Buying American: Capitol Hill Style Is In
Dec 7, 2011
The average American will spend $700 on holiday gifts and goodies this year, totaling more than $465 billion, the National Retail Federation estimates. If that money was spent entirely on US made products it would create 4.6 million jobs. But it doesn’t even have to be that big. If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs.
I’ve been following ABC News segments on Made in America goods for some time now, and the quote above really struck me. So I thought, “I have a blog with a few readers, maybe they’d be willing to buy an American made gift or two this holiday season?” After all, aren’t gifts a little better when they can do something for your community or your country?
For a partial list of American made gift ideas, click here. From toys to glassware, from jeans to golf balls, the list has it all. It also has some of Belle’s favorite brands like Hanky Panky, True Religion, Dogeared and Philosophy.
So what do you say? Are you willing to buy a few American made gifts this holiday season? If so, check back this afternoon for a few co-worker gifts that are Made in America. And watch all week, for more home grown gifts.
Love this post! I've been trying to do this this Christmas as well. I found some things on Etsy, but have struggled to keep all my gifts american made. Looking foward to your suggestions!
Belle, this is a great reminder, and quantifying everything is very powerful!
I second the suggestion for etsy – great stuff, and you're supporting very small businesses, so your patronage really makes a difference. And if you're on a budget, you can often find beautiful stuff for very reasonable prices.
I'm loving that Hanky Panky is made in the USA. One more great reason to purchase from them.
Instead of gifts, I buy family outings…this year we are going on a sight-seeing tour. Buying services (meals, spa treatments, domestic trips) is a good way to “buy American” too!
Great post! I try to buy made in the USA too. One tip – you can limit overstock [dot] com searches to made in the USA products.
I love Anchor Hocking or Pyrex lidded containers for bringing my lunch to work. You can freeze and microwave them without any weird staining. I don't see anything on the Pyrex site about everything being made domestically but everything I've seen is made here and much of it Union (if that's your thing). Anchor does say that most of their stuff is made in America.
https://www.anchorhocking.com/prod_209_kitchen_storage.html
https://www.pyrexware.com/index.asp?pageId=14&CatID=380&SubCatID=398
You can buy individual pieces for small gifts or discount/department stores have sets on sale this time of year. And if you're feeling super crafty you can etch it with the recipient's name or a cute design. https://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/06/glass-etching.html
It can be tough to do on a budget, but I try to buy American as much as possible. Etsy is such a great resource, and lots of local artisans also display in neighborhood stores or craft fairs. My favorite USA made clothing is by EmersonMade. SO awesome and classic.
in with free trade, out with protectionism!
Love this post!! I always follow the blog (sort of silently) but had to say that I really appreciate this post! In fact, I wish I had seen it earlier to gather more gifts from these great ideas. Happy Home-Made Holidays!