Buying American ain’t easy these days with more and more companies moving overseas and more and more local stores being squeezed out of existence.   It is even harder to buy local during a pandemic (though that is when it is needed the most).  I suck at it myself but we should do the best we can.  Buying American makes us more patriotic than being the guy with the biggest flag on the street – especially if that flag is not American-made. 

Speaking of pandemics, try to find American-made masks.  It makes zero sense that we keep sending our money overseas for masks, especially our stimulus money.  If we are going to be stuck in this mess for a while we might as well embrace some sort of corona-economy and find new ways to keep our money here.

It’s tough to keep your business in America when the “rules of the game” make it more profitable to move overseas.  It’s worse for small businesses with more failing and fewer starting – they need our help.  When you help small businesses or just buy American in general then you help us all.

Here are some of the benefits of buying American:

• Employed folks will buy more stuff and help keep the money flowing around (especially when they buy American and local)
• Workers can better provide for their family which makes them all healthier, happier, and improves their chance for a better future (which is good not just for them but for the future of all of us)
• Workers pay more taxes that keep the government running so that it can better serve us and create more jobs and even entire industries
• With shoddy environmental standards overseas, American-made also keeps the world cleaner.
• The more money we hand over to other countries, the stronger they become (and countries like China have shown that they don’t play nice)
• The more money that is flowing around in America, the stronger we become
• It makes our workforce smarter – especially improving our manufacturing technologies and capabilities

Links to help you Buy American

Get the inside scoop on buying American

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/02/made-in-america/index.htm

Here are some websites that list American made products

https://blog.cheapism.com/products-made-in-usa-16283/#slide=77  

https://www.madeinamerica.co/pages/thelist3

Here is a single location that has tons of items from smaller companies from all over the country.

https://americanmadestore.us/

Some of my American Made Stuff

This is stuff that I have (or had) around the house and have actually used and can vouch for.  Keep in mind that this list is just what *I* have – there are plenty of other tools, frying pans, etc. that are made in America that I don’t happen to own.

Kohana gloves – Okay so we have baseball gloves made in Texas by a company whose employees rebuilt the company after a devastating fire – pass the apple pie!  These are incredible gloves made by an incredible company.  I have a couple of these gloves – sometimes I have the urge to buy more just because (and I don’t even play anymore).

Wilson Footballs – It doesn’t matter if you like them overinflated or underinflated – lets gooooooooooooo!!!!!

Wiffle Ball and Bat – I choke up when I choke up on Wiffle Bat… serious memories.  I never figured out how to pitch Wiffle Balls like they can be pitched.  Yes, I have forfeited my man card.

LODGE Frying pan – We do steaks in a frying pan on our Weber grill.  We needed to upgrade to a bigger one and we went with this mother of all frying pans to pan-sear and cook those steaks.  I have to admit that I use a meat thermometer to get it right – request for reinstatement of my man card… DENIED!  But no has one bitched about my steaks since.

Weber Grill – Yup, they cost more.  But if you buy one it will last longer than the five other grills you would have to buy otherwise.  Why buy five pieces of crap (made who knows where) when you can have a Weber and keep your fellow Americans employed?

White Moutain Puzzles – These are great puzzles to keep yourself busy at home during a pandemic (don’t forget your mask if working on one with a friend).  We do a few of these during Christmas when everyone is back home.  As a bonus, these puzzles are filthy with Americana.

Estwing Pry Bar – It took me a couple of broken pry bars before I smartened up and looked for American-made.  Estwing makes other stuff like a ton of hammers, hatchets, more pry bars, etc.  Their stuff feels American when you hold it – you know what I mean.

Channellock – Do I really have to say more?  Doesn’t everyone already have one of these bad boys?  Channellock is the god of pliers and if you can’t find the right Channellock plier for your job then your job doesn’t need pliers.  That reminds me of this fun fact: 99% of American men have confused the Channellock adjustable wrench with a hammer at least once in their lives.

Eklind Tools – I have a few regular hex sets and some folding hex sets.  I love buying stuff once.  

MagLight Flashlights – With climate change about to kick our asses you should have a few of these.  Don’t accept imitations – being caught with a fake MagLight is bad, real bad.

Igloo Coolers – mmmmm cold beeeeer!

Tervis Tumblers – mmmmm cold beeeer that stays cold!

K’Nex Toys – We built some serious sh!t with these back in the day.  These will make everyone in your house smarter!

Crayola Crayons – I’ll admit this one surprised me – if you have kids or grandkids keep in mind that they can never have enough crayons.