If you shop at Wal-Mart... - Page 2

[Oh the Irony]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Wolfmama, you psychis, do you see a voe in the future?

:LOL excuse me frugality, not frugal living

[annettemarie]

I did want to say that I am not condemning anyone for shopping at Walmart- we all weigh our choices and decide what's best. But making it sound as if you are forced to shop at Walmart seems disingenuous to me. It's honest to say, I want to buy as many new things for as little money as I can, and Walmart allows me to do that. That's not my personal moral code, but I know to some people that is important, just as leaving a small ecological footprint is important to me. There are almost always choices.

[Throkmorton]

well said.
I also do not fault anyone for shopping anywhere that is their choice but to assume we avoid somewhere because we are fantabulously wealthy is just silly.

[opally]

What really made me stop shopping at Walmart a couple of years back was when I got a really clear insight into how predatory they are - do you realize that they will go into a small town, usually within 30-45 minutes of a larger Walmart store, open a new Walmart, wipe out all most local businesses, then close the store, with the idea that they then force the residents to go to the larger store ? It's entirely predatory. They are wiping out so much of small town America. It's amazing.

And I say that as someone who doesn't make that much $$, who really did at one point appreciate the low prices, who does clothe the family in thrift store 'cast-offs' (which are so much better quality than what I could have purchased at Walmart).

I know you didn't mean to turn this into a Walmart debate, but I know that I wish I would have had an earlier insight into the nastiness of this particular corporation. Hopefully some of this thread will also enlighten.

[momto l&a]

Me see I can shop at Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Shopco. They all sell the same stuff only Wal-Mart is cleaner and cheeper. The mom and pop stores sell the same stuff also but their prices are sky high and they dont have a good selection. The local mom and pop store also have major attitudes, I'll shop Wal-Mart thank you.

[VisionQuest]

Thank you from a fellow WalMart shopper! I totally forgot about checking for the form because my greeters don't seem to regularly pass them out.

[heldt123]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

I'm glad you are all so well-off that you can avoid Wal-mart but as someone who's family makes $28000 a year I am very thankful for Wal-mart as it is the only place I can afford to buy my children new clothes. Or are "poor" people like me just supposed to dress our kids in your cast-offs at the thrift store? I was just at Wal-mart today and managed to buy my kids each a new pair of shoes, really nice spring jackets and sunglasses for $65 dollars. Yep I'm lovin' Wal-mart. If I went to a local store I would walk out with maybe one pair of shoes or one jacket for that price. Glad you're not that "desperate" but I am.

We make less than that and I don't consider ourselves "poor." $65 is a lot to spend on clothes in my opinion. I could get a whole year's wardrob for my son at yard sales and thrift stores for that. Oh, and I shop out of season at upper class department stores and get things on clearance much cheaper than wal mart with higher quality. I got a $70 snowsuit for $6.99 and several really nice sweaters for $3.99 each at the classiest store in town. People rave at the cute stuff I buy and never guess that it is "second hand" or clearance deals. Don't assume that because people avoid wal mart that we are rich. (I honestly have saved a TON of money since I stopped shopping there.)

And I'm not trying to condem people who shop at wal mart, just saying that it is possible to not shop there on a limited budget.

[ekblad9]

Thanks for the tip! Dh goes to Wal Mart to buy his fav gummy bears. That's all he gets there, I think. I'm against shopping in general. The only fun store for me is Trader Joe's. I hate going out to buy my kid's anything. I can get some good clothing deals at Target (it's closer to our house than Wal Mart). When the Lands End stuff goes on sale (like clearance) it's usually a great deal. I got my 13 year old three turtle neck's, two flannel shirts, and a jacket for $25 from Land's End a few weeks ago! I was excited. It's hard to find good deals for decent clothes for an older child. Esp a boy. I fail to see the diff between Target, Wal Mart, and the like. They are all evil, I would think. That's the world we live in, eh?

[girlndocs]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I would not want to clothe my children at the expense of other children working in sweatshop conditions in other countries, nor do I want to support a company that routinely discriminates against women and tramples over local small businesses.

And, even if I had tons of money, I would still proudly shop at thrift stores, rummage sales, yard sales, and ebay, because recycling and reusing is a good thing.

Yeah, what she said.

[becca011906]

I dont' shop walmart to often anymore but i do sam's club wich i think is owned by the same people but it's how i manage to feed my family for only $150 a month and get to be a sahm... I also live in hick ville with VERY few choices the other store i would pay atleast twice this to shop at my local groshier... so sad that the choice are so limited... i mainly do save a lot or aldies

[Montana Mom]

to b

[Christy1980]

let me just say...*WOW*...I didnt know what I was starting here, lol!!

My mom, dad, me, and DH have all worked for wal-mart at some point in our lives. my mom is the only one that's still there. There's alot of things wrong with WM in general, but I still go there. They are next to an outlet mall, where there's a Carter's store where I can get a 4 piece outfit for my DD for $3...but i still go to WM to get food and other things i need b/c they are cheaper than the local grocery/drugstore/convenience store. I also shop at Sam's (altho I dont have a membership atm) b/c it is cheaper and I can feed my family for a much cheaper price than if I bought food at the local grocery.

I didnt' mean to start a big debate about WM or anything, I was just excited and trying to help some other mama win a gift card so maybe she could buy clothes/shoes/food/drinks, heck even gas, just for bringing a cart into the store!

I didnt know we had a frugality board, else I would've posted there to begin with, sorry mods!

[root*children]

:LOL
I saw this title thinking.. OH boy! What's gettin started now?
:LOL
Thanks for the tip! We do go to Walmart about once-a-month to meet my DH's crap-food need :LOL and get dog food and cheese (white cheddar for cheap! ).
just my .02 though, I would never buy clothes there (well, okay, I did buy a pack of socks for DS once!). But their clothes are of poor quality, and the "cast-offs" at the thrift are good stuff! (why get Faded Glory brand when you can do some hunting and fine Patagonia, Hanna Andersson, Oilily, Gap, OshKosh, Merrell shoes, etc.????)

whomever posted that they think walmart has better quality clothes than thrifts and yardsales - go check out the thread of all the great scores mamas have gotten from thrifts and get inspired! This is the Frugality board afterall

ETA: If you really love Walmart clothes... the thrift stores and yardsales are LOADED with those too!

[hotmamacita]

Walmart here is too expensive for me to shop there regularly.

But I do go about 2x month late at night. Its the only store within 25 miles that has things I need. I don't get much there but what I do get is cheap.

I can't stomache driving 50 miles at 11pm roundtrip to avoid Wallmart. Plus the GAS cost.

I used to boycott Walmart, before I had twins. :LOL

To the OP, thanks but I won't even remember it when I am there next.

Twin brain....

[DebraBaker]

Walmart is a recent thing around here :LOL. We had one open up about 20 minutes west. Funny they have hitching posts for the Amish and the Amish and Mennonites love the place

We had another Walmart open up in our local shopping community but it just isn't nice (have only gone in twice in the past two years it's existed.)

I have been poor, dirt poor with lots of children. I clothed them with thrift shop and garage sale finds. The quality of the clothing was far superior to anything I find in discount stores. I also shop TJ, Marshals and (I understand there are ethical issues) the sales rack at the gap.

I feel sorry for people who feel as though they have no choice but Walmart. I can't get past the feeling that a small dynastic family is taking advantage of the poor (especially rural poor) people of this world.

Debra Baker

[Yooper]

Pay now or pay later.....

I live in a town that is being ruined by Walmart. It might be cheaper to get stuff there but the money I save is not going to bring back the small town charm that we used to have here. I refuse to shop there no matter what. There are things I thought needed that I can only get at Walmart. Turns out that with some creativity, I do not need to go there. I shop the thrift stores and garage sales. I shop online when I absolutely have to. And I go without for anything else. Even if I wanted to break down and go there, I cannot. I have a very recognizable car, this is a small town, and I have written too many letters to the editor.......

[julielenore]

Originally Posted by yoopervegan

Even if I wanted to break down and go there, I cannot. I have a very recognizable car, this is a small town, and I have written too many letters to the editor.......

[Sandrine]

Thanks for the tips. I'm not sure if it's also in Canada, this contest.

OT, For my city, it has taking a tole on local business but it is cheaper to go there and buy clothes. The prices of food is the same or a bit more expensive than the other stores, so I go else where. We don't have a thrift store here, so WM is the place to go for cheap clothes. Zellers is one too.

I think it all depends on whaht kind of stores can give you all you want to buy. I buy some clothes at wm but not all are from there. And I go do my groceries at a local store, not WM, because it's cheaper at the local.

[slcmama]

The local mom and pop store also have major attitudes

wouldn't you if the local Walmart was driving you out of business?

I've been in both situations: a one-horse town that only had a walmart and a city with many other options. For all the negatives of living in a city, not having to shop at walmart is a big positive!

[girlndocs]

Who said "Pay now or pay later"? That is so true! I can 100% guarantee you that the bigwigs at WalMart are NOT cutting their profit margin just to be able to give you lower prices out of the goodness of their hearts. So where's it coming from? It's coming from manipulating & exploiting the labor force here in the US. It's coming from having children like yours & mine work long days sewing crappy shirts for a few cents in bad conditions. It's coming from horrible environmental practices -- who cares what we poison as long as it saves us a buck? It's coming from selling just plain crap, stuff with the same brand names made especially for them out of lower-quality materials. It's coming from tax breaks & ordinances bent out of all recognition for a huge business. YOU end up paying for it later!

You know that scene in Chicken Run? Where the Tweedys give the chickens unlimited grain to fatten them up for chicken pie? And the chickens don't stop to think about it, they just dive in and pig out? I am always reminded of that scene when people rave about how low the prices at WalMart are.

One other thing: It's true that the general run of big-box businesses (Target, Fred Meyer, etc) is not exactly saintly. The point here is that WalMart is *far beyond* the general run. To say, "Well, none of them are perfect, so it doesn't make a difference" is like saying "Well, it's hot outside today, so I might as well switch my oven on to Broil and climb in."