Durable Goods

If you've ever been to Europe you probably noticed quite a few things that are done differently over there. Some good, some bad depending on your perspective. One thing that I think is a negative quality of many Americans is our obsession with buying cheap stuff. I admit, I'm guilty too.

There are two categories of cheap stuff:
1.) Items bought on a whim with no real value. This includes anything you won't use or look at for more than a month at a time (e.g. most things in the after holiday "sale" bins). I think a lot of buying in this realm is addictive - unfortunately the great US of A seems to have a lot of shopaholics. We all fall prey from time to time, but left unchecked it's a serious problem, just like chemical or sexual addictions. "It was on sale" is not a reason to buy anything...

2.)Useful items of inferior quality. This is a huge problem because we all need certain things to go about our lives. Cars, vacuum cleaners, pens... And please remember - cost should be tied to more than just how much money you'll have to pony up for something. How about the efficiency, the cleanliness (or lack there of), the maintenance costs (again not just money - hassle, time, waste...). We must demand quality products - you can start by doing your homework before you buy.

So please:
-Don't buy things you don't need
-Do your homework before you buy
-Choose to value quality and durability over what's popular or on sale
-Consider all costs, not just monetary ones.

Here's a few companies that fit the bill:
*Apple - after years as a PC guy and TONS of problems I'm happy to say that my Mac has had zero problems in four years and it is more recyclable than other brands!
*Meile - pricey vacuum cleaners, but worth it. They work really well and last forever.
*Austin Air - a top quality stand-alone HEPA filter. I wish there were more American companies like this. Every filter is made start to finish in there factory.
*Vita-Mix - blender that you could probably chip yard waste with. Works great, fantastic warranty.