Money Crashers: Products Made in the USA

One of the topics I talk about most here is shopping. In many of these posts, I'm telling you how to shop based on specific criteria that most people don't consider—like organic or local or Fair Trade—while sticking to a budget. And I've also addressed these same shopping topics in my Money Crashers posts, doing my best to provide a complete, yet concise primer on how to get your money's worth with this kind of shopping.

One topic I've never addressed here before, though, is how to buy American. A lot of people—including some people I know—have a strong preference for buying goods made in the USA. According to Consumer Reports, four out of five  of American shoppers say they prefer to buy US-made products, and more than three out of five would be willing to pay 10 percent more for them.

So for all those folks, my latest Money Crashers article delves into this tricky topic. I outline the benefits of buying American, explain how to understand the labels, and offer tips on finding US-made goods in six major categories: cars, appliances, computers and electronics, furniture, clothing, and shoes.

Working on this article even inspired me to do a little online shopping at American Apparel. Their regular prices were way too high for me, but I found a pair of pants in their clearance section that looked like a reasonably good deal at $40 (especially since I had that amount saved up in survey credits). Unfortunately, though I carefully checked the measurements ahead of time, they just didn't fit very well, and items purchased on clearance are non-returnable—so my $40 bargain turned out to be a $40 complete waste. But perhaps you can do better.

Products Made in the USA – Reasons to Buy American-Made Goods