Helping the Economy one step(purchase) at a time

I received an email earlier this afternoon that had a really good saying on it: While one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very well, a billion of them would. With that saying in mind it really got me to thinking about all the things in life this saying could apply to and then the main one hit me, the economy.

Our nation with approx 330 million (registered) inhabitants may not have total control of how the economy runs but if we all were unified in our approach we could make a dent in repairing it. And by that I am not saying that we all just run out and buy stuff off of the store shelves or spend money recklessly into the system (like they wanted us to do with the stimulus money)with no game plan. No I mean if we all took the time to consider what we are purchasing, where the money goes (what country) after we purchase it, and to who's economy we are stimulating by purchasing that product.

Looking through my weekly purchases from the grocery store I notice a few things on the weekly list that help keep the money, and hopefully the jobs here in the US. And it is simple everyday things you take for granted or just grab the name brand without really thinking about where the factory that makes it is located. Like Bounce Dryer Sheets are made in Canada, the Everyday Living store brand that I picked up, guess what? Made in the good ole USA and about $1.40 cheaper per box to boot. Colgate toothpaste, once located across the river from me in Indiana, well they moved their operations to Mexico I guess to save a few bucks, my new toothpaste of choice Crest, still made here in the US. GE Lightbulbs, another company now making products in Mexico, so with a little looking around there was a dollar brand made in the US.

It won't solve the entire economic issue beseiging America right now (because the gov't spends faster than they can print it)but it would definitely help if we stop sending all of our hard earned cash to China, or Mexico, or anyother country that takes too much advantage of NAFTA and uses it to flood our markets with cheap goods while raising the tarriff's on US produced goods going into their countries.

The next time you go shopping, take 5 minutes extra to check a few labels to find goods produced here. Who know's that one extra step may one day save you or a neighbor's job from shipping out over sea's.....