I’m not a jingoist, but I’m spending this year buying only stuff that’s Made In The USA. Seriously. Nothing imported. Nada. Zilch. Zero.
Surprisingly, it’s going pretty smoothly. There’s been a lot of coffee- and fruit-related drama. And I’ve been avoiding electronics. But I’ve successfully bought MITUSA (that’s Made In The USA) tires, windshield wipers, sneakers, aftershave, various foods both good and bad for me, vinyl records, T-shirts, light bulbs, dryer vents, heavy duty glue and much more. And I’ve developed a real appreciation for buying used goods–things that I have deemed “naturalized” by their first owners.
What started as an adventure in buying American has really turned into an adventure in buying less. Reducing, reusing and recycling have become intertwined with my notion of “buying American.” I can’t say that I’m doing it so much as a way to save jobs as I am trying to pay attention to, and ultimately reform, my ever-so-American buying habits. The farther I go, the more I realize how liberating it is to take charge of your consumption.
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