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Today was the first time I’ve ever voted with an absentee ballot. It was an interesting experience to say the least. It felt like taking an open-book test, where I could research each amendment and candidate as I went along.

But although I was able to take the time to find information on each, making a choice was still a little difficult for me. I’m not much of a black-and-white kind of gal. I vote on a case-by-case basis, which explains why I waited until the last minute to choose my presidential candidate.

The ballot is signed, seal, and ready for delivery to the Supervisor of Elections, yet I still wonder how much my vote really counts. Sure, I made the best choices given the information I have. And yes, my candidate shares many of my same beliefs. But are my efforts and faith enough?

Do a little digging behind any so-called political problem and you’re sure to find money working as the puppeteer. Let’s take oil for example. Do you really think that by now our streets couldn’t be flooded with cars that run off something other than gas? Do we really need to go to war for this resource? Do we really need to play nice with tyrants like Chavez simply because he sits on a nice oil supply?

Well, sure we do. Think of all the big corporations who make big bucks on our dependency of oil. After all, these are the people funding many political campaigns. I mean, it goes back to the time of Rockefeller.

The truth is voting for a presidential candidate is not enough. They are just one person. And while most of them have great intentions, one day into their term and they quickly realize that it ain’t that simple.

So how do we make our vote count? The power of your vote lies in the way to spend your money and your time. The power, really, is within the people. And fear is never the right reason to make a choice.

Your buying choices may seem tiny, but they do make a difference. All companies depend on supply and demand. If you buy more farmer-grown foods, people will make sure they’re more available. If you go for the hybrid over the traditional gas-guzzler, car companies will build you more of these. If you believe healthcare needs to change, there are organizations and lobbying efforts out there — created by the people and for the people — that can benefit from your time or your donations.

At the end of this election, your candidate might not win. But, really, how much does that matter? YOU have the power to make a change every time you swipe that debit card or spend your time. Ask yourself what is behind every purchase you make. Where does it really go? And sure, this way of voting may be a more expensive or time-consuming option up front, but it’s an investment in your future — one, that you actually have some say in.