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The Tip is 'Don't procrastinate' For years I've been buying ink jet cartridges from a big box office supply store. These cartridges were made overseas and labeled with the well-known brand of a large American printer company. One I remembered a local store that advertised quality cartridges. I had traveled by this local store hundreds of times but never stopped. This time I stopped at the local store. To my surprise I discovered that they carried the cartridge I needed and it was a Made in USA cartridge. Made in Chicago, to be precise, and it was half the price of the imported ones I had been buying for years. The quality is exceptional and they last longer too. Who knew? After that experience, I make a point to stop at every store I can. By doing so, I've been finding more and more Made in America products. Occasionally the clerks don't know the country of origin; this can be discouraging but finding the origin information yourself isn't difficult I've come to realize. Believe it not, there are actually a number of computers made in the US including laptops made in the USA. When the label is not visibly displayed I use the other Made in America buying tips to help me find Made in US. If the store doesn't carry what you are looking for, use Made in America Secrets to find it and tell the manager about your experience at their store. If enough people are asking for Made in America products stores will begin to carry them. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Natalie Frigo Natalie Frigo's passion is creating unique, handcrafted jewelry that treasures the extraordinary beauty in every client. Sculpting all of the designs by hand in her lower Manhattan studio, Natalie personally attends to each detail using the ancient practices of metalsmithing and 'cire perdue' (also known as lost-wax casting). The organic forms are then cast and finished in New York City, marrying recycled metals with personally selected, ethically sourced gemstones. Natalie's inspiration ranges from early metallurgy and textile design to recent architectural developments, culminating in a collection that is contemporary, but by referencing venerable artifacts, also feels timeless. Ethical Jewelry Conflict-free stones ensure that no person was forced to mine a stone in unsafe or illegal working conditions. All of our diamonds, for example, are individually tracked through their full chain of custody to ensure that ethical practices are used in mining, cutting and polishing. Ethically sourced goes beyond conflict-free - these gemstones are delivered from mines that provide a living wage, ensure safe working conditions and protect the environment by limiting dangerous chemicals and developing plans for restoring the land after mining is complete. Natalie chooses ethically sourced when available and is always seeking out new sources for these stones. Recycled and reclaimed metals eliminate a tremendous amount of new pollution and contaminated water. An average, newly mined 18-karat gold ring (weighing less than an ounce) creates twenty tons (!) of waste, whereas a recycled ring creates almost none. Since recycled metal is as beautiful and timeless as newly mined and indistinguishable in its use as a raw material, the choice is a simple one. Also, timeless jewelry like Natalie's helps reduce waste by giving you pieces that will last generations. Buy a few great pieces of jewelry that you will love for a lifetime instead of acquiring a drawer full of things you rarely wear and then forget about after a season. |
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