I had a co-worker send me an email the other day that was about purchasing American made products.   It was actually one of those emails that made me go… hmmmm….

When purchasing Made in the USA I am one of those that has this preconceived notion that whatever the item is will be more expensive.  After all, our labor force here is expensive, insurance, etc… but you know what?  American made products are NOT always the most expensive. (Can’t help but wonder what the manufacturers are doing with the money they are reportedly saving by manufacturing out of the country?)

Anyway I thought I would share the email with you all.   Read through it, let me know your thoughts and maybe some of your experiences while reading the labels… (I don’t think I will be giving up my Hershey bars.)

Good idea. One light bulb at a time .

Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe’s the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in  China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA. Start looking .

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track . Let’s get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey’s candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made in  Mexico now. I do not buy it any more . My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now.  I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything .

This past weekend I was at Kroger . I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, Everyday Value. I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats , they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in Mexico and the Everyday Value brand was made in get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland,  Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you can not find products you use every day that are made right here .

So on to another aisle,  Bounce Dryer Sheets . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and made in the USA. I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price.

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors.

What happens to your gift card when a retailer like Linens ‘N Things goes bankrupt?  You become a creditor and get to get in the line with everyone else for payment.   There are no safeguards or government regulations in place that protect the value of your card.  Nearly $100 million was lost last year by unsuspecting card holders.

I say why risk it… If you don’t know what to get someone buy them a nice card at your local Hallmark store and put cash into it.  Cash will always be spendable.  You may not get as much as you used to with it but you will always be able to spend it.

For those of you still hanging on to gift cards (it is estimated that 25% of gift cards purchased are still not used)… SPEND THEM!!!!!  Help the economy out and in the long run make sure that you won’t end up with a useless piece of plastic in your wallet.  (I have heard they make good ice scrapers for your windows)

It looks like eBay has figured out a way to get sellers to pay a final value fee (FVF) on shipping charged for an item.  Today on their pages and in an email message sent to sellers we learn that eBay is not finished trying to alienate sellers as it tries to turn the auction site into a fixed price department store.

A change that will cause seller uproar this time is that in the Books, Movies & DVDs, Music, and Video Games categories (at least to start with more will be added) there is now going to be a maximum charge allowed for postage and handling.  eBay has indicated that this is one of the primary complaints of the buyers on the site and they are trying to make the buyer’s experience more pleasant so there are a greater number of conversions.   Translated this means they want more final value fees.

On the FAQ found many layers deep… There is a question posed asking what if my actual costs are higher than the maximum allowed… The response:

• ” When selling a bundle or quantity of items, you can use the shipping calculator to charge actual shipping charges
• When selling via fixed price, include all or part of the shipping cost in the item price
• When selling via auction:
  • Continue to list your item with the same start price and a shipping price at or below the maximum shipping cost. Many of our sellers have success with auctions, even at free shipping, because their item looks more competitive to their buyers.
  • If your actual shipping costs are higher than the maximum shipping & handling cost, start the item price higher to cover your shipping cost. This technique will minimize risk that you will lose money on shipping.
  • Move your item to fixed price and include all or part of the shipping cost in the item price.
  • If you are selling a bundle or quantity of items, you can use the shipping calculator to charge actual shipping charges”

Any time you include shipping costs as part of the cost of the item eBay wins.  These charges now become costs that they get to charge a FVF.   So now sellers will have the privilege of paying eBay a fee for not only the listing and the sale but also for the shipping of the item.

The posting goes on to encourage sellers to make shipping free and as an added bonus, Powersellers will get double the discount bonus on their FVF fees for the allowed time frame,  you’ll get free Subtitle upgrades AND higher search rankings with best match.  Don’t forget now that someone pays for shipping somewhere so most likely you’ve included it in the price of your product and NOW as an additional added bonus eBay gets to collect the FVF as well.

As a final KICKER (translated – bend over and lets see how far I can bury my boot) eBay will no longer allow checks and money orders as a form of payment. “Checks and money orders no longer allowed: Beginning in late October, we will no long allow checks or money orders as payment methods on eBay. Only approved electronic methods will be allowed. In January 2009, all accepted payment methods will be integrated into eBay Checkout. For buyers, this change means a more consistent and secure payment experience. For sellers, it means faster payment and fewer unpaid items. (Note this policy will not apply to Vehicles and some categories in Real Estate, Mature Audiences, and Business & Industrial).”

Since the smaller sellers typically do not have their own credit card accounts this means that eBay through their Paypal company will also get a piece of the payment activity. 

Again, all of these changes are under the guise of an improved experience for sellers and buyers.  I suspect there is some pressure in a poor economy to continue performing for investors as well and if they can put a positive media spin on increasing the ways they can gouge their sellers for more of their profit then more power to them.

I’d love to hear your thoughts of these recent changes…

As Earth Day (04/22) approaches, the city of Seattle is making the news with their announcement this month of a PLAN to begin taxing paper and plastic bags at grocery and convenience stores.  The plan calls for a $.20 cent tax on each bag that you use.  The idea being that with the money raised Seattle would be able to provide everyone in the city with a reusable grocery bag and perhaps other recycling programs.

I’m all for making the environment a better place for everyone but really $.20 for each bag you need?  Surely there must be a better plan that could be put into place.  I know when I head to the grocery store for my weeks worth of shopping the 1 bag that Seattle is going to give me isn’t going to even come close to what I need to get my groceries out of the store. And the reusable bags… our local grocery store charges somewhere in the neighborhood of $.99 for each of them.   For me not an issue – but what about those (think fixed income, and poor) that don’t have an extra buck laying around… not to mention an extra $10 or $15.  Every penny counts when you live paycheck to paycheck.

Why can’t we go down the road of personal choice instead of taxation?  Have the stores give me a rebate each time I bring my bags in for re-use.  $.20 seems rather extreme but even a few cents each time provides me with the incentive to bring them from home and to remember to bring them into the store when I get there.  Another tax is not the solution.  My current grocery store is doing this now and while I don’t know the success or how the program is funded I certainly made the choice to purchase the reusable bags.

Another question I have about this tax… who administers it?  Are they going to create a whole new department that has its set of overhead?  Perhaps that is why it needs to be $.20, they need to pay for the administration and enforcement of the program.   Not to mention the burden on the merchants for reporting, and payment.

Final question… you ever drive down the highway and notice how many pop cans, and beer bottles there are tossed out the window?  If you want to make a serious dent in recycling why doesn’t the state require (as other states do) a deposit on every bottle and can sold?  If you have to pay an extra $.60 for a six pack of beer you are much more likely to save the cans so that you can get your $.60 back… and if you don’t someone will.

"Green" is a great idea… but I think this tax goes too far too early in the "go green" mentality that is starting to make inroads not only with individuals but with corporate America.  Taxing people turns them off.  I don’t see this tax as doing anything different.

Schoolpop is a company that has come up with a solution.  As America’s #1 tuition crediting and school fundraising program, Schoolpop has built a program designed around what you already do…shop!  If you happen to shop at any of their merchants those merchants will give a percentage or a dollar amount back to the school of your choosing.   In just a few minutes of looking through their merchant list I found 3 merchants that I had purchased from just this week.  Merchants that would have sent almost $18.00 back to our local school.

There is a LOT that I like about Overstock.com… $2.95 shipping, incredible selection, crisp clean website, and the ease of use. If you are not sure what to get someone for Valentine’s day and your going to be doing some shopping online then I would suggest that you spend just a few minutes on their website looking through the categories.  If you didn’t have ideas before, you’ll come away with more than you know what to do with.

Just for Valentines day Overtock.com has also decided to run a contest.  Overstock.com’s “Game O Love”will begin on Jan 25th and run to February 11th. The only thing that would make Overtock.com any better for your Valentine shopping needs is if you could get that Valentine gift for free!  To enter the Game O Love click on the link and follow the instructions. Remember the contest doesn’t begin until the 25th but you can jump over early, enter your email address and get a nice reminder when the game is ready to go.

Details of the contest are still a bit sketchy on the website but I’ve already picked out a nice watch and a tungsten ring that I think I’d like to have.  If the description found at the bottom of the contest page is any indication my sweetheart will be able to win these prizes for me with “Force”.  I wonder how that will play out.   You can bet I will be checking back to find out.

Take a peek at  Overtock.com’s Valentine’s Day Game

I did create an Auctiva account and for the most part things seem to be relatively simple.  They do image hosting, have auction templates and a scrolling list of your eBay items.   What I didn’t see was how the process works with your buyers and what the post auction management and reporting are like.   I’m looking for your insight folks.   In a previous post I made I was looking for seller software.  No one had any suggestions to offer.  Certainly there must be someone in the blog community that is a seller on eBay and has recommendations.

As Valentine’s day approaches jewelry is always on the potential gift list for your significant other. The problem that I have always had with buying jewelry is dealing with the shops. With the influx in online shopping it is quite easy to find diamond jewelers online, the question then becomes one of quality. Ciara Diamonds is in the process of launching their website and they are offering a unique guarantee that I haven’t seen on jewelry sites before. They call it their 3 year Insurance Guarantee and basically they are saying that if you become dissatisfied with your purchase anytime within 3 years of purchase you can return it at the value you paid for it. The guarantee helps make online diamond shopping risk free.  Watch for the website grand opening… you can buy diamonds online with confidence!

As I looked through the site I found coupons for roses at and even coupons for major department stores like . Perhaps you’d like to shop for something a little less traditional.  There’s a Travelocity Coupon for 250.00 shipboard credit on a cruise or a Home Depot Coupon for a discount on a Whirlpool.   The possibilities are endless.  It’s also a great place to get ideas if you, like me just never know what to get.

If online shopping is in your plan for Valentines day… Might want to check out the Coupon Chief.