You can read about our reasons for NMiC here Why Not Made in China?  . Here are some of the unexpected pluses from NMiC for our family: 1.     We are more aware of where things come from.  Reading labels has helped us connect a bit with where the things we use come from.  Only an obsessive label-reader can understand the little thrill we feel when we read “Made in USA”, or “Made in Canada” on a label.  It has also helped us be more aware of the world – after the recent earthquakes in Peru, and on finding a shirt made in Peru, our 6 year-old commented “we should buy this to help them.” 2.     It has given an awareness of just how much unnecessary stuff we used to buy just because we could.  Whenever I see a cool gadget that’s priced below my “what the heck” price, I turn over the package, look at the country of origin.  That little pause is just enough for me to think – “am I even going to use this thing?” 3.     It has engaged our kids in our buying decisions.   The first question our kids ask now is not “can I have it?” but “where is it made?”  See here (add link) to read how we went about getting their buy-in.  Thanks to NMiC, our kids now ask more than “Can I have it?” – it allows us to talk with them about the environmental impact, manufacture of, quality and price of the things we buy. 4.     It enables us to control the flow of trinkets and trash that will just end up in landfill.  It’s amazing how many little (and not-so-little) plastic toys our kids are offered.  McDonald’s Happy Meal toys?  They know the answer (all MiC).  Dollar-stores?  Ditto. Grocery store cashier-line impulse trinkets? Check the package (but I already know the answer).