Where to Find Products Made in the U.S.A.

It came to my attention recently that I have spent a little too much time talking about the importance of buying American and not enough about how to actually do it. Well, let me rectify that. Here’s how I find and buy the things I need American-made. The first thing you need is a website that you can use to find American-made versions of the things you will be buying. The website I use for this purpose is: www.AmericansWorking.com.

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Cost of Gulf Oil Spill Less Than Monthly U.S. Trade Deficit

Here’s a statistic worth pondering. BP announced in November that the cost of the Gulf oil spill had reached $40 billion. Even though this was one of the most costly man-made disasters in history, the total sum is less than the average monthly trade deficit for the United States in 2010. Sometimes it takes a figure like this to put some perspective on the massive size of our trade deficit. The enormous costs included in BP cost estimate included cleanup, government fines, lawsuits, legal fees, and damage claims. As expensive as the oil spill disaster was, it pales in comparison to the cost, and the job-displacing economic impact, of the U.S. trade gap.

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When Buying, Think ‘Made in the U.S.A.’

Donald E. Haag, from Henrietta, New York wrote an essay that was published yesterday in the Henrietta Post. In the essay, titled “When buying, think ‘Made in the USA’,” Haag calls on American consumers to restore jobs in our country by buying American. “We, the American consumers and workers, must stop looking for others to restore our jobs,” says Haag. “The burden is on us — you and me — to put America back to work.”

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Made in U.S.A. for Your Baby

Jennifer Bryant is an all-American entrepreneur. A work-at-home mom from Huntersville, North Carolina, she runs an online retail store called All-American Baby, which sells a wide range of items for babies and young children, and all of the products she sells are made in the U.S.A. She runs her business while she is not chasing after her two beautiful children, ages 4-years and 18-months. Jennifer and her All-American Baby business are being featured because it is precisely the kind of business that we need to see thrive in order for a buy American revival to take place in this country.

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Buy American Challenge Now on Twitter

The Buy American Challenge took an important step forward this week with the establishment of a Twitter account, a key tool necessary for minute-to-minute communication of news and information about buying American. The Twitter name for Buy American Challenge is “BuyAmericanChal”.

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Support Businesses That Buy American

Buying American goods is a straight-forward process. Simply look where the items you are considering buying are produced, and buy American-made versions of those goods whenever possible. It’s that easy. But can we apply the principle of buying American when purchasing services? Absolutely. In fact, some of the most important times to think about buying American are when you are considering the purchase of services. Most people buy goods on a regular basis – like weekly, or even daily. We purchase services far less frequently, but when we do, we tend to spend more money all at one time. And whenever we spend a lot of money at once, it is an opportunity to have a big impact on American job creation by buying American. Here are a couple examples of services that can be purchased from businesses that buy American.

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Girl Scouts Keep Uniforms Made in the U.S.A.

The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. announced recently that their uniforms will continue to be made in America following a public uproar over reports it was considering bids from overseas manufacturers. Girl Scouts spokeswoman Michelle Tompkins said the organization had been contacted by parents, members and volunteers urging it to keep the uniforms made in the U.S.A. She said the contract hadn’t been awarded but the bid request had been modified to require that the uniforms be made domestically and that companies adhere to strict guidelines regarding worker age, treatment and safety.

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The World’s Best Wines are American

Look, I’m no wine expert. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between $100-bottle of wine and Two-buck Chuck. The extent of my wine knowledge stems from three days I spent in Napa and Sonoma Valleys in California where I learned that Merlots and Cabs (Cabernet Sauvignon) are full-bodied red wines. I learned that they go well with red meats. Most importantly, I learned that when you are at a wine-tasting, if you say, “I’d like to revisit the merlot,” you’ll sound like you know what you’re talking about, and they’ll give you an extra pour (for free). If you say, “Can I have some more merlot?” they’ll be on to you and say, “No.” Feel free to use that trick, but don’t tell everyone you know. I want it to still work next time I’m in wine country.

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A Worthwhile New Year’s Resolution: Buy American

It’s just after the New Year, which means millions of Americans are embarking on their New Year’s resolutions. As a result, cigarette sales are down and fitness centers are crowded. People everywhere are making a commitment (even if it’s short-lived) to improve some aspect of their lives.

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