. Look into that more first. |
Facebook and Instagram Twitter (X) | Got rid of Meta which is a fact-checking program that removes bias and discriminatory slander. X is owned by Elon Neptune is in the beta phase but should be released this spring. It is like TikTok, Pinterest, and Tumblr had a baby. | PixelFed | Save all your photos and memories off first! *Other apps that use Meta include WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Threads, Giphy, & MetaQuest **While you’re at it, if you WANT to leave any of these apps in the appstore a 1⭐️, and say WHY we’re all moving away you could! |
Windows Steam & GOG | More focus on privacy Good for gaming and have a good desktop environment | If you stick with Windows, don’t use recommended settings. (It has a feature where it saves screenshots of your screen every few seconds) |
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Get a Solis-portable Wifi/VPN | Make sure your privacy will be protected so it doesn’t let just anyone know what you do or where you are on your phone. Some are as low as $5/month! | |
Subscribe to DeleteMe | This is “a subscription service that helps users remove their personal information from the internet, including from data broker sites, search engines, and other sites” | |
Turn off targeted ads and notifications (besides tests/emails) on your phone. Update your privacy settings to give as few apps as little info as possible | Data privacy and less temptation to engage with apps that are trying to get you to spend more money or waste more time (ex. Games, social media, etc.) |
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If you have an iPhone, stop Siri from spying on you | This will prevent Siri from learning/spying on your apps and collecting data | You can do this by going to settings —> Siri —> Apps —> turn off all permissions |
No more Alexa or Siri devices | These devices constantly listen to you and have so much data on you | Go through the setup and delete history, & stop memory too. Ask Google to send a list of data they have gathered and have them delete it. |
Move TV out of bedroom | It is the biggest time suck and wasting your creative energy | |
Reject cookies on websites and clear data cache | ||
Create content (content creators) on BlueSky or YouTube | Not going away as of now, and Meta is not attached to them (which is getting rid of fact-checking) | Note that YouTube IS owned by Google, so think about that when making whatever switch you decide |
Next up: Finance/ Shopping [Page 8-11]
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FINANCE/SHOPPING 💳🛒🏧🛍️
Swaps 🔄
❌ OUT ❌ | ❔ WHY ❔ | ✅ IN ✅ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Big banks & digital wallet cards | Credit unions aren’t minions to shareholders and actually serve members. Most of the money goes back into the community while big banks fund companies that don’t benefit us. | Local credit union (+ high yield savings account) | Do more research before fully switching |
Unnecessary subscriptions (& subscription emails) | Decreases your non necessary impulse buying so you can save Take money you were spending anyway to something bigger than yourself that doesn’t just put money in the pockets of big corporations. | Cancel subscriptions and unsubscribe from shopping emails (for BIG businesses) Donating same $ amount to non-profits you care about (if you can afford to) | Don’t think you’re saving money when you get an email about a sale for some site you like. If it’s not something you need, or something you were planning on buying anyway, you’re spending money then- not saving it! You do not need to donate the money you save from cancelling subscriptions, this is just what some are doing because they can afford to. ☺️ |
Using debit cards (With big banks) | This limits the amount of tracking/data banks get on what we buy, where, how frequently, etc. Banks can and do sell this info!! | Use cash more often (if you can!!) | |
Zelle | Zelle is used within big banks, which we don’t support | Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m sorry!! | |
Amazon subscription | Wasting money monthly on an app we are trying not to use, to avoid giving our money to big billionaires The last 3 are Amazon alternatives for eco and ethical shopping | ||
Barnes n Noble (sorry!!!) | Saving soooo much money!! | Library (& library book sales!!) Locally owned & new book stores | Most of the time you can choose the condition it comes in too. |
Big insurance companies | Companies are cutting back coverage for members or leaving states all together that are natural disaster locations (i.e. California, Florida) | Small local car/home insurance companies | These insurance companies randomly ended coverage for thousands of people’s homes in the LA area affected by fires. |
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
2-6 months savings nest | Just to be prepared for anything. This is an emergency fund. | This is important to have whether the nation’s climate was like this or not. |
Shop at Black-owned, LGBTQIA, female-owned local businesses | This is the time to support smaller businesses and underrepresented communities, as these communities are being targeted by the upcoming administration. | Some recommendations include: *Fula Beauty (Hand-crafted items made by family in Africa @ good prices- $5 sales at end of each month *Remedy Kitchen Vegan Food (Teaches you how to eat whole food plant based so you can dump the poisons) *Rympok Travel *MyFlo app *Lapo Lounge * Lather and Fizz *Sincerely Shay Shoppe on Etsy (Coming Jan ‘25) *Iamtheglow.com *The McNoodles *Pop Fizzion *GreenFeatherBookCo *WarehouseRoyGBiv *Madani Naturals intentionalist.com *VA & ShowitWeb Design (virtual assistant/web designer) *Colorful Plates *Full Circle Candles-Suwanee *The BeLoved Box *Tillamook (Farmer coop dedicated to ethics and not selling out) *TheWillcreative *Nailsbykimz (press ons) *Olive & Oakley (jewelry) *_kristine.ortiz (nails) *The Spice Suite *JudyMakesJuices (cold press juice) *www.creed63.com (coworking space & does business consulting and legal work for businesses) *taylorraeco (affordable women-owned custom bridal & alterations) *Silkandsunshinegoods on Etsy (crochet pieces & more) *CeeCee’s Closet NYC LLC (African scrub net) *Anderson+Joy (customizable bath & body care business that’s vegan & cruelty free) *Nabakindo (skin care) |
Take care of anything pricier that will need to be taken care of soon, now. Including new tires, old electronics, etc. | Tariffs, ya’ll. Most of the things we own are imported. Even American brands have their products outsourced internationally and WE as the consumers are about to be paying for the tariff increases. | |
Buy books that you want from the proposed banned books list | This proposal aims to remove these books not only from schools, but ALSO from public libraries. Find them before you can’t! | To save money, you do NOT have to buy these brand new. Check out this swap from earlier |
For shopping: Use Boycat app | *Scan QR codes with it to see if the product/brand goes against campaigns/causes you’re trying to support *Checks ethical fashion and skincare brands | This app is still early in development, but a great source! |
Negotiate for interest rate reduction for credit cards | Pay off your debts faster!! | |
Download Goods Unite Us app | Shows you what party different companies support/donate to in order to be more mindful of your consumerism and who you are supporting | |
Look at corporations to boycott | Big business that fund/support the big orange man | Scroll a little ways down the linked page to the 2024 donations |
Bring your own bags to stores | Reduces plastic use which harms our planet bc climate change is REAL | You can reuse the plastic one you already have, make some, or buy a couple reusable ones to keep |
Donate to independent news organizations, local radio, or libraries (If you can!!) Ex: The Guardian, Public Citizen, etc. | Helps support sources of unshackled journalism and info sharing- ESPECIALLY incase freedom of the press is infringed | |
Donate items you haven’t worn in the last year or do a swap with friends of items you don’t use anymore | Allows you to declutter and get rid of unnecessary things- makes you rethink fast-fashion, impulse, fashion trend purchases because… how many times did you wear that? | You don’t need to fall prey to another trend and waste more money you don’t have. |
Next up: Home Living [Page 12-13]
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HOME LIVING (groceries, sentimentals, etc.)
Swaps 🔄
❌ OUT ❌ | ❔ WHY ❔ | ✅ IN ✅ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Digital or single copies of important documents | Just in case something mysterious happens and the records are “gone” | Print extra copies of all critical documents (birth certificate, passport/card, marriage license, college transcripts, workplace contract w employee benefits, important contact #s, insurance policies, life, medical, dental, auto, home/rental, lease, mortgage, deed, etc.) | Keep these in a fire-resistant container!! |
Big grocery stores/supermarkets (Walmart, Target, etc.) Sam’s Club | Our government allows too many chemicals in our food that are BANNED in other countries- they don’t actually care about our health. Tariffs will increase groceries over time, while local farmers grow their own food Sam’s Club gave money to T’s campaign | Local farmers/grocers/butchers/markets/community gardens | This will be one of the hardest adjustments because we all NEED food. Take baby steps, even little changes make a big difference overall. |
Aluminum, ceramic, non-stick, ceramic, plastic and copper cookware | Less toxic swaps to make sure you’re poisoning yourself less (We’re trying to avoid PFAS chemicals, BPAs, and heavy metals in our bodies) | Stainless steel Cast iron | Doing this slowly will be more cost effective. Look at FB Marketplace (or Craigslist, etc. bc- Facebook), or thrift stores! Ross and Home Goods even have some!! |
Ordering out/delivery | Saving money on unnecessary spending and eating healthier/more consciously | Meal prep Bulk buy frozen meat, veggies, and spices and store away BEFORE tariffs hit Learn how to make soup cubes with a vacuum sealer Learn to bake bread and wraps |
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Physical copies of what you normally look up online (recipes, articles, homecare, electrical, plumbing, medical books, helps, local directions/maps) && your photos!! (Or a hard drive to put digital copies on) | In the case of the internet going down, paywalls become more prevalent or fact-checking programming is completely absolved. | Can thrift books on these or print- some libraries having printing services |
Next up: Health/Reproductive Rights [Page 14-15]
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HEALTH/REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS (period trackers, products, etc.)
Swaps 🔄
❌ OUT ❌ | ❔ WHY ❔ | ✅ IN ✅ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Flo (Certain data tracking apps) | More data privacy, and Aavia & Stardust female-owned. Clue is based out of Germany & assures data protection WHICH has the best privacy laws in the globe | Plus, Flo was getting low-key creepy with the intimate recommendations and questions knowing the owner is a dude | |
Disposable female hygiene products | Reusable, clean products (Menstrual cups, discs, period panties) | Cheaper in the long run, so many disposables are toxic, and companies can track when you are/n’t on your period based on your purchasing habits |
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Update immunizations and health checks | So many of our health insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, etc.) are being threatened and could potentially be taken away | |
Stock up on generic Plan B, & condoms Get long-term birth control Get a check up!! | Suggestions from Project 2025 and the threat of Medicare and Medicaid being removed would limit your access to these things. ALSO, free/cheaper services and resources from Planned Parenthood can go away if reproductive care/rights are stripped | Costco has generic Plan B for $5!! You can only get 2 per visit, but worth a few visits as a backup, and are good for about 4 years!! |
Switch to a local independent pharmacy | IF your insurance allows it, so you’re not literally paying big pharma |
Next up: Health/Reproductive Rights [Page 16-17]
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PLANNING (wills, trusts, education passports, etc.)
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Get a Will and Living Trust,
| Declares what you want done with your assets, as well as your body, sentimentals, etc. when you pass. | Some local university law departments can assist for free. Or legal aid! |
Update or apply for a passport (& Global Entry!!) AND dual citizenship (if you are eligible!!) | To prepare if the need arises to temporarily or indefinitely flee the US with a VISA, etc. Global Entry gives you TSA PreCheck and easier entry at customs in some foreign countries It is ~$120 and lasts 5 years (You can also renew yours online without having to do another interview) FBI might suffer under upcoming administration, so at least getting a background check now before your passport is important. | Please come up with an evacuation plan now. -Where will you go if you need to? -What documents do you need to make sure are ready right now? -What is your breaking point before you leave? -What is a non-negotiable that you cannot live in this country with until it is resolved? *Connect with expat groups already in your top 3-5 countries on your list to network!! |
Update driver’s license | Important to have this up to date in case you suddenly need it and it's suddenly or about to expire- check the expiration date! | Especially if you don’t have theRealID yet- it will be required this year to fly anywhere!! |
Update/Apply for new FAFSA application | While it is very possible nothing will happen, T is threatening to dismantle the DOE which affects K-12 AND college students. Ensuring coverage now is better than waiting to see if this ends up getting shut down. | You CAN apply for this as a graduate and beyond student!! Your 2024 taxes don’t have to be lied yet, you’ll use your ‘23 tax info |
Purpose Prep Academy (woman-owned, black-owned online academy) | Your education is important and cannot be taken from you. These options are so affordable and great on resumes/ some transferable to universities!! | While the owner of LinkedIn (Reid Hoffman) is a billionaire, he's the only tech one that does not support T |
Next up: Self-Sustenance/Community [Page 18-19]
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SELF-SUSTENANCE/COMMUNITY 👥🪡🧺🌽
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Buy seeds (even if you live in an apartment) | Access to good quality food could be impacted or restricted (especially ones that are affordable) and this is a quick cheap investment just incase | This does not mean start planting a garden- especially if you don’t have the funds, space, or mental energy for this right now. |
Get together an emergency kit/Go bag (Cash in small bills, backpack, N95 masks, pet supplies, gorilla tape, knife, spare batteries, paper maps, first aid kit, hat, raincoat, compass, lighter, gas mask, non-perishables that don’t require cooking (high protein & carbs is best), feminine products (incl. Pregnancy tests, etc.), soap, tinned water, list of meds and back ups, whistle, bulk rice & beans, crank flashlight/radio) | This is just to be prepared if you are not leaving the country and things escalate- social unrest, protests, etc. | This is honestly great to have for natural disasters anyway. Or for an apocalypse, unless you don’t mind accepting your fate and getting munched on. (Sry I’m throwing in a joke bc this list is a lot) Camping stores, outdoors stores, and local hardware stores will have a lot of these supplies if you are trying to avoid Amazon |
Learn new skills (When you have time!!) | Skills like gardening, food preservation, basic outdoor skills, comprehensive first aid, basic herbalism, sewing, change a tire, visible mending, sashiko, self-defense, shooting, survival skills, wilderness first aid, canning, combat medicine | You can also start a written list of local repair resources if you know you won’t be able to learn some of these. (ex: cobbler, seamstress, etc.) See if your community has, or if you can start, a group that does skill swaps/trades so you can all learn essentials from each other |
Join a community (club/group/volunteer,etc.) | Don’t let the state of our country make you feel isolated- get involved and surround yourself with others who have similar interests and values. | This contributes to social capital and helps you and others build skills Some places you can look are at clubs through your school, apps like MeetUp, and even flyers at local shops and cafes for events with like-minded people. |
Buy a gun and get the license/card you need in your state Learn how to make molotovs & how to protect yourself from tear gas | If things become violent/dangerous, and you need to protect yourself- whether in your home or out protesting, know your rights and be prepared to defend yourself and others |
Next up: Miscellaneous [Page 20]
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MISCELLANEOUS
Recommendations
WHAT | ❔ WHY ❔ | 🗒️ NOTES 🗒️ |
Learn how to say “la migra” | If you spot I.C.E. out in public and yell it out, you can save people’s lives | Might sound silly, but can be especially important in certain places (like the South) |
Content creators recommended: @ iancarrollshow @ sirkadean @ avacoaching0 @ DumpsterDoggyInvesting @ mysticbotanicaherbs (IG) | Has a list of what to buy now, save, etc. Great 2025 Prep list! Advice on how to be financially free Gives you more info on personal finance if you want to invest (but not w big corporations) Clinical herbalist if anyone has any questions/needs | Giving money to big institutions is still empowering them |
Print a 100 free fun/creative things to do | Gives you creative outlets and ideas when you need positive distractions or to remove yourself from doom scrolling or your device screen |