The next time you whip out the credit card for a cheap t-shirt (or coffee table or lamp), think about what you’re actually buying. Sweatshop labor? Outsourced jobs? Environmental degradation? Ellen Ruppel Shell addresses all of these issues as she discusses her book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. In this eye-opening interview, she explains how America’s low price fixation has come back to bite us—and what we can do about it.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Always enjoy your content here on the site and on FB! As artist and owner of my own business, as well as being a mindful human, I’m really connecting with the less is more mentality. I love that you mention craftsmanship and quality over cheap and commoditized…and even better – something that “speaks to the soul”. These are some of the founding principles I believe in, as well as committing to “Made In America”, and “made to order”. I felt as I listened to your intro, “Yes, She Gets It!”. Here’s to hoping more people begin to value this philosophy, supporting their local artisans, craftsmen and mindful individuals who put love and care into their products, and want their buyers to know they’ve got something special. Thanks! You made my day.