Buy stuff Made in the USA

[scooterbug44]

The resurgence of 'pocketbook patriotism'

A small group of Americans have made it their mission to buy American-made products whenever possible. Some do it for safety reasons. For others, it's a political statement.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24622667/from/ET/

The article does also point out that the biggest part of the trade deficit (which is improving slightly as the dollar tanks) is foreign oil, so alternative energy sources and using less gas/energy is also a big issue.

[traderx]

It's a good thought but there never seem to be enough folks who participate and stick with it over the long haul. I am afraid the trend of manufacuring and even services shifting offshore is here to stay. When a furniture manufacturer in NC can load a ship with raw materials, have the furniture built in a modern plant the company just built in China, the Philipines or Vietnam, and ship the furniture back to the US at a fraction of the US mfg. price, it seems they will continue to do so. Don't like it, but it is what it is.

I believe the article overstates the importance and relative size of oil imports within total imports. At the link below, see Exhibit 6 on page 9. It lists exports/imports by end-use category. Industrial supplies, which indludes oil, accounts for 22% or so of total imports. As for the falling dollar versus some major currencies, it has had the effect of increasing exports. It also has increased the number of European tourists in America and decreased American tourists to Europe. Hopefully, this is a trend which will continue. Wouldn't it be something if France actually starting advertising for us ugly Americans to vacation in Paris? :clap:

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/ft900.pdf

[ckhagen]

Most moms I know (the ones who pay attention to anything anyways) are refusing to buy toys made in china. We would just rather do without toys and play outside more than buy chinese toys and put our kids lives at risk.

I cut back on plastic as much as humanly possible because of it's environmental complications and crude oil use. And of course we cloth diaper, cutting waste. 4000+ diapers in infancy/toddlerhood is just an insane footprint to leave behind that doesn't disappear for upwards of 50-100 years.

Now, if I could just cut out more driving I would feel better. But we love to visit family in Destin and Seagrove several days a week (15mi each way) and it's hard to tell them no because we can't afford the gas :(

[scooterbug44]

I'm a big fan of the "it all adds up" and "every little bit helps" schools of thought on stuff like this.

Most of my household items are either 2nd or 3rd generation hand me downs (kitchen utensils, silverware, bike) or the first of that item I've ever owned (car, tv, stereo).

So much of the stuff that gets thrown out is still usable and paying more upfront for higher quality saves you $ in the long run!

[traderx]

I'm a big fan of the "it all adds up" and "every little bit helps" schools of thought on stuff like this.

I completely agree. Just not sure enough folks will get on the bandwagon but I hope they do. I am doing my part by no longer buying Michelin tires, French yogurt and imported cars. I will admit to buying a French army knife however in the last six months. Some things are difficult however. It is almost impossible to buy furniture made in the USA unless you buy high end brands or buy from custom furniture makers.

[Beach Runner]

I'll chime in on this one. The problem is that in the manufacturing industries, some things can just be done more cheaply offshore due to the cost of labor. A large manufacturing company basically has three main choices: (a) don't go offshore, subsequently go out of business due to the fact that they can't possibly compete with their competitors who have gone totally offshore and thus can have lower prices, and put a lot of Americans in the unemployment line; (b) choose the processes that would save the most money if moved offshore but leave everything else in the US, minimizing the number of jobs lost in the US; or (c) move everything offshore, putting even more Americans in the unemployment line.

Option (b) is the option that makes the most sense from my day-to-day exposure to major manufacturing industries in the U.S., that is, for any major manufacturing company with a conscience.

[scooterbug44]

Furniture is a difficult one, but my family just passes it around, so unless it's a gift, it's usually quite familiar and older than me. (For some reason a scooterbug living in a rental in a hurricane prone & termite zone is the stop AFTER the basement for furniture).

Basically I either make it, get it handed down/around, or it's a garage sale POS. :biggrin:

There are a lot of talented custom furniture makers around here, so it could actually be cheaper to get a custom piece than buy something of low quality and replace it several times and pay for shipping.

[Beach Runner]

My former brother-in-law is a Delta captain and manufactures leather furniture in North Carolina as a side business. I hear that he is making a nice profit. However, his small-scale operation is totally different than the situation for large-scale manufacturers, the major options for which I outlined in my most recent post on this thread.

[beachmouse]

For furniture, try Room and Board- http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/ about 70% of their collection still comes from small American manufacturers, and very good quality for a non-insane price point.

[ASH]

We like going to the thrift stores for some of our furniture and then refurbish them ourselves. This is how we got our dining room table and it is absolutely beautiful now. Picked up a set of six chairs at an estate sale recently that are about to get the same treatment so that they match the table better. The little lady has picked up several glass end tables and then carved designs into the glass to make them more beachy. Really cool stuff out there.

The bigger problems I have with offshore manufacturing is twofold. We keep seeing lead being shipped to the US from foreign countries because they just don't have the same environmental concerns nor do they enforce what they have. (logistically impossible) The other problem is that we all know that the child labor laws and pay going on in foreign countries are an atrocity.
These are big reasons that keep me from buying foreign whenever possible.