I got caught by my friend & neighbor shopping at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. It was right after my trip to San Antonio. She laughed and gave me a hard time and I realized I didn’t have avery good excuse. My appeal is that I was tired! I was in desperate need of some kitchen items and Target is too far away.
But my 2-minute stop at Wal-Mart turned into a spree. Everything was so CHEAP! I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t been inside a Wal-Mart for as long as I could remember. And the prices are SO LOW. I filled up my cart with household items and then stocked up on my food storage!
I’m such a hypocrite! I have adamantly opposed Wal-Mart in my blogs and in public before. In fact, I have been known to say:
There’s something to be said about the difference between price and cost. The cost of shopping at Wal-Mart (and yes I’m sure I’ll offend about 60% of my friends by saying this) is so much greater to our communities. I shouldn’t even go on my rampage against that corporate predator because blogs get boring when they drone on forever. But let me just say this. I believe that everybody should be selective about where to do business. I don’t respect Wal-Mart, therefore I don’t do business with them, regardless of how much cheaper their produce, bread, milk, etc. probably is. When a company refuses to promote single women because “men with families need it more,” or slashes benefits so that the majority of their workers are on part time and can’t get health care so that I have to pay that difference in my taxes, or because that company doesn’t bother buying its products from manufactures or plants that practice fair-trade, etc. I think we should all stand against it. And yes I’m that person at the grocery store that is now shopping with recycleable totes.
I sound smug, don’t I? But since the lay-offs this year and financial uncertainly that obviously has ensued, I’ve become far less prideful . . . and far less moral in my patronage.
And here’s the thing . . . my one-time slip was not a one-time slip. I went again! This weekend. To buy stuff for our road trip to Phoenix this week. And as long as I’m in the confessional, I’ll be thorough: I even looked at clothes!! OMG. I didn’t find anything in my size (do they sell anything smaller than a 16?) but if I had, I think I might have bought one of those cute summer dresses.
I know, I know, I’m a snob and hypocrite. But I’m not changing sides altogether. I still don’t like Wal-Mart, but I’m not about to judge anyone else for needing to shop there to afford food either . . . . at least while I’m still doing it!
