Seven cents. Yes, it seems insignificant, doesn’t it? But sometimes that’s all it takes to support American jobs instead of those in China, Mexico, and other foreign countries. And sometimes, it doesn’t cost anything extra at all.
Everyone buys scrubber pads, whether it’s for cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, counters, dishes, etc.
A recent visit to my local supermarket revealed just how easy it is to make the right decision – the decision to support fellow American workers – when making small purchases where the price difference is negligible.
Here are the options I found (all packages of three). You could buy the following imported scrubber pads for slightly (very slightly) than the American-made options. We are talking pennies, here:
Or, you could buy any of the following American-made scrubber pads for seven cents more or even less than that:
I based the “seven cents” in the article title on comparing the Mexican-made Dawn Non-Scratch Scrubber Sponge at $3.59 per 3-pack to the Libman All-Purpose Non-Scratch or the Libman Heavy Duty Easy Rinse, both at $3.79 per 3-Pack. This represents a 20-cent difference, or seven cents per scrubbing pad, since there are three in a pack.
But you can clearly choose the American-made Brillo Estracell Scrub Sponge at $3.09 per 3-Pack and pay less than you would for any import in this category.
Personally, I prefer to pay that extra seven cents to buy Libman products. I recently bought the American-made Libman Tornado Cotton Twist Wet Mop for $12.98 at Lowe’s. Compare that to the imported Swiffer mop at $15.98.
If you purchase any Libman mop, all you need is an American-made Libman bucket (or any other American-made bucket), which I already had. With Swiffer, you will need to keep buying imported mop and also imported (can’t they at least make these in America?) wet/dry mopping cloths. Once again, the American-made version is the cheaper option.
I don’t count the Mexican-made Scotch-Brite Greener Cleaner as an option based upon the misleading “green” claim listed in the above pollution details.
President Abraham Lincoln once said, “…when we buy manufactured goods abroad, we get the goods and the foreigner gets the money. When we buy the manufactured goods at home, we get both the goods and the money.”
He is arguably America’s most popular president, and he was absolutely correct. Let’s spend our dollars on American-made goods from American-owned companies to keep jobs, profits, and tax revenue in the USA. It’s easy to do, and in the cases listed above, it can either cost less or simply an additional seven cents.
About Roger Simmermaker
Roger Simmermaker has written multiple books on buying American and trade policy since 1996, and has been a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN, and MSNBC. Roger has also been quoted or featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BusinessWeek, and The New York Times, among many other publications.
