How I shop according to my values

Tagalog Version (Click Here)

Want a quote about money that will make you think? Read this:

“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.”

— Joe Biden

Personally, I agree with that message. The places where we spend our money and the things we purchase reflect what we value most. For example, some people spend their money traveling the world to broaden their horizons. Others spend their money on expensive brand-name clothes so they can brag and show off. Some people spend their money on things that will improve their children’s lives and future prospects. Others spend their money on alcohol and illegal drugs. What people spend money on reflect the things they value most in life.

Take note of your spending habits. What do YOU value?

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We “vote” with our wallets.

Similar to how we vote for politicians we support (because they support what’s important to us), we do the same thing with our cash. We “vote” and give our cash to products and companies we like, and we avoid those we hate.

While most of us spend according to our personal preferences, we also sometimes spend according to our values. Think of people who support and buy “green” and “eco-friendly” products. People who avoid products that do animal testing and abuse. People who support local businesses (like me) and small entrepreneurs.

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We can spend according to our values.

Personally, I have my own set of values which I use to decide on my purchases. I support local products and businesses, I hate the destruction of the West Philippine Sea and its coral reefs, I hate a certain government’s “debt trap” policies, I hate intellectual property theft, historical censorship, and more. That’s why I have a shopping style that support those values.

A lot of people wanted to try this shopping style (before a certain political shift happened), but many found it too hard. Some think literally “EVERYTHING” is made in that country so it’s “impossible”, but I’m here to prove that wrong. There are LOTS of brands and items that are made locally, and there are several brands and items not made in that certain country.

You just need to take a closer look. Keep reading to learn more!

A special note: Aside from local Philippine brands, you’ll see more expensive “midrange” brands here. It’s usually only them that can start factories in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. I’m not here to brag about brands and wealth. I’m just here to show that there are LOTS of products that are made in other countries aside from the place where ultra-cheap knockoffs are manufactured.

Products that I personally use (or have used):

Format:
Product: Brand and Model (Brand’s Country) – Made in [Country]

• Cellphone:
  • Samsung Galaxy A34 5G (Korea) – Made in Indonesia
  • Samsung Galaxy A71 (Korea) – Made in Vietnam
  • Samsung Galaxy J6+ (Korea) – Made in Vietnam
  • LG K10 (U.S.A.) – Made in Vietnam
• CPU:
  • Intel Core i7-7700 (U.S.A.) – Made in Malaysia
  • Intel Core i5-13400 (U.S.A.) – Made in Vietnam
• SSD:
  • Samsung SSD 980 1TB (Korea) – Made in Vietnam
  • SanDisk SSD PLUS 1TB (U.S.A.) – Made in Malaysia
• External SSD: ADATA SC610 1TB (Taiwan) – Made in Taiwan
• MicroSD Card:
  • Transcend – UHS-I microSD 3005 128GB (Taiwan) – Made in Taiwan
  • Kingston – 64GB (U.S.A.) – Made in Taiwan
• SDHC Card: Sandisk – 32GB (U.S.A.) – Made in Malaysia
• Watch: Casio G-Shock (Japan) – Made in Thailand
• Sling Bag: Reachbak (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Penshoppe (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Airfit Mil Specs (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Shoes:
  • Merrell (U.S.A.) Chameleon 7 Storm – Made in Vietnam
  • Merrell (U.S.A.) Moab Speed 2 GTX – Made in Vietnam
  • Rockport (U.S.A.) – Made in India
  • Quechua (France) – Made in Bangladesh
• Slippers:
  • Sandugo (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Islander (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Waterproof Camera: Fujifilm XP140 (Japan) – Made in Indonesia
• Uninterruptible Power Supply: APC by Schneider Electric (U.S.A.) – Made in the Philippines
• Computer Monitor: Fukuda (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Extension Cord: Panther Products Phils., Inc. (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Mousepad:
  • SteelSeries (Denmark) – Made in Taiwan
  • ROG (Taiwan) – Made in Taiwan
• AeroPress Go Coffee Press: AeroPress (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• Notebooks:
  • Cattleya, Sterling (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Rhodia (France) – Made in France
  • Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan, Made in Indonesia
• Ballpen:
  • Lamy (Germany) – Made in Germany
  • Zebra (Japan) – Made in Japan
  • Pentel (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Plastic Eraser: Tombow (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Marker: Dong-a (Korea) – Made in Korea
• Stapler: Max (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Scissors: Milan (Spain) – Made in Spain
• Utility Knife: Stanley (U.S.A.) – Made in Thailand
• Snap-off Blades: Stanley (U.S.A.) – Made in Taiwan
• Plastic Ruler: Orion / Kyoei Plastic (Japan) – Made in Japan
• A5 Document Case: Daiso (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Memo Pad: Paperwide Paper Products (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Index Cards: Corona (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Checklist Pad: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Eva Slider Zipper Bag: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Cutting Mat: Hapila! Co., Ltd. (Japan) – Made in Taiwan
• Planner: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Sticker Label: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Binder Notebook: Kokuyo (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Umbrella: Muji (Japan) – Made in Cambodia
• Hiking Clothes:
  • 8a Performance (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Pitman Outdoors (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Quechua (France) – Made in Sri Lanka
• Waterproof Hiking Jacket: Columbia (U.S.A.) – Made in Vietnam
• Hiking Bag: Deuter (Germany) – Made in Vietnam
• Small Hiking Bag: Quechua (France) – Made in Vietnam
• Cold Weather Hiking Gloves: Quechua (France) – Made in Vietnam
• Trekking Poles: Black Diamond Equipment (U.S.A.) – Made in Taiwan
• Mini Water Filter for Hiking: Sawyer (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• Swimming Trunks: Speedo (U.K.) – Made in Sri Lanka
• Rashguard: Speedo (U.K.) – Made in Cambodia
• Travel Wallet: Deuter (Germany) – Made in Vietnam
• Leather Wallet: Penshoppe (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Camping Spoon, Fork, and Knife: Quechua (France) – Made in France
• Camping Spork Set: Light My Fire (Sweden) – Made in Sweden
• Hiking Socks: Quechua (France) – Made in Italy
• Carabiner: Black Diamond Equipment (U.S.A.) – Made in Taiwan
• Drawstring Bag: Nike (U.S.A.) – Made in Indonesia
• Work Gloves: DLP (Sri Lanka) – Made in Sri Lanka
• Food Container: Komax (Korea) – Made in Korea
• Plastic Passport Case: Adventurer (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Pocket Mirror: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Polypropylene Bag Clips: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Ear Plugs: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Double Edge Safety Razor: Feather (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Travel Pill Case: Muji (Japan) – Made in Vietnam
• Clear Soap Case: Moritoku (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Steel Coffee Mug: Zebra (Thailand) – Made in Thailand
• Square Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• 9″ Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• Waterproof Cellphone Pouch: Tribord (France) – Made in Tunisia
• Velcro Cable & Cord Ties: Velcro USA Inc. (U.S.A.) – Made in Mexico
• Cable Ties: KSS (Taiwan) – Made in Taiwan
• Clothing Repair Tape: Gear Aid (U.S.A.) – Made in Taiwan
• Screwdriver set: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Fan: Kultura (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Nailcutter: Kultura (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Pencilcase:
  • Janzan Enterprises (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Kultura (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Travel Sleep Mask: Eagle Creek (U.S.A.) – Made in Vietnam
• Arnis Training Sticks and Arnis Bag: Makisig (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Emergency Whistle: UST JetScream (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• Pencil Sharpener: Faber Castell (Germany) – Made in Germany
• Playing Cards: Bicycle (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• Coffee Grinder: Hario (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Shoe Box: Gondol Plastic (Turkey) – Made in Turkey
• Cashbox: Shyh Ru (Taiwan) – Made in Taiwan
• Stackable Airtight Food Container: LocknLock (Korea) – Made in Vietnam
• Shoehorn: Biofresh (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Pocketknife for hiking: Opinel (France) – Made in France
• Pepper Spray: Mace (U.S.A.) – Made in the U.S.A.
• (Ceramic) Honing Steel: Zwilling J. A. Henckels (Germany) – Made in Germany
• Axillary crutch: Bestcare Medical (U.S.A.) – Made in Taiwan
• Petit Pump Bottle: Muji (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Mini Dustpan and Broom: Daiso (Japan) – Made in Vietnam

Those are just the things I see in my room right now and they don’t include a lot of other stuff I have like several of my clothes, toiletries, food (meat and vegetables), skin care products, and more. For example:

• CR2032 Battery: Maxell (Japan) – Made in Japan
• Sunblock: Beach Hut (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Deodorant: Deonat (Thailand) – Made in the Thailand
• Surgical Mask: Lotus (Philippines) – Made in Taiwan
• Coffee Beans:
  • Figaro’s (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Bo’s (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Cafe de Lipa (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
  • Starbucks’ Kape Vinta Blend (U.S.A.) – Made in the Philippines
• Rubbing Alcohol: Casino (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Honey: Palawan (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Lubricating Spray for Hardware: Pioneer RC1 (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Sanitizer Spray: Messy Bessy (Philippines) – Made in the Philippines
• Soap: A la Maison de Provence (U.S.A.) – Made in France

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If you have no other option:

Of course, I know I won’t have a choice or there are no alternatives. In those cases, I choose a brand based in another country (a local/U.S./European brand, etc.). In most cases, however, I just decide that the product is just a want, not a need, and I save money by NOT buying it.

So overall, these are my considerations (most important first):

1. Local brand made locally (Philippines).
2. Foreign brand made in Southeast Asia/Europe/U.S.A./Middle East/Taiwan/etc.
3. I decide not to buy it.
4. If I REALLY need the product, then I’ll get one from a local or foreign brand from Southeast Asia/Europe/U.S.A./Middle East/Taiwan/etc.

“But some parts and materials are made in that country anyway!”

So what? That all-or-nothing defeatist attitude is useless. If some of your trash ends up in the ocean anyway, and some of it certainly does, then does that mean you should stop recycling? That you shouldn’t bother anymore and just feel free to throw your trash in the rivers and beaches or wherever convenient? No. That’s how useless and counterproductive that all-or-nothing defeatist attitude is. (And don’t get me started with the “but XYZ country does bad things too so why don’t you boycott them?” whataboutism. Expecting absolute moral perfection is useless, and insulting other people’s efforts because they’re not absolutely perfect according to your standards is disgusting and counterproductive.)

I’m not going to force you into adopting the same stance that I have. We’re different people and we have different sets of values after all. I’m just saying that if in case you want to try something similar to what I’m doing, I want you to know that it is indeed possible. It will take a bit more work, but you won’t feel any guilt from buying and using products that align with your values in life.

That’s all for now, and I hope you enjoyed this article! Click this link to learn more!