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Online shopping in a pandemic feels like a constant ethical dilemma.

I thought about buying jigsaw puzzles to occupy myself in quarantine life. But I wondered whether it was worth stressing the workers who pack, ship and deliver something I didn’t need. BUT, businesses need my dollars right now, and people need work.

It’s exhausting to balance our safety, that of others and the financial health of our communities.

I discussed this recently with Sally Bergesen, the founder and chief executive of the athletic apparel company Oiselle. Neither of us are philosophers, but Sally says she wants her company to support women in leadership roles, improve conditions for female athletes and help the rest of us feel connected. She thinks about the big picture.

I came away with a rough blueprint of how we can be conscientious shoppers in a pandemic.

The basic idea is to think. Think about whether the company you’re buying from needs the business, and how many people involved in the purchase might be in harm’s way. Think about whether what you’re buying can wait for more normal times. And keep thinking about our personal responsibility as shoppers when this crisis subsides.