Buy the product or buy the service?
Home » Blog » Sarah Marquet » Buy the product or buy the service?This week's made-in-New Zealand challenge dilemma: is there really any difference between buying an overseas-manufactured product and buying a Kiwi service that relies on that foreign product?
Photo by Ginnerobot via Flickr
Because New Zealand-made shoes are outside my budget, I haven’t been able to go out and buy a new pair of winter boots or shoes like I normally would at this time of year. Instead, I've been getting my old shoes repaired. Often all they need is a new sole or a bit of gluing to make them relatively watertight again.
Each time I have been to the shoe repairer it has cost me $15. But couldn't I do it myself? Okay, I wouldn’t be able to re-sole a shoe, but I could definitely re-stick a sole.
I would have to buy the glue, at a cost of around $6, only it isn’t made in New Zealand. Whereas if I pay the shoe repairer to do it I'm buying a NZ-made service, of which glue is a component, but I’m not directly buying the glue.
It’s the same situation as paying a dressmaker to make clothes for me. At some point in the chain, someone has to purchase something that isn’t made here, so I’m not sure it makes much difference who pays for it directly.
For this year, though, I will pay for the service. I figure it counts as New Zealand-made—at least until I have saved enough for some shoes made here.
The challenge gets tough
I have been feeling bombarded by pre-winter sales lately. Even when I manage to ignore the junk mail, the TV ads get to me. It gets a bit depressing when I spot something awesome that won’t break the bank, but I can’t buy it because it's not made in New Zealand. It’s at times like these I’m thankful Columbine still make tights/stockings in Gisborne.
Leg wax update!
I tried Bodeze’s sugaring gel, the wax alternative I mentioned a couple of blogs ago. At $25 per pack (including a 300g pot of the hair removal gel; hair removal strips spatulas/applicators and an exfoliating bar) I thought it was a good deal—and definitely cheaper than paying someone to do it for me.
I found waxing really difficult though! Maybe I’m just not practised enough but it was a lot harder than the professionals make it look. I managed to drip wax everywhere and make a massive mess, but thankfully it’s water soluble and washed right out. As for my legs, they’re a lot better than they were but I still need more practice.
