--- title: The Women Refusing to Participate in Trump's Economy description: Some women are thinking about the economic impact Donald Trump could have—and they're determined to be prepared. canonical: https://time.com/7207529/women-refusing-to-participate-in-trump-economy/ author: Simmone Shah article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-01-16T18:00:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:50:14.212Z article:section: Politics og:title: The Women Refusing to Participate in Trump's Economy og:description: Some women are thinking about the economic impact Donald Trump could have—and they're determined to be prepared. og:url: https://time.com/7207529/women-refusing-to-participate-in-trump-economy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt662130ecf5d2c06d/6998b28507a30d0a1177abfe/trump-economy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: trump-economy og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Women Refusing to Participate in Trump's Economy twitter:description: Some women are thinking about the economic impact Donald Trump could have—and they're determined to be prepared. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt662130ecf5d2c06d/6998b28507a30d0a1177abfe/trump-economy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Women Refusing to Participate in Trump's Economy > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=bac231a0-c49f-4546-9996-121a57ba4173&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump Issues a Series of Presidential Actions on Day 1 [Watch (HLS stream): Trump Issues a Series of Presidential Actions on Day 1](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GxXJnNk4.m3u8) (3:50)  _Published 2025-01-21. President Trump on Monday issued a barrage of executive orders, kicking off his presidency with a muscular use of power intended to signal a sharp reversal from existing policies on issues including immigration, the environment and diversity initiatives._  by [Simmone Shah](https://time.com/author/simmone-shah/)  ## Simmone Shah Reporter Jan 16, 2025 6:00 PM UTC  In light of Donald Trump's return to the White House, some women are considering the potential impacts on the economy and how they might best prepare themselves. In light of Donald Trump's return to the White House, some women are considering the potential impacts on the economy and how they might best prepare themselves. Photo-Illustration by TIME; Brandon Bell—Getty Images  by [Simmone Shah](https://time.com/author/simmone-shah/)  ## Simmone Shah Reporter Jan 16, 2025 6:00 PM UTC In the days after the [2024 presidential election](https://time.com/7173338/donald-trump-wins-election-2024/), Ana Thompson felt hopeless. “I was very scared about the outcome and what could potentially happen to our country,” she says. Thompson, who makes TikTok videos focused on personal finance, began thinking about the economic impact President-elect Donald Trump could have—and how she might be able to help people prepare. Taking action, she made a TikTok urging women to prioritize their personal finances.“We have no idea where this country is headed or what is going to happen over these next four years, but what I do know is that you are going to have a lot more options if you have money,” she said in her post. “I do expect to see some changes to our economy over the next four years, and people are clearly already struggling as is,” Thompson tells TIME. “I want them to be prepared for what's to come.” The Trump Administration has proposed a slew of changes that could have wide-reaching impacts on the economy—from universal[ tariffs on imported goods,](https://time.com/7198822/trump-tariffs-imports-mexico-canada-china/) cuts to student loan relief, and tax cuts that [experts say](https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/donald-trump-tax-plan-2024/) could disproportionately benefit high-income taxpayers while leaving low and middle-income taxpayers behind. These are changes that many believe could impact their own personal finances—and some women are beginning to take action to prepare themselves, whether it be reducing their spending, reallocating their money away from big businesses, or shoring up their savings. ## **Rethinking big business** Sara Belhouari, a financial advisor based in Brooklyn, is implementing what she calls “financial activism,” a process that involves spending her money with more intentionality. She’s been rethinking her support of large corporations. With companies—[including Amazon and Uber](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/corporate-america-pledges-donations-trump-inauguration-2024-12-17/)—pledging donations to Trump’s inauguration fund, Belhouari plans to stop supporting businesses that don’t align with her values. “These corporations have so much money, influence, and power.” she says. “A lot of the companies that I've chosen not to support are donating to politicians that are going to push forward really harmful practices.” Nabihah Ahmad, a student at Columbia University, has long made it a point to support businesses that prioritize things like sustainability or fair labor practices. Last year, she built an [online search engine](https://www.ethos-ssqrd.co/) to help people find alternatives to products from companies profiting off the [Israel-Hamas war](https://time.com/7207250/ceasefire-gaza-israel-hamas/). In the wake of the presidential election, she expanded it to champion black-owned and women-owned businesses in the United States. She says that millions of people have visited the site each month, and that it’s a sign that people are becoming more cognizant of their purchasing power and its impact. “There's just been this societal shift towards being conscious consumers and using our purchasing power correctly when it comes to climate change or political issues,” she says. “Our money very much controls the outcomes of all of these things.” According to an April 2024 [Nielson](https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2024/shaping-success-a-deep-dive-into-womens-impact-on-the-cpg-landscape/) study, women control an estimated $31.8 trillion of worldwide spending, and are expected to control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028. Thompson hopes that individual actions like “no-buys," in which participants refrain from unnecessary shopping, or supporting small businesses rather than multi-million dollar corporations, can allow women to feel more political agency. “Specifically with _Roe v. Wade_ being overturned, women in general feel like they're losing control over their bodies,” she says. “Giving them an area that they can focus on, or they can make an impact with their dollars and make a difference, I think, can be really encouraging for women to hear.” **Read More**:[ _What Donald Trump’s Win Means for the Economy_](https://time.com/7095898/donald-trump-economy-plan-2024/) ## **Saving for uncertainty** Many are choosing to prioritize their savings to prepare for potential economic uncertainty. Elysia Berman, a creative director based in New York, says that to save money, she is planning to spend less and shop locally—whether it be buying groceries at a local market or participating in clothing swaps. “I want to be as intentional with my money as I can be,” she explains. For Marisa Savegnago, a wedding photographer and marketer in Illinois, this has become the norm. During the pandemic, when ordering online often felt like the safest option, she found herself stuck at home, surrounded by things she didn’t really need. “I remember just waking up one day and being like, ‘Wow, we have so much stuff,’” she says. “It was kind of suffocating.” This realization prompted her to rethink her shopping habits—focusing more on buying second-hand and patronizing local businesses. She now can’t imagine living any other way. “Growing up in the middle class, I've seen everyone around me struggle at one point or another, and seeing the profits that have been coming out of these massive corporations these past couple of years, while the middle class is really suffering, has just been really sickening to me,” she says. By avoiding shopping through big corporations, Savegnago has been able to invest more in her community. It’s something she hopes more people can begin to do. “We need to hold ourselves more accountable to where we're spending our money and who we're supporting,” she says. “I think we should be supporting each other significantly more than we have been in the past.” If the Trump Administration’s proposals do bring about higher prices, Berman thinks more people will begin to spend less—out of necessity. “Ultimately, it comes down to feeling the pressures of late stage capitalism. I think a lot of people are just not earning enough. Things cost too much. There's a housing crisis, there's a cost of living crisis,” she argues. “I think people are seeing that the incoming presidency and incoming Administration aren't invested in actually lowering the cost of living, so they're going to do it themselves by just opting out of capitalism.” Belhouari believes that as more people look for political agency, they’ll turn to their wallets. “Our politics is now so embedded in these corporations that are spending millions of dollars lobbying for certain politicians to push forward their initiatives, and their initiatives essentially are to help the corporation make money at all costs,” she says. “The reality is that the cost has become too high.” ### More From TIME ## Transcript First, we have a list of pardons and commutations relating to events that occurred on January 6th, 2021. Okay. And how many people have this? I think this order will apply to approximately 1500 people, sir. So this is January 6th, and these are the hostages. Approximately 1500 for a pardon. Full pardon. Full pardon or commutation. Full pardon. We have about six commutations in there where we're doing further research. Okay. Nice to see you again, sir. So this is a big one. Anything you want to explain about this? We hope they get them. We hope they come out tonight, frankly. This is a proclamation guaranteeing the state's protection against invasion based on the current crisis at the southern border. It invokes various executive powers relating to the ongoing invasion at the southern border. Sir, this is an executive order realigning the United States Refugee Admission Program to better align with American principles and American interests. This next executive order. Is about protecting America from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats. Again, crisis at the border. But it goes beyond that. And it implicates other executive powers as well. Yeah. So President Trump, if the cartels are now going to be seen as foreign terror organizations, would you think about ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico to take them out? Could happen. Stranger things have happened. Can we expect Ice raids in major cities? I don't want to say when, but it's going to happen. It has to happen. Or we're not going to have a country left. This is actually an executive order designating the cartels and other organizations to be foreign terrorist organizations. That's a big one. Yes, sir. People have wanted to do this for years. So they are now designated as terrorist organizations. Foreign and. uh, Mexico probably doesn't want that. But we have to do what's right. So we paid $500 million to World Health when I was here, and I terminated it. China with 1.4 billion people. We have 350. We have. Nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But let's say we have 325. They had 1.4 billion. They were paying 39 million. We were paying 500 million. It seemed a little unfair to me. So that wasn't the reason, but I dropped out. They offered me to come back for 39 million. In theory, it should be less than that. But, you know, uh, and when Biden came back, they came back for 500 million. He knew that you could have come back for 39 million. They wanted us back so badly. So we'll see what happens. Mr. president, pretty sad, though. Think of it. China pays 39 million and we pay 500 million. And China is a bigger country. Don't you see the importance of organization like that to coordinate a global response? 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