Made In America Challenge Update

Happy Friday to you everyone!  I just wanted to give you an update to my Made In America Challenge that I posted a month back.  I told you I would give you a run down on what I discovered while attempting to source “Made in America” products while on every shopping adventure!

Overall thought for the challenge:  HARD, HARD, HARD!    Why do we make it so hard to locate and buy things from our own country???

Pricing thoughts for the challenge:  When I did find products  in the grocery store that were made in America the cost difference between them and their international counterparts were minimal.  Extremely minimal.  Like a couple of cents to about $0.50 cents difference.  I know every penny saved can add up through out the year however I also value the idea of buying local.  Wether that means locally from the farmers market or locally like in our OWN COUNTRY!  So I will do it.

Questions I asked about Buying American:  While browsing the noodle aisle at Wal-Mart I actually stumbled across a manager who happened to be walking through and he did the cordial “Are you finding everything OK, Mam?” line to me all the while not even really slowing his stride, fully expecting me to say “I am, thanks!”  When I took that opportunity to ask “Actually I am looking for only American Made products? Can you help me?”

HA!  Asking “Can you help me?” is like the most ridiculous question in a Wal-Mart.  Even though their vests say they can help, most workers can’t or won’t or dont’ even want to.    You can imagine the look on his face being similar to that of a member of the Jersey Shore show when asked if they practice safe sex.  Yeah, that look!

He didn’t even really know what to say to me so I broke his deer in headlights while stuttering “umm…ummm..um” spell by saying that I would prefer to buy American Made products but that I am finding very hard to do so.  I then asked why they can’t show us consumers which of their products are in fact made in America.  He blabbered on about he just gets what “THE BUYERS” send him and that they aren’t allowed to emphasize that because I guess other non american made products get jealous?  Whatever, he was not helpful at all.

Many things were hard even to find where they were made and others were made somewhere else but packaged in USA, like below.

Then some were very clear where they were made!

Ideas for buying American Made:

1. Etsy.  Etsy is a great source for handmade goods.  You can also search your city or search for products only made in USA.  All the components might not be made in America but I’m starting with baby steps here!
2. Farmers Markets.  You know those delicious goodies are local.   For me, they were cheaper than the grocery stores anyway and quality was SO MUCH BETTER!
3. Make it yourself!  Wether it be upcycling things for new uses or a new piece of furniture…make it yourself!  My girl Ana White has a plan for about any piece of furniture you can think of.  Right now, her and her family are building her mother and mother in love a house.  Yep, all themselves, up in Alaska!
4. If you are looking to hire help, hire local companies
5. If you are looking to purchase something online, do a quick google search to see if anyone local sells the same item or similar.
6. Here are some great websites also. Made in USA.org, American Made Products Directory  Made in America Resource Guide, Made in America Stuff.com  The web was far more helpful than the Wal-Mart manager!

So moral of my challenge.  It was a challenge, but I will continue to give good effort to continuing on.  I am thinking of it as recycling…at first it took a bit for the idea to catch on and become a natural habit and look at it now, everyone does it!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone and thanks again for reading my ramblings!  I appreciate it!

Don’t forget to enter the Mixed Bag Designs Giveaway going on {HERE}