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Christmas Wish: Find WorkWhen shopping this holiday season, don’t forget that for millions of unemployed Americans, the most important gift you can give is a job.  And you can make a real difference for people struggling to find work in this country by simply making an effort to buy American during the holidays (and beyond).

Most people don’t really consider themselves job creators, but the truth is every time we spend our hard-earned money, we are creating jobs – somewhere.

Decades ago the vast majority of goods consumed in this country were made in the USA, so pretty much however one spent his money, there was a good chance most of it was going toward American job creation.

But over the years, the percentage of goods found in stores that are made in America has decreased dramatically.  When we buy goods from overseas, that’s where the money goes, and that’s where the jobs are created.

So nowadays, we can’t just buy things with no regard for where they are made.  Unemployment is too high for that.  We need to pay a little more attention and make an effort to buy things that are made in USA whenever we can, especially when we can find items of equal or better value comparably priced.

Little by little those made in USA purchases add up, and they turn into jobs for Americans who need work.

It saddens me to think of all the parents out there this time of year, who want nothing more than to provide a joyous Christmas (or other holiday) for their children, but don’t have the means to provide it because of joblessness.

Even if it’s only for a few weeks around the holidays, try to make an extra effort to buy American.

If enough of us will do it, we’ll have more work to go around in this country, and a few more smiling children on Christmas morning.

Take the Buy American Challenge today.

Happy Holidays!

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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Christmas is just around the corner, and every day millions of Americans are hitting the malls, shops, and websites searching for gifts to give friends and family. Even if this Christmas is leaner than some in years past, for many it will still be a time of much celebration.

But for many of the millions of unemployed or underemployed this season, Christmas will not be a time for celebration at all. In fact, Christmas is the hardest time of year to be unemployed because it is the time when financial obligations are the greatest.

When I’m shopping this Christmas season, I am doing everything I can to make sure the things I buy are made in USA, and I’m letting those around me know if they are buying me gifts, to please make sure they are American made.

That’s not to say every gift you buy for ever person should be American made, because sometimes a person wants a very specific item, or sometimes an American made version of what you want to get for someone is simply not available.  Check out my advice for buying American while gift-giving.

Here are a few examples of the things you can do to buy American this Christmas season: 

Buy a real Christmas tree. The fake ones are usually made overseas while the real ones are almost always grown right here in the USA.  I have always insisted on real Christmas trees because I love the smell of a real tree, but they are also a great way to buy American and create jobs. If you do prefer an artificial tree, a company called Christmas in America makes theirs in the USA.

Buy American made candles. People tend to buy a lot of candles around the holidays, and generally American-made candles can be found very easily at retail stores near you.  But the imported ones are on the shelf right next to the American-made ones.  The imports generally aren’t any better or cheaper.  Make the right choice. 

Buy American wine.  People buy more wine around Christmas than any other time of year.  Thankfully some of the greatest wine in the world is made right here in states like California, Washington, and New York.  Don’t feel the need to buy an imported wine for a gift because it might look it like a better wine.  The comparably priced American wine is probably better, and you’ll be helping create jobs here in the USA if you buy American.

Buy American clothing.  We buy lots of clothes around Christmas time, and there are lots of great options that are American made.  Check out the Made in USA Clothing Company for a great American brand of polo shirts and sweatshirts for men and women.  Check out All American Clothing for some more great clothing options including jeans.  Check out Todd Shelton for a true American made designer brand. 

Finally, check out www.AmericansWorking.com for a great directory of American made products.

Every time we buy American made we are doing something – our small part – to create jobs for Americans. This is so important when millions of Americans are out of work. 

This year, in the spirit of Christmas, please buy American.  I am.

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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