But have you ever wondered this in a more literal sense? When you buy a product, where does that money go? Do your favorite brands and companies put your consumer dollars toward research, innovation and job creation? Do they donate to charity? Do they invest in efforts that influence policy?

One company is out to answer these very questions — and it created an app to help you do the same.

The app is called Buycott and it serves two very important functions: to help consumers identify where their favorite products are coming from and, more importantly, to use that information to guide responsible purchasing decisions that better reflect the consumers’ values.