I just went to Wal-Mart. I am a hypocrite.

[Critters2]

As a rule, I don't shop at Wal-Mart...for lots of good, progressive reasons and in respect of my mom's memory. She ABSOLUTELY refused to set foot in the place. (I was raised by a couple of true lefties).
But I have always said that I would go to Wal-Mart only if I couldn't find something anywhere else locally. Even at that, I've been able to avoid it.

Well, some of you know that I'm taking piano lessons. I don't own a piano and have been practicing on pianos at the church. I've wanted to spend more time at home, letting the beagle be out in the yard more, and leaving the critters alone less. Can't quite afford a piano yet, so I decided to buy a keyboard. I've looked all over town, couldn't find anyone who sold keyboards. I've also decided to do less shopping on the web since the problem with my card.

So, this afternoon, I went to Wal-Mart. I bought a 61-key Casio, a pretty good instrument, I think. I realized, though, what a doctrinaire lefty I am. I kept thinking about the processes that bring all this stuff here from China, how poorly the workers are paid, how much fuel is wasted in all that transportation, and how much CRAP Americans think they need to be happy.

And I hope my mom didn't see me. I am a hypocrite.

Oh, and here's the keyboard...

[Redstone]

1. So you wanna go to Walmart? Go to Walmart. I'm not going to criticize you.

Not my business to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do.

Redstone

[emilyg]

24. Neither am I. I save money at Wal-Mart.

[Skittles]

25. we all pay for it in the long run though

that's the problem

[Critters2]

26. There's more to life than saving money.

I'll gladly pay a few dollars more, or go without something, rather than support slave wages for Chinese workers, lead-contaminated products, the undermining of local economies, anti-union practices, and damage to the environment that Wal-Mart causes.

[emilyg]

29. Obviously you're not on S.S. I am.

[liberaltrucker]

2. I darken their doors for ONLY one reason

I must refill my meds, and they're the only place
with a big enough lot to park the rig. Otherwise,
HELL NO!!!

[Critters2]

4. That's how I typically feel.

Shame on me.

[liberaltrucker]

7. No shame needed

If your financial situation is such that you have
no choice, no DUer with a conscience will criticize
you. Do what you must do for you and your family.

:)

[KitchenWitch]

8. Just so you know

And it might make you feel better about the Mallwart pharmacy thing...

Individual pharmacies only make like $0.35 for each prescription filled.

[liberaltrucker]

10. Nice to know!

:toast:

[KitchenWitch]

11. I used to work in a pharmacy!

:toast:

[asthmaticeog]

13. In respect sir, I'd suggest that you more likely brighten their doors.

:hi:

There's a new mega giganto plush deluxe Wal Mart that just opened in my neighborhood, and I'm counting the days until general decimation sets in. I went in and took a walk around last week, not to shop, I didn't buy anything, but I figured I should see the behemoth that destroyed Southside Clevo firsthand.

[liberaltrucker]

22. I gotta get my meds

Can't exactly park a 53' trailer at Rite-Aid.

As I said, I give 'em my $30 co-pay/script and that's IT.

:hi:

[KitchenWitch]

3. You will get no judgment from me!

:hug:

For years, I used to shop at Sam's Club, because there were not any Costco stores in Minnesota.

Now I live in a city that has 3 Costcos, 1 Sam's Club and ZERO Mallwarts.

[Critters2]

There's no Costco around here.

But I probably could have found a keyboard in LaSalle-Peru. I think there are some music shops there. I should've gone over there.

[rug]

5. .

[Critters2]

6. Soldarity Forever.

[noamnety]

9. Have you been checking craigslist?

I see free pianos listed all the time in my area.

[Critters2]

12. Free? Really? I'll take a look! Thanks!

I still have the receipt, after all.

[Critters2]

15. I just found a free spinet organ in a town about an hour from here.

I'd need help moving it, but could probably get someone to help. And an organ would work as well as a piano for me to practice on. Who knows...once I'm skilled at piano, maybe I could move on to the organ.

Thanks! I forget about Craigslist!

[NMDemDist2]

19. so now you can return the Wally crap and save a landfill as well

also there's always ebay for that kinda stuff yanno

[noamnety]

20. I hope that works out for you.

If not, I bet you can find one closer eventually. There are so many free pianos here that our music teacher asked us to stop collecting them for the school because we had no place to put them all. We have one now that's just out in the hallway, and kids are always jamming on it when the school opens, but before 1st hour starts.

[Critters2]

21. Really? I would never have guessed there were that many

free pianos around. I'll take a look at freecycle, too. Who'd a thunk?!

[idgiehkt]

32. lol, I just posted the same thing down at the bottom

people are giving away uprights all the time around here. It would probably be worth it to pay a moving company to move it for you.

[China_cat]

14. I don't know what you paid for it

but Costco online (since you don't have one near you) has the same one for $139.

[Critters2]

17. I paid $95. Probably should've spent the extra $35

Wish we had a Costco here.

[China_cat]

27. You got a good price. I don't think you should beat yourself up

over it.

Just remember that Costco is ONLINE, too. You can take advantage of them and never have to leave the house.

[Orsino]

16. Sometimes, it's the only place you can shop...

...for certain items, without driving to another city.

You get at least one freebie from me.

[Critters2]

18. Thanks, Orsino.

That really was the situation here. And it'll probably be years before I go again.

[DarkTirade]

23. Or if you desperately need something at 4 in the morning...

something I encountered quite often when I was working the night shift.

[Critters2]

28. Hey! Good News! The Wal-Mart keyboard is going back!

I was walking to another church this morning, taking a draft bulletin for the Community Thanksgiving service (sure, I could've faxed it. But it's 60 degrees out!!). I walk by this resale shop that carries all kinds of things, clothes, electronics, kitchenware, you name it! And there, in the front window is a Casio keyboard. Well, I had to take a closer look.

So, I go in, and ask about it. It's a Casio Ctk-700, 61 keys, very similar to the Wal-Mart one. They let me play it, and it seems to work just fine. I ask why it's for sale, whether there's a problem with it. The lady says they bought it on an estate auction, which is how they get a lot of their stuff (I didn't know where they got stuff). She says they had a musician check it out, and that, as far as they know, there's not a thing wrong with it. And it cones with a stand. Wal-Mart didn't have stands.

It was $75. So, I paid for it, and will go back with my car and get it this afternoon. And take the Wal-Mart one back. I've been in there dozens of times, and never noticed any keyboards, so it didn't occur to me to look there. I'll go there first for anything I might be considering getting at Wal-Mart next time.

Have a good day!

[idgiehkt]

33. awesome!

I had to buy fence stakes at Walmart a few months ago, Lowes didn't have them and I'd bought all the ones that K-mart had...I had to keep the bionic dog in a fence though so I had to get it done.

Keep an eye on craigslist about that piano, too. :hi:

[guitar man]

30. I don't shop there

unless I absolutely have to. It's rare,but Target is all the way across town and sometimes I can't afford the gas to get to Target and buy diapers, so, Wally World it is. Sad but true :(

[idgiehkt]

31. just a thought

they seem to give away quite a few pianos in the 'free' section of craiglist here. I see them about every other week. All the ones I have seen have been uprights, and you have to move them yourself. You might even try running an ad in the wanted section of craigslist and/or using your local 'freecycle' chapter to post an ad for one.

http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/?noautodetect=1