Begin the Experiment!

So Shannon (my husband) and I were walking through Wal-Mart today to get laundry bags. We picked up the kind that we like and headed to the register. As we were waiting in line, I remembered the old days when Wal-Mart was popular at least in part because they sold only items made in America. I checked the laundry bags. Made in China.

I've always been a little disappointed in Americans in that we're so willing to support another economy, and of late I've been even more disappointed because it's preventing us from supporting our own economy - and I don't think anyone would disagree with me that it could use the help. I thought how great it would be to buy only American...and then I thought how hard it would probably be. I mean really, is there anything that's made in America anymore? When I look at packaging, I actually find it surprising when I find something made in America, which is just sad. When our unemployment is through the roof, wouldn't it make more sense for us to be creating jobs in our economy instead of someone else's?

So I decided to try a little experiment: buying only American for a year. It's sort of along the lines of Living Plastic Free and I think a good idea, if probably a hard one to achieve.

I'm already beginning to wonder what I'm going to do about certain things. For example, food. I know that it's reasonably easy to get produce in the spring, summer, and fall from American sources, especially if you're buying locally. But what about the winter? And what about food that's not local? Living in Oregon there are plenty of tasties that grow here naturally, but certainly not all the tasites that exist. How will I know where the food comes from if it's not marked? Also, there are the things that aren't necessarily marked for where they're from. Case in point, my cereal. I buy the bulk granola from Winco for my cereal, but it's impossible to tell where it's from: were the ingredients in the granola grown in America, or just combined in America (if any of it's from America at all)? Where does that info come from?

So wish me luck. Just thinking about the challenges has my stomach flipping, but I've created a blog so I'm committed now! Wish me luck, because I have a feeling I'm going to need it.