Another reason WAL-MART Sucks.

I love pawn shops too, but again, you have to know your product and price before going. Recently helped a young man (early 20's)comparison shop for an electronic keyboard. The prices at the pawn shop were higher than buying new on-line. If we hadn't researched before going (calling around to see what the stores had, checking online and narrowing down the extras he wanted) we may have made a poor choice.

I really like thrift stores. We have several wool sweaters from them and a few from friends who were giving them away {!} and we got to look through the stuff first. There is nothing like paying $2 for an icelandic wool sweater.

I agree with the sock comment. I started buying 'good' socks at my local discount/seconds store and I haven't looked back. I love merino wool and coolmax both. Even got some liner socks for $1 there. These are all brand names too- Fox River, Nike, Smartwool.

Like Jolly I am committed to spending wisely. I see at as part of good stewardship with the household funds.

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I've started making my own socks and underwear. I got some old men's T-shirts for free. I cut them up and made several pairs of panties. The only cost was for elastic and my time (about 15 minutes a pair).

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HippyChick I've started making my own socks and underwear. I got some old men's T-shirts for free. I cut them up and made several pairs of panties. The only cost was for elastic and my time (about 15 minutes a pair).

Do you have patterns for those and what company ie Vogue, Simplicity,etc?

I took an old pair that had completely fallen apart and dismantled it. Laid it out flat onto a sheet of newspaper, added 1/4 inch seam allowance and traced it out.

I was able to make the main body with one piece and then inserted a smaller piece for a liner. I put the elastic on by using 1/2 inch elastic on the waistband with the fabric folded over it and then zig zaged it in. For the legs I used 1/4 inch elastic.

I ended up with something pretty funky. The fabic came from old T-shirts from the local sports team. I'm loyal to the team right down to my knickers.

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God wants spiritual fruits – not religious nuts
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I am no big supporter of Walmart. I will say buying from small local store may get you higher quality and better service or it may not. Sometimes you get same crappy quality, you just support another layer of middle men. People talk about welfare recipiants being leaches on society, I think middlemen such as salesmen are bigger leaches. They add to cost but dont produce anything of value, at least to me the consumer. I suppose they do move somewhat more product for factory type buisiness to people who otherwise wouldnt be pushed into unnecessary purchases but they sure dont really produce or design anything.

I really dont buy whole lot of stuff compared to average consumer, and I have no brand loyalty and no loyalty to particular sellers. If Walmart has the best deal for a certain quality then I'll buy it there, but generally they arent the lowest price if one does a bit of shopping around. I tend to buy used if possible or make my own stuff, not clothes like HippyChick (I buy used clothing except socks and underwear but more power to anybody making their own), but I will go out of my way to avoid overpriced car parts by adapting a part off something else. Alternators are a given. Sorry but I am not spending $100+ on some rebuilt direct fit alternator when a 70's era GM alternator can be had rebuilt with guarentee for $21. Unless space to fit it is too small for the GM alternator, an hour fabricating an adapter saves. Just an example. Other times I just get ****ed at some outrageous price and though it isnt really worth my time, I re-engineer the system to avoid supporting whoever is charging the outrageous price. Right now I am having second go at replacing plastic (yes really, both master and slave cylinder are plastic) overpriced hydraulic clutch linkage on my '83 Ford 3/4 ton pickup with a home engineered mechanical linkage. Spending too much time, but it will work and this time so overbuilt that it will no doubt outlast the pickup. Total cost in materials, $30 as opposed to $100+ at parts store or $400 at Ford dealership. Might mention that a rebuilt water pump for my old Allis WD tractor is $90. Grrr.... A $15 small block Chevy waterpump can be adapted. Yea, looks little weird, but it works.

Might also mention we locally have an A to Z store. Nearly all China stuff and you never know what they will have in stock since its odd lots and rejected merchandise from big box stores cause it wasnt the right shade of green or something. However its darn near close to wholesale prices. Real eyeopener how much Walmart and other places mark up the Chinese stuff. It has a far higher markup than simular American stuff. I am sure thats big reason Walmart is so gungho on China stuff. Be big sticker shock if they tried to markup American stuff by that percentage. Like all cheap Chinese stuff, some of it is trash and some is pretty decent. Really, watch out, the overall quality of Chinese stuff is rapidly improving. When you see pure crap made in China, it most likely wasnt because the Chinese couldnt make better, but because that was what was specified by their American importer. I usually have pretty good intuition as to what will function ok for my needs and what wont. If I occasionally misjudge, then I am not out much money.

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BCR,
There is a big difference there. Wal-Mart is not a franchise. McDonalds and ACE Hardware are. That means there is LOCAL ownership with a corporate image. Those profits go back into the community. There are some corporate owned McDonalds, but most of those are cases where the store was doing poorly and they bought it back from the franchisee rather than have one close.

Just wanted to point that out. Wal-Mart isnot "Just as local".

Sylvar

********

Good point and another thing to point out is that these locally owned national chains do purchase items from other local stores. Thing like speciality lights and such.

Wal Mart does nothing to support the community they take over, other than offer low paying jobs. They have their own supply houses that they order supplies from.


kppop

I was just going to make that point while reading the thread. Sure,Ace is still a big outfit,but a local store no less.The folks who work there are there for years,and live right here in my area.They are loyal to the customer,in turn we are loyal to them.Far different from a Walmart.

Point- I was getting some keys made and as a joke asked fella if they had a blank for a 1959 VW.Trust me,these dont grow on trees.Guy says,'You know what,I think we have some upstairs in the attic"

Comes down with a couple(about 15 minutes later) and says do you want one? You bet! Took 2,and same price as any other key.Now thats Valuable,neighborly SERVICE!. :worship:

Or my local Napa(now Carquest,but same folks running it),same thing,fellas been there forever.Friend came up and his accellerator pump diaphragm failed on a ford 289,1965.Walked in and asked if they could order one for tomorrow.Guy says order??? How about this one,reaches under the counter where he is sitting and pulls one out,didnt even get out of his chair.It was a couple bucks!

Thats what a LOCAL store does best,stocks the items the locals need.A box store doesnt,it has to reach to the masses,not the locals needs.

So thats what I mean by a LOCAL store,even if its a chain affiliated.Wasnt referring to Mom and Pops,though we have them too still,and still support em,like the little market right on the corner.If we get snowed in,milk and eggs are still in the back,reserved for us LOCALS.I still do major grocery shopping in big town,but they get plenty of my business even so.

So I pay a little more,but I get SERVICE! That means a lot to me,as you can see.Makes my world nicer because Im not going to put them out of work for a few bucks.I support their business,like they support mine.

Lets see a Walmart pull that off! Like they would spend 15 minutes on you. Or care less if you ate or not.

IMHO,YMMV,
BooBoo

I've seen the same thing with the ACE hardware in Bridgeport, WV. They carry stuff that many hardwares stores don't. They're a true hardware store with all the different nuts and bolts you'll ever need plus many items that you'd associate more with a building supply place. The family that owns it originally started in business with trucking. they sell a lot of stuff you'd need for a farm including feed.

Hello,

It seems that several people are under the false impression that Walmarts prices are actually 'cheaper' than other stores. What those people don't take in to account is the actual costs of "lower prices"

Great for you that you can save 10-15% on any one item. But that's only if you don't give in to header or checkout displays that often have products that have ultra high profit margins. Impulse buying in most cases cancels out any 'savings' you may have gotten. The other thing is that what's the cost to society and the envrionment of what you've bought and where you shop. If you have to drive farther to get to Walmart (or any other Big box store chain) is that saving you money. Certainly not if you're driving an SUV or any other low mpg vehicle. Also how do you think Walmart can offer lower prices? Perhaps it's because they're paying lower wages and not offering health insurance to most of their employees. What are the costs to society for that? Who's paying for this? The first questions is not easy to answer but the second question is answered 'all of us'. It's a fact that in one store in Georgia, Walmart offers a class to all it's employees (non of which are full time or have any health insurance) titled "Supplementing your income, how to apply for welfare"

Enough said about that! Just remember to "Spend as much of your money on locally produced goods sold in locally owned stores as you can" That's the best thing you can do for your area and standard of living.

Couldnt agree more.

BooBoo

So I pay a little more,but I get SERVICE!

******

Very Very good point!!! My dh runs a wholesale business here in town. There is a Home Depot and Lowes in the area and they have not affected his business one bit..actually they have made his business grow The difference is service...these stores do not offer one on service and really don't care about the customer..they care about the bottom line. My dh's customers care about service and aren't really concerned about price. I know I will gladly pay more for something if I know that I will get good customer service.


kppop

Quote: "Wal Mart does nothing to support the community they take over, other than offer low paying jobs. They have their own supply houses that they order supplies from." -kppop

I think that is a bit of a blanket statement. The fundraisers WalMart and Sam's match funds for would disagree with you there. Yes, it is a drop in the vast cash bucket of such a giant corporation, but it is not "nothing". Not to mention the taxes they pay to the city/state and the donations to United Way and jobs for some who actually like it there.

If you imagine the same brands sold at other stores have managed to negate where they came from originally or who profited on their way to you, you're wrong. I'm saying we are all compromised every day, don't kid yourself.

For some more information about how "American" these brands/stores are check this out: http://www.alternet.org/story/17179

Here's an excerpt, for educational purposes [emphasis mine]:

"In their sales brochure, Accenture pitches that it offers "a cool savings of up to 30 percent or more" for "dramatically improving the efficiency and effectiveness of back offices operations." They also promise to reduce "credit card processing with a $10 - $20 per card per annum savings." That's nothing to sneeze at.

As significant as Accenture is, number one in the outsourcing industry is Cognizant Technology Solutions. Based in New Jersey, Cognizant claims to "deliver the best of both worlds: the transparency of an American company, backed by an offshore organization that is rated one of India's top employers."

Some of their outsourcing clients are Blue Cross of NE Pennsylvania, John Deere Health Plan, Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Pacific Stock Exchange, MetLife, Liberty Insurance, Dun and Bradstreet, AC Nielsen, Coors, Schwans, Ace Hardware, Radio Shack, Marks and Spencer, Fortunoff and The Maritime Life Assurance Company.

Every time one of us buys a product, orders a service, signs a contract or becomes a client of a company that outsources jobs that were once the American workers' stronghold, we are giving our permission to them to continue firing, dismissing and replacing the American worker for cheaper labor abroad.

Don't misunderstand me; I wish that everyone, in every land, had a job that treated them with respect and fairness and allowed them to support themselves and their families. I just don't want it to be at the expense of American workers and their families."

From: Personal Voices: Apology to the American Worker

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[QUOTE=BCR]Quote: "Wal Mart does nothing to support the community they take over, other than offer low paying jobs. They have their own supply houses that they order supplies from." -kppop

I think that is a bit of a blanket statement. The fundraisers WalMart and Sam's match funds for would disagree with you there. Yes, it is a drop in the vast cash bucket of such a giant corporation, but it is not "nothing". Not to mention the taxes they pay to the city/state and the donations to United Way and jobs for some who actually like it there.
***********

I wasn't talking about fundraisers. I know Wal Mart sets aside a certain dollar amount each yr to use for charity. I guess that's supposed to make up for the crappy pay. I also know that many of the stores have a waiting list of groups wanting that money. It's good business for them to look like they are supporting the locals , when in fact they aren't.

When Wal Mart needs work done inside the store, say..electircal or plumbing or even a small construction job. They don't call on a local contractor..it's always someone from out of town. ALWAYS.

That's what I was talking about when I said they don't support the community in which they have taken over. The guy who owns the local Dairy Queen buys stuff from my dh all the time. So does the guy who owns the Mc Donald's. They are local owners giving back to the community.

They also do fundraisers but they didn't get the tax breaks or incentives that Wal Mart got to the tune of several million dollars..so don't talk to me about the city and state taxes they aren't paying.

Of course ppl like working there..it beats not having a job. If God forbid , I ever had to get job I know I could always get one there..they are always hiring.


Kppop

I know Wal-mart does not always do the right thing, but we have a fairly new one here in my town and it has done some good. The area where it was built was an old burnt out factory yard. They spent a year taking out contaminated dirt and huge boulders to make room for it. It has definately improved the neighborhood that it is in.

They do employ a lot of locals. A number of the people who work there would be hard pressed to find employment elsewhere. There was a woman quoted in the paper that she was thrilled to quit K-Mart a few towns over to be able to walk to work at the local Wal-mart. The greeters are all elderly and not in the best of health. One of the checkers is a very odd looking fellow that most stores wouldn't hire because it would hurt their image, he does a fine job though. If he's there I always use his checkout.

It also hasn't hurt business in town, if anything it has improved it. Main Street is busier than ever and all the little shops and restaurants are packed. Our little town is unique in that there is very little traditional retail there, mostly antique or thrift stores, speciality shops, restaurants and automobile related stores this meant that I had to spend money in another town for most neccessities, now I just drive a couple of blocks. So there is good and bad with any of these large stores.

BCR,
I have to ask this. Are you the type who just loves a good scrum? Its fine if you are, I've played that role before myself.

You make very valid points about those other companies. But you can't take that position and be a Wal-Mart apologist at the same time.

It is simple economics. Is what some of those other companies doing bad? Yes. Is what Wal-Mart Does worse? Again, I would answer yes. I saw my hometown pre-W and post-W. They gutted our community. And they did it in the most underhanded and dirty way. That was the worst part. We were one of those places they sent someone into to pose as a resident. Said "resident" then lobbied for zoning changes that allowed them in. This was back before anyone even realized they were using this tactic.

I will stop now....I still get hot about that.

Sylvar

Sylvar, I'm not looking for a fight/scrum. It stinks that you had such a bad community issue and WalMart was involved.

Mostly it is that I have fought internally with this over and over again. So it is an issue I have looked at and turned over in my mind often. Been on both sides of the issue. I'm just 60's enough to believe we vote with our dollar and I want boycotts to matter...but enough 'new century' to know that we probably won't stop 'progress', we can best hope to save the things we love as best we can. Even if it is one tree and not the forest.

The grocery stores closing in our area will blame WalMart eventually, however I blame their expired products, poor refrigeration and tag switching on meat, failure to pay their bills and other bad management practices. They are doing it to themselves. And in the capitalist way, another business is going to try and outperform them. This has been the historic way in America. Someone builds/sells a widget and does well, we like him, then another person comes along and does it better/cheaper/more conveniently and we end up liking him too.

Either we think of a better way to outsell/outperform/outdeliver or we let capitalism weed out those that can't.

I'm simply reminding everybody that NO ONE'S hands are clean if they shop at any store, period. So use that as a motivator to focus on what you can do without or build and make yourself or with friends, but that doesn't make all those that don't agree with you fools. Just be sure to shop thoughtfully when you do and be aware of where you draw the line.

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Well said. I freely admit that anti-wal-mart attitude comes from how they treated my hometown. They even drove OddLots/BigLots out of town by buying the building and doubling the rent.

Very few retail shops are free from the influence of outsourced jobs. I just really hate how Wal-Mart used its power to suck the life out of America. I know the Sheeple are to blame and Wal-mart was just the one smart enough to figure out how to exploit them. But Wal-mart is a more tangible symbol of evil for me. The sheeple are ignorant and will always be that way.

I agree totally that the more we do for ourselves the better off we will be and I try hard to do all that I can for my self. I have a 9-5 Job. I work in the computer industry. I am a geek. When I talk about having to "Process my chickens this weekend" folk look at me like I am an alien.

BTW- I have fought to save "one tree" before.....I know what you mean

Sylvar

Just to clarify they do offer insurance and their wages are not bad if you are willing to work hard and move up the ladder. My husband works for the Evil W. We do not always buy things there, but in our small community many times they have things we can not find elsewhere.


And back to the orginal thread, I have not had probs with Walmarts MOs but to be honest I do buy most at the Post Office, cause I have to go in and buy the stamps. I walk around town (to save gas etc...) and the PO is closer!!

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