Is it wrong to go to walmart or sams club when:

[Deja Q]

A person (such as a retiree) is on a low fixed income and has to get the cheapest prices available?

[qnr]

1. Voted for the third, but there should have

been one stating "No" but with the same argument.

If he has access to such, he can generally find things online cheaper than at the local Wal*Mart -- generally of a better quality too.

[Deja Q]

3. Sorry 'bout that. I updated the post.

And agreed on quality. Some items are okay, but others are poor. (their film processing center scratches the negatives royally.)

[qnr]

4. Yes - and many places still offer free shipping

which not only saves wear-and-tear on their vehicles (not to mention joints), and gas money, but they get to get excited for a few days, with the anticipation of having their order delivered to their door :)

[jdsmith]

5. He's on a "fixed income"

How does he shop "online"?

[qnr]

7. I'm retired, and on a fixed income - I shop online

not meaning to be rude, but what's your point?

[jdsmith]

9. No rudeness detected

In fact, the rudeness was mine. I left out a couple of words from the original postulation ("A person (such as a retiree) is on a low fixed income and has to get the cheapest prices available") that made it plain that this apocryphal subject simply hasn't the $19.95 / month needed for equipment to shop online.

[qnr]

10. Ah, ok

Well, local libraries have allowed me to shop online¹, but that's not really the point. I can understand what you were talking about now.

I guess it's just a matter of what you want to spend your money on. For example, I spend 29.00 for cable internet access, but I don't subscribe to any sort of cable/sat television.

=====================
1. Understanding the inherent danger there.

[IronLionZion]

2. they'll close the stores here when they open enough in China

because oddly enough, that's where the growth is. It'll take many years. By the time I retire, USA will probably be dirt poor.

[AndyTiedye]

6. No Need to Settle for Walmart

If the local retailers charge too much, haggle with them.
If Walmonster has already put them out of business,
start a co-op!

[donheld]

8. If you're on a fixed income go

It's the thought that counts. I'm sure those in these shoes would prefer to go other places. You have to do what you have to do to survive. Retiree's, people on disability too often have to resort to means they don't enjoy, but has to be done.

[jdots]

11. i have a sad Wall-Mart story

the one and only time i went to Wall-mart was in Alabama,there was no town left,it had become a mall.I was greeted by a nice old guy,very helpfull and he pointed me toward what wall fart calls thier hardware dept.He told me he owned the town hardware store that his grandfather started,I held back tears when i ran to the car. Home Depot(which has closed almost every indy lumber place in L.A.) is opening 40 stores in Mexico.Guitar Center has closed hundreds (at least) of indy music stores.It is not just the fact of it being the only game in town,they have helped the prolifferation of garbage goods made by something very close to slave labor. WE GOT WORK TO DO !

[yardwork]

12. Try these alternative -

I don't know what you need to buy, but some of these ideas might help:

1. Shop for clothing, tools, equipment, and other items at second-hand stores and on ebay. You will be surprised to find what other people throw out, give away, or sell. It may be exactly what you need. Don't compromise on quality - there are plenty of brand-new items for sale by people who don't need them.

2. Shop for food at a local co-op if you have one. You can volunteer a few hours a month in return for discounts. Search the web, your newspaper, and especially local free papers and bulletin boards to find out about small group co-ops. In almost every community there are people who get together and agree to buy food in bulk and divvy it up.

3. Mentioned above - haggle with local storekeepers. Take a newspaper insert advertising a low price on an item at one of the big-box stores into your local store and ask if they will match the price. It doesn't hurt to ask, and they will often do it to get a new customer.

The level of service and human interaction you get when you buy one-on-one can't be duplicated in a big-box. I have met very nice people when I bought their things on ebay. I love it when I go into a locally owned store and the owner or manager greets me by name, remembers my children, and knows what I like.

Human contact is worth more than all the gold in Halliburton's vaults.