How hard is it...
to not buy cheap crap from china? Or even expensive crap from china? Food from china? Hopefully NOT cat food from China.
Well... according to a new book by Sara Bongiorni (as reported on cnn.com), pretty darn hard. She and her family tried to go a whole year without anything from China. I looked around my bathroom this morning just to see (though I really knew the answer)...toothbrush holder (yep, china), q-tip holder (china), very expensive electronic toothbrush (china)...my pretty Eddie Bauer skirt... doh! It's kind of eye opening. I'm not opposed to China or the people of China personally, but don't you think it's wrong that the greatest country in the world (IMHO) can't seem to make anything for its own people? Come on, now, this can't be a good thing.
So, I'm on a kick. Instead of buying the Smith and Hawken patio set I was looking at (couldnt' confirm country of origin, so I chucked it), I decided to redo the cheap crap from china I already have....I'll make slipcovers (with fabric made in the USA if I can find it) for my resin chairs, so something creative with the table. I bought a rug from LL Bean (that still has a FEW things made in the US... but not many.. .don't be fooled by that vague phrase, "imported," ... yeah, we know what that means. The rug was made in North Carolina. And I'm looking at one nice piece of furniture to add...maybe a nice chair from nagsheadhammocks.com.
This is part of something bigger than just economics and the global economy. We've become a disposable society. We rationalize to ourselves "why get the vacuum repaired when I can buy a new one cheaper?" Well sure... that makes sense on some level. But wouldn't it be better to buy something of quality and stick with it. Stop filling up landfills, stop encouraging US companies to outsource to China. Yeah, maybe what they say is true.. Americans won't do the work. Yeah, not for the amount of money they pay children in china... How about this idea. Buy something good that will last and that you actually won't want to throw into the landfill.
On a related note, Susan Susanka, who wrote "The Not So Big House" is on a real kick. She's on to something. Her deal is to spend the money you were thinking of spending on a McMansion and build a smaller, higher quality house. My humble house is actually based on a house featured in her book. I noticed at the bookstore lately, "The not so big life" and "The not so big garden." Something to ponder...
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