By Ashok Madhav, Penn Hills, PA 

Americans are a generous bunch – I mean the American business especially. Take a walk in any mall. You see Sale signs practically on every store window — be it a store for garments, computers, furniture, jewelry, shoes, toys… The common signs are “20-50% Off Sale Price” or  “50% off of Already Marked Down Prices.” Another is “Buy one and get the other one free or half off.” America on Sale

Sometimes we come across signs like this: “All items 70% off for limited time only.” Occasionally, this sign: “This is One Day Sale Only”, which I’ve seen hanging on the window for several days in a row.

Sales for special days like President Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Christmas, just to name a few, are always attractive. One does get good bargains on clothes, toys, chocolates and other goodies.

If a business is giving anything for 70% off the sale price, think of the mark up on those items. Much of the items are imported from the wretched Third World from places like Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Bangla Desh… … at a fraction of the price sold in the American outlets. China, the biggest producer of all kinds of consumer goods, supplies 70% of the merchandise to Walmart, world’s largest retail store.

We, including our politicians, buy these products and support outsourcing of jobs from the USA. Often, even the “Buy American” signs and are made in Red China. But the issue of outsourcing is nice topic for politicians to talk about and get the votes for themselves.

The bottom line for all of us is to save as much as possible and get the maximum benefit. This reminds me of a cartoon, where wife tells her husband, “Honey, today I saved quite a bit of money by buying my dress, a hand bag and a pair of shoes.  I wanted to save more but I ran out of money” !!!                        n