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Health & Fitness

Buy Locally, Buy American for the Holidays

When times are this tough rethink your holiday spending habits.

Here we are on the cusp of the holidays three long years into the Great Recession. The Super Committee wasn't able to come to an agreement on how to cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion dollars over ten years which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone paying attention to politics for the last year. Sadly the Republican members of the Super Committee seem to have misunderstood their purpose was to help lower deficits not explode them. What else explains their offer to close $250 billion worth of tax loopholes in trade for a permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts which would add $4 trillion dollars to the debt over ten years? Regardless of who you think is responsible for the lack of a deal, or even whether focusing on debt reduction in the face of a financial crisis is a good idea in the first place, the American economy is stuck for the time being with $600 billion dollars worth of Dept of Defense spending cuts and a 2% across the board reimbursement cuts to Medicare providers over the next ten years. I say "for the time being" because already some Republican senators are trying to quash those DOD cuts and in reality no congress can bind the hands of future congresses. The house and senate can simply vote to change the policies at some future date.

Nonetheless this impasse poses an immediate problem for the American economy. Already skittish markets and companies that would likely hire going into an election year confident that politicians of both parties interested in their own re-elections will do what they can to stimulate the economy now recognize GOP cooperation probably isn't going to be forthcoming. By the end of the year unemployment extensions and payroll tax cuts are set to expire which will take $900 billion dollars out of the economy and the pockets of American middle class consumers. Maybe I'm too pessimistic but I don't see the Republican party agreeing to extend those unemployment benefits and middle class tax cuts in the next few weeks and their support for anything else that might spur growth is nonexistent. With the Federal Reserve announcing another round of stress tests for big American banks exposed to the European crisis that just might result in a European depression things look pretty bleak for our economy as well.

Which brings to me to subject at hand. What can we as individuals do about it? It's obvious until after next year's election there's not a whole lot we can do politically and as President Obama says we can't afford to wait.

So I propose that we as American consumers, the single biggest engine of economic growth in this country accounting for 70% of America's GDP, do our patriotic duty and buy American made products for the holidays and when we can buy them from locally owned stores. Instead of driving to Walmart or some other big box store to buy the latest toys, clothes and electronics built in overheated China or some other foreign country seek out local shops selling American made goods. Recycling our shopping dollars back into our economy is the most important thing we can do to help create growth and jobs in this country. Nobody else can or will do it for us.

Not easy you say? Well I've done some of the research myself and if you follow along here are some tips I cribbed from the internet:

Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber? Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement. What about the staff at your local spa? Almost any woman would love a gift certificate in whatever denomination you can afford to her favorite spa.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates. One year I bought my sister a bunch of cleaning supplies for her new car and she was thrilled. With 3 little kids at the time you can imagine why. All it took was a trip to a local auto supply store. Most of those goods are made here at home.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down your bucks on a foreign made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift recipient would like his driveway shoveled for the winter, or lawn mowed for the summer, or a few rounds of golf to look forward to at a local course next summer. You can look up locals to contract to do the work online.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

If you are looking for something more personal how about the local crafts people who spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes. Here's a link to a Facebook page of local homebased businesses in the far Western burbs.

www.facebook.com/groups/homebasedselfemployed/

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. Or go out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theater. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

The holidays don't have to be about draining our pockets to buy just stuff, we can spend it on things everybody needs or experiences to be enjoyed. Of course kids are going to want toys they see on tv, there's no getting around some of that but below are some links to interesting sites that may not be local but do sell American made goods, a lot of which are toys. These days  the holidays should be about caring for our fellow citizens, encouraging American small businessmen and women to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. So be creative, mix and match, buy what can locally, buy what you can made here in America.

When we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

http://www.madeinusa.org/
http://www.americanmadeproducts.com/
http://americansworking.com/
http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/index.php

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