# What Does Wal-Mart Know?



## ToGoKit

I have never seen a store display like what I saw today, July 3rd 2011 in the local Wal Mart store in north Idaho.

I took some pics of the display. Even back in the days of Y2K I never saw anything like this.

http://www.preparednesssite.com/?p=124

This really made me stop and think what do they know? Is the demand up or is it going to be?

Most people were just getting their hot dogs and burgers for the 4th and not even paying attention to this huge display.

What your thoughts?


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## Frugal_Farmers

I feel that the monsters, I mean executives, at Walmart watch trends closley.

They have watched market trends and want to cash in on their piece of the pie. 

People are funny. When they see a big display like this they say "I gotta have it". "In fact, I'll take two and put it on my credit card".

On the plus side, if folks do buy them, perhaps they will begin looking at other preps.


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## floridacracker

*has any other stores done this?*

my question is has anybody in other ares seen this? each store is local and they do tend to use some local marketing, however if it becomes a area wide stocking, or maybe even a country wide event, then it may mean something... I can't remember where I saw the info, but it said wal-mart and several large grocery chains would hold the price on the staples, humm for how long and at what cost....


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## power

They know they want to sell items. All that matters. If people will buy something Walmart will stock it.


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## Turtle

Florida Cracker makes an excellent point; the ordering for each Walmart is done at the local store level. Knowing the sort of people that live in Idaho (which is not derogatory at all, as my Dad just bought 35 acres there), I would say that they are just trying to appeal to the locals. I can tell you for sure, there have been no similar displays at any of the Baltimore/Washington stores!


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## lotsoflead

All they know is that some people are prepping like the world was coming to an end and they want their fair share of the loot.
If they really wanted to help the country, they would have these same items and adds in the large cities and towns, not just out in the country where people prep anyway.


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## OldCootHillbilly

Ain't seen it at ours. An the ordererin ain't done at the store level no more. The regional warehouse dictates what them stores stock. I've tried ta get case lots a things before an talkin with the different managers they say they can't order stuff no more cause that be done at the regional level. Funny, our regional warehouse be Kansas City! What would they no bout our area? They gather all there info from numbers, so if prep food be sellin good in some region yall will see it in yer store.


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## The_Blob

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Ain't seen it at ours. An the ordererin ain't done at the store level no more. The regional warehouse dictates what them stores stock. I've tried ta get case lots a things before an talkin with the different managers they say they can't order stuff no more cause that be done at the regional level. Funny, our regional warehouse be Kansas City! What would they no bout our area? They gather all there info from numbers, so if prep food be sellin good in some region yall will see it in yer store.


Do different regions do things differently?... because I've never had a problem getting anything from ours, such as items 'discontinued at that location' or case lots. :scratch


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## OldCootHillbilly

Blob, could be, I sure ain't impressed with ours. They keep eleminatin stuff all the time. Told em one a these days their gonna look like the local K Mart!:gaah:


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## Jason

Some WalMarts seem to be really nice, with lots of merchandise, plenty of open registers, and a huge selection of products. Then others in the same area can be total crap holes. No idea the logic or why some stores seem so much better off than others. And I haven't seen any "prepper marketing" either.


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## BillS

I haven't seen those in my local Wal-Mart in Wisconsin.


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## Meerkat

floridacracker said:


> my question is has anybody in other ares seen this? each store is local and they do tend to use some local marketing, however if it becomes a area wide stocking, or maybe even a country wide event, then it may mean something... I can't remember where I saw the info, but it said wal-mart and several large grocery chains would hold the price on the staples, humm for how long and at what cost....


 Here in N.Florida people I know prepare somewhat,some more than others.

A few times my neighbor could'nt find canning lids anywhere and cannign jars have almost doubled in price.

What I don't understand is all the new stores opeing up.
.Espeically competing drug stores on every corner.

If we are about to collapse and big busniess is to blame and run by Wall Street and banks,then would'nt they know more than us?If so why put all that money into buying stores no one will use?


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## neldarez

Our wallyworld has been carrying food storage items for awhile now.....I have noticed lately that they are expanding even more....... I've bought my powdered eggs and butter there, came home, looked up the company they bought it from and found that it was considerably cheaper buying it from wallyworld than from the company that made it and sells it..I was a bit surprised about that. Our home store can do nothing on its own, Arkansas dictates how long the a/c runs, the lights, and the ordering.........They have cut material and yarns until they are very small dept. now, they did cut yarn totally once but everyone screamed so much they brought it back. Their prices on the food storage items are just fine especially when you consider you don't pay freight, but might now want to buy much in your hometown store, know what I mean...


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## Genevieve

No wheat berries,no FD or dehydrated #10 cans, no nothing for preparedness here. Makes me depressed when others say they get this and that at their Walmarts and I look at mine and just wonder....wth?
Shoot ain't even got this stuff at the Sam's I go to!
Wish they did. I'd be buying that stuff up left and right and be able to pay cash would be the cherry on top!


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## Immolatus

Meerkat said:


> If we are about to collapse and big busniess is to blame and run by Wall Street and banks,then would'nt they know more than us?If so why put all that money into buying stores no one will use?


That is a VERY good question.

Either they do know something we dont, as in we are all a bunch of paranoid delusionals like everyone thinks we are.
Or, they dont really know anything, and are just trying to sell a product people will buy, carrying out their day to day operations.
Or, they know whats gonna happen and figure they should be gobbling up more and more before it all comes crashing down. 
Certainly wm execs and higher ups dont have to worry about a crash, because they have more money than they know what to do with.


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## worldengineer

Immolatus said:


> That is a VERY good question.
> 
> Either they do know something we dont, as in we are all a bunch of paranoid delusionals like everyone thinks we are.
> Or, they dont really know anything, and are just trying to sell a product people will buy, carrying out their day to day operations.
> Or, they know whats gonna happen and figure they should be gobbling up more and more before it all comes crashing down.
> Certainly wm execs and higher ups dont have to worry about a crash, because they have more money than they know what to do with.


We're a bunch of paranoid delusionals. And they enjoy money. 
Ours ain't started displaying that yet, but they do have a knack for screwing up an entire store by moving one item.


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## BadgeBunny

No prepper market as Jason calls it at the local Wal-Marts here either but I can order Auguson Farms stuff online and have it delivered to the local Sam's Club.

Haven't done it yet ... trying to keep my money at a local store that just opened up that caters to "outdoor adventures" (what a cool name for prepping, huh?? LOL) ... just nice to have another option.


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## gypsysue

Well, our Wal-mart in NW Montana (Kalispell) doesn't have anything like that, and I'd say we're pretty like-minded with the folks in NE Idaho. Our Wal-mart doesn't even have the freeze-dried stuff I've heard people say theirs do in other parts of the country. Weird.

It might reflect the beliefs of or those beliefs the ordering person sees in their area, when they order.

Possibly it's another jump-on-the-wagon-Y2K-is-coming sales tactic in anticipation of the 2012 anxiety?


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## JayJay

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Blob, could be, I sure ain't impressed with ours. They keep eleminatin stuff all the time. Told em one a these days their gonna look like the local K Mart!:gaah:


Here in my community, they already do---and don't get me wrong...I love kmart--just got great towels for 2.50 sale price and they were on my list of things to get!!!!:2thumb:

So, Chinamart is the last place I shop now---the prices are not competitive..in fact, here, it's like they are pricing higher than other stores even on the other stores' sale items...'cause most don't know to say---MATCH THAT PRICE DUDE!!!:gaah:


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## GatorDude

Walmart does a lot to optimize their product mix to the zip code of their neighborhood. If you live in a prosperous neighborhood, you will see more high end merchandise. For example, in a ritzy neighborhood (in a non-gun control state), your Walmart might have over-under shotguns and other very nice firearms. But, in a lower income neighborhood, you might have fewer expensive firearms and more basic firearms. The same holds true for computers, flat screen TVs, etc. If you go from Walmart to Walmart in your area, you may pick up on the differences.

They have also recently announced an effort to bring back the basics that lead to their success. You should soon see more gun sales, more sporting goods, and perhaps even a fabric section.

Here is an account of my recent firearms purchase at Walmart:
Buying A Gun at Walmart

I'll bet they have a very good idea of what people buy in your area. They probably know that there are many preppers in Idaho.


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## HarleyRider

*Now down here..*

The stores down here have nothing but crap!


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## ToGoKit

Wonder if anyone in the Utah area is seeing anything like this? Just knowing that folks there are into Storage Foods alot and some companies there also. Anyhow thought it all kind of surprising to see such a large stock of floor space.


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## Herbalpagan

no long term food storage stuff at ours here in the east. I wish....


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## Frugal_Farmers

ToGoKit said:


> Wonder if anyone in the Utah area is seeing anything like this? Just knowing that folks there are into Storage Foods alot and some companies there also. Anyhow thought it all kind of surprising to see such a large stock of floor space.


I haven't lived in Utah for a number of years, but I would guess that most of the preppers in Utah are members of the LDS. They have many less expensive options than buying these items.


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## Clarice

When I lived out west Montana and Wyoming, it was a yearly event for the stores to have bulk sales and case lot sales before winter. You never knew when you would be snowed in.


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## BillM

*Sigma Six*

Walmart uses Sigma Six inventory replacment and regional marketing to determine what they offer at any given store. This is done to maximize sales and has little to do with them knowing anything you don't know.

You and others in your imeadiat area buy bulk items and the marketing surveys show it and they will stock those items. When they sell they are automaticly reordered by their computorized invatory replacement system.

Grocery stores are operated the same way . That is why they can keep stocked with no items stored in a stock room. Everything on the shelves turns over in three days.


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## ram91648

*Wal-Mart and Sam's Club too....*

I don't know if anyone has noticed but, Sam's club is now carrying the Augason Farms product line. I have it in my storage and will continue to add more. It's a good product and the price at Sam's can't be beat. You can only get it online and have it shipped right to your door. The shipping on everything I've purchased has been less than $3.00 for two number 10 cans. Everything (generally) is sold in two and six can lots. Check it out. They have everything from two cans of biscuit mix to a year supply of food for 40 people. I have purchased from many of the food storage suppliers and this is right up at the top of my list overall. Be well, be safe and be prepared. God bless.......


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## Norse

You are adding to the problem if you buy anything from Wal Mart.

They are the biggest Anti American store out there, and the droves of idiots shop there like trained chimps at a zoo.

Most of their products come from China, and the average retard does not realize that everytime you buy a product from China, it adds to the deficit all Americans will be burdened with.


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## JayJay

Norse said:


> You are adding to the problem if you buy anything from Wal Mart.
> 
> They are the biggest Anti American store out there, and the droves of idiots shop there like trained chimps at a zoo.
> 
> Most of their products come from China, and the average retard does not realize that everytime you buy a product from China, it adds to the deficit all Americans will be burdened with.


I'm gonna tell my tuna story---I am trying really hard to stop the china buying syndrome after discovering not one, but two, of my cheap lotions were made there. I don't even shop Chinamart any longer--heck, they aren't the cheapest anyhow, people.
At Piggly Wiggly dh and I checked out the tuna...we ususally every week get rice and tuna at Sam's...7.70 for 10 cans.
So when I see it for .60 cents, I picked up 10 cans...reading the label on the way to check out... Fricking MADE IN CHINA..

And as I skirted back to the shelf, I said loudly, I'D HAVE TO BE STARVING TO EAT TUNA FROM CHINA!!!!:congrat:


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## ram91648

*Wal-Mart and China*

When U.S. products are priced so that they don't reflect the demands of the unions I might be able to afford to buy only American. I have to buy cheap imports on $800.00 a month social security. The U.S. is the greediest nation on the planet with the most corrupt government and inept legal system. I wish we could get back to God. Maybe then things would get better.


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## stayingthegame

saw an articular on yahoo that said our government has sold more of our debt to china than they thought. apparently only so much is to be sold to a country, but somehow no one noticed the extra buys. even expensive things are often still made in china.


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## TechAdmin

Was it in that weird isle that hold all the seasonal stuff and off brand products? I see large volumes of stuff I would never buy in that isle. I also see mason jars regularly on sale.


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## JayJay

ram91648 said:


> When U.S. products are priced so that they don't reflect the demands of the unions I might be able to afford to buy only American. I have to buy cheap imports on $800.00 a month social security. The U.S. is the greediest nation on the planet with the most corrupt government and inept legal system. I wish we could get back to God. Maybe then things would get better.


I understand---but it's not like a flag on my porch...took me a while to find one USA.....this tuna is going in my stomach---no fricking way..

Like the cheap lotion from China in my bath...not gonna happen...it'll go in yard sale stuff.


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## Necred

"The U.S. is the greediest nation on the planet with the most corrupt government and inept legal system"

I absolutely agree, but i dont believe there is any hope for redemption....It appears that once an honest politician (oxymoron) reaches DC they become addicted to the power & easy $ and eventually "when in Rome"....


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## power

Necred said:


> "The U.S. is the greediest nation on the planet with the most corrupt government and inept legal system"
> 
> I absolutely agree, but i dont believe there is any hope for redemption....It appears that once an honest politician (oxymoron) reaches DC they become addicted to the power & easy $ and eventually "when in Rome"....


Honest politician and unicorns seem to be very few and far between.


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## gypsysue

Norse said:


> You are adding to the problem if you buy anything from Wal Mart.
> 
> They are the biggest Anti American store out there, and the droves of idiots shop there like trained chimps at a zoo.
> 
> Most of their products come from China, and the average retard does not realize that everytime you buy a product from China, it adds to the deficit all Americans will be burdened with.


You're right, but that may be a little harsh. A lot of people live on such a small budget they really don't have much choice to buy from Wal-mart or any place that's cheap, even if the product comes from China. Money only stretches so far.

Granted, a lot of people probably buy items that are "wants" rather than "needs", but when they NEED toilet paper, toothpaste, ibuprofin, lotion, tuna, whatever, they have to buy what's cheap.

The "average retard" might not realize it, but the average poor person is smart enough to realize that the problem did not start nor will end with them or their shopping practices. The problems began at the political and corporate level. Will they end there? Hahahahahahaha...a better question might be will they end.

It helps if we all do what we can when we shop, and it helps when we can educate others. But there are limitations.

I'm willing to bet that those who spit at the people who shop at Wal-mart have a lot of China-made and other foreign products in their homes, yards, and garages.

And I laugh when I see Wal-mart portrayed as "anti-american" or as the anti-christ! Every store out there, whether a Mom & Pop or a large corporate chain has one goal: to make money.

The town nearest us is filled with local-owned stores and restaurants. They're hire family members and maybe a few friends. They charge 3 times as much for most things (example: Tube of ultra-bright toothpaste, $2.99, same tube, same size at Wal-mart, .97. Which woud you buy?). Our kids and those of our friends and neighbors had to move to the larger town 65 miles away to get jobs when they grew up because all those little local-owned stores and restaurants don't provide jobs.

Do I shop at Wal-mart, 65 miles away? You darn tootin'! They came in and hired nearly 200 people, and around them sprang up other shops and restaurants (mostly fast-food) and provided even more jobs. Then banks built branches near them and there were more jobs, then other services opened offices around those, etc.

You go, Wal-mart. McDonalds and all the other "evils" too. Yes, the grass-roots and shop-America campaigns are good ideas. But there's a real world out there too.


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## goshengirl

gypsysue said:


> You're right, but that may be a little harsh. A lot of people live on such a small budget they really don't have much choice to buy from Wal-mart or any place that's cheap, even if the product comes from China. Money only stretches so far.
> 
> Granted, a lot of people probably buy items that are "wants" rather than "needs", but when they NEED toilet paper, toothpaste, ibuprofin, lotion, tuna, whatever, they have to buy what's cheap.
> 
> The "average retard" might not realize it, but the average poor person is smart enough to realize that the problem did not start nor will end with them or their shopping practices. The problems began at the political and corporate level. Will they end there? Hahahahahahaha...a better question might be will they end.
> 
> It helps if we all do what we can when we shop, and it helps when we can educate others. But there are limitations.
> 
> I'm willing to bet that those who spit at the people who shop at Wal-mart have a lot of China-made and other foreign products in their homes, yards, and garages.
> 
> And I laugh when I see Wal-mart portrayed as "anti-american" or as the anti-christ! Every store out there, whether a Mom & Pop or a large corporate chain has one goal: to make money.
> 
> The town nearest us is filled with local-owned stores and restaurants. They're hire family members and maybe a few friends. They charge 3 times as much for most things (example: Tube of ultra-bright toothpaste, $2.99, same tube, same size at Wal-mart, .97. Which woud you buy?). Our kids and those of our friends and neighbors had to move to the larger town 65 miles away to get jobs when they grew up because all those little local-owned stores and restaurants don't provide jobs.
> 
> Do I shop at Wal-mart, 65 miles away? You darn tootin'! They came in and hired nearly 200 people, and around them sprang up other shops and restaurants (mostly fast-food) and provided even more jobs. Then banks built branches near them and there were more jobs, then other services opened offices around those, etc.
> 
> You go, Wal-mart. McDonalds and all the other "evils" too. Yes, the grass-roots and shop-America campaigns are good ideas. But there's a real world out there too.


:congrat:


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## power

gypsysue said:


> You're right, but that may be a little harsh. A lot of people live on such a small budget they really don't have much choice to buy from Wal-mart or any place that's cheap, even if the product comes from China. Money only stretches so far.
> 
> Granted, a lot of people probably buy items that are "wants" rather than "needs", but when they NEED toilet paper, toothpaste, ibuprofin, lotion, tuna, whatever, they have to buy what's cheap.
> 
> The "average retard" might not realize it, but the average poor person is smart enough to realize that the problem did not start nor will end with them or their shopping practices. The problems began at the political and corporate level. Will they end there? Hahahahahahaha...a better question might be will they end.
> 
> It helps if we all do what we can when we shop, and it helps when we can educate others. But there are limitations.
> 
> I'm willing to bet that those who spit at the people who shop at Wal-mart have a lot of China-made and other foreign products in their homes, yards, and garages.
> 
> And I laugh when I see Wal-mart portrayed as "anti-american" or as the anti-christ! Every store out there, whether a Mom & Pop or a large corporate chain has one goal: to make money.
> 
> The town nearest us is filled with local-owned stores and restaurants. They're hire family members and maybe a few friends. They charge 3 times as much for most things (example: Tube of ultra-bright toothpaste, $2.99, same tube, same size at Wal-mart, .97. Which woud you buy?). Our kids and those of our friends and neighbors had to move to the larger town 65 miles away to get jobs when they grew up because all those little local-owned stores and restaurants don't provide jobs.
> 
> Do I shop at Wal-mart, 65 miles away? You darn tootin'! They came in and hired nearly 200 people, and around them sprang up other shops and restaurants (mostly fast-food) and provided even more jobs. Then banks built branches near them and there were more jobs, then other services opened offices around those, etc.
> 
> You go, Wal-mart. McDonalds and all the other "evils" too. Yes, the grass-roots and shop-America campaigns are good ideas. But there's a real world out there too.


I saw a TV show a while back where the family were only going to buy American made products. Then they decided to get rid of all non American made products in their home. If I remember right all that was left was a vase of flowers setting in one room of the house.


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## beanpicker

yea power, I saw that show also an I thought no way , only one thing was USA , well I did a little search of my own an heck I found lots of things USA , course lot was china too. But I shop wallly world , just like today I got 5 - 5 gallon buckets w/ lids free...but I was nice enought too also buy anouther dish soap an got my hubby some chicken tenders for he said he was hungry an couldn't wait till he got home. ( I think it was a smell thing.) But I do watch out for the china stuff an try to buy USA .

The one wally world charges $1.00 per bucket any size an the other has them free. so every time I go to that part of town I stop wally world. An usually I can get 3 to 5 each stop.


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## stayingthegame

a lot of things may looked like they are made here but are really made overseas. parts of some things are made in different countries but are put together here a will qualify for American made labels. much of my furniture is American made but the trees for the wood came from somewhere else. (dh made my furniture:2thumb: ) unless you raise it grow it and make it yourself, you may not be totally American.


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## Necred

Tell me where you can buy everyday fixings that dont come from overseas?


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## gypsysue

Necred said:


> Tell me where you can buy everyday fixings that dont come from overseas?


Yeah, that's a tough one, isn't it?

A lot of "cottage industries" are cropping up with the poor economy and all the lay-offs. Sometimes they're affordable and sometimes they aren't.

Part of the problem is what it costs to make products. By the time I buy what I need to sew the children's clothes, hot pads and oven mitts I was selling earlier this year, the cost to make them was twice what it costs to buy China-made (or other countries) similar products. That's not even counting anything for the labor involved in cutting out and sewing these things, plus wear and tear on my sewing machine. Electricity to run it and a light to see by.

And most of the fabric, thread, ribbon, and other trims and assessories are probably made overseas. Sigh...

Same problem with anything other people are making to sell...furniture, pottery (dishes, etc.), quilts, you name it.

I guess the best we can do is try to keep using what we have and try not to replace household items until we really, really have to.

As for food, you can shop Farmer's markets and possibly local meat markets, but that still leaves grain products, condiments, dairy, and whatever else you need.

:dunno:


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## Turtle

Stirling's book, "Dies the Fire" (which is still one of my top 3 favorite books of all time), makes an interesting point:

One of the characters makes the observation that after the brown matter has made contact with the oscilating device, the folks who would be best prepared to handle it would be (some of) the very poor and (some of) the very wealthy. The poor because they have retained skills made obsolete by technology not available to them, and the very wealthy who do not have to work as had to get by from day to day, and thus have more time available to devote to hobbies that may include useful skills such as backpacking across mountains. 

It is an interesting take on the idea. Gypsysue's comment about the cottage industries made me recall it. Think of all the yuppies that are planting small gardens because "organic" is the new, cool thing, and all of the rural folk who grow their own food because they need to do so to get by... Now consider all of the "middle class" who have to work two jobs to afford the newest laptop or dilithium crystal television to keep up with the Joneses and don't have time to devote to simple skills....


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## Quills

Necred said:


> Tell me where you can buy everyday fixings that dont come from overseas?


First, you'd have to define "everyday fixings". When we embarked on a variation of the "100 mile diet" -- basically, buying locally as much as possible, we found that finding "local" products was only half of it. The other half was changing our lifestyle to not include those things that, before, we had considered "everyday" that no longer could be.

We're not die-hards. Coffee and chocolate don't grow in Manitoba, and I point-blank REFUSE to live without either while they can still be purchased. If it ever comes down the pipe that they can't be bought, then I'll deal with that, then, but for now... nope.

Making those changes is hard, but it's an education. The root of the problem is that most people don't pay attention to what comes from where, or make a conscious decision to purchase or not to purchase. The buying isn't the real problem, IMHO -- it's the not knowing, not understanding. Making the effort to learn will be the root of change, as people realize that things aren't made locally, or even in their own country, and a few (a precious few) get upset by that, they will start demanding change.


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## Immolatus

It usually boils down to simple economics. If its cheaper to buy something at Wally World then than the local mom and pop, then its an obvious decision, especially if you dont have lots of money to spend. Thats why the mom and pop stores are a dying breed.


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## OrangePekoe

The Walmart CEO came out a few months ago and said prices from their suppliers are going up and to expect high prices starting June. Also that their customers are running out of money by the end of the month.

They could be losing money and stocking bulk food to keep these buyers. They probably know about the inflation problem too. Everyone does. The Fed rate is zero, it can only go up.


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## Turtle

Well, I was just at the Wally World in Glen Burnie, and they definitely do not have any displays of any sort of prep items. There were, however, plenty of sheeple.


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## Meerkat

Quills said:


> First, you'd have to define "everyday fixings". When we embarked on a variation of the "100 mile diet" -- basically, buying locally as much as possible, we found that finding "local" products was only half of it. The other half was changing our lifestyle to not include those things that, before, we had considered "everyday" that no longer could be.
> 
> We're not die-hards. Coffee and chocolate don't grow in Manitoba, and I point-blank REFUSE to live without either while they can still be purchased. If it ever comes down the pipe that they can't be bought, then I'll deal with that, then, but for now... nope.
> 
> Making those changes is hard, but it's an education. The root of the problem is that most people don't pay attention to what comes from where, or make a conscious decision to purchase or not to purchase. The buying isn't the real problem, IMHO -- it's the not knowing, not understanding. Making the effort to learn will be the root of change, as people realize that things aren't made locally, or even in their own country, and a few (a precious few) get upset by that, they will start demanding change.


 Some have a better choice of what they can plant.Many southern states can still have most sub tropic and tropical plants most others can't.Plus their growing season is longer.I can grow plants all year round.

And if the weather does get colder the south is the place to be.But if its heats up too much it the worse place so who knows?


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## Norse

gypsysue said:


> Money only stretches so far.


Most people cannot stretch a budget simply because they do not apply themselves to saving money vs convenience.



gypsysue said:


> Granted, a lot of people probably buy items that are "wants" rather than "needs", but when they NEED toilet paper, toothpaste, ibuprofin, lotion, tuna, whatever, they have to buy what's cheap.


You can purchase most of what you just listed at places other than wally world and most come in generic brands that are very cheap, again, most people shop at wally world because it is 'Convenient".



gypsysue said:


> The "average retard" might not realize it, but the average poor person is smart enough to realize that the problem did not start nor will end with them or their shopping practices.


If no one was willing to buy Chinese garbage, thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs would have never left the USA, and those people would most likely benefit from that.

Corporate greed is not the cause either. This country flourished when many corporate monopolies existed. The PROBLEM is Americans for the most part are
more LAZY than THRIFTY.

I sympathize with those of limited income, but Americans in the "Golden Age" learned to do without or improvise, not being able to run to wally world for every little reason.



gypsysue said:


> The problems began at the political and corporate level. Will they end there? Hahahahahahaha...a better question might be will they end.


Nope, as long as the taxpayer is FORCED to bail out corporate greed, nothing will change. However, when no one can PAY TAXES because of that end game, that is the only solution.



gypsysue said:


> It helps if we all do what we can when we shop, and it helps when we can educate others. But there are limitations.


Of course, most Americans used to live in the Country and raise the majority of their own food, but now those same people who moved to the cities to get good paying jobs in factories no longer have jobs, and cannot AFFORD to return to the land.



gypsysue said:


> I'm willing to bet that those who spit at the people who shop at Wal-mart have a lot of China-made and other foreign products in their homes, yards, and garages.


Of course, because SO MANY PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY ARE NO LONGER MADE IN THE USA.

Again, if the majority of Americans simply refused to buy Chinese garbage for one year, IT WOULD DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE DYNAMICS of the American Economy.



gypsysue said:


> And I laugh when I see Wal-mart portrayed as "anti-american" or as the anti-christ! Every store out there, whether a Mom & Pop or a large corporate chain has one goal: to make money.


Mom and pop stores did not cater to international importers and corporate shills. They served the community.
Many of the products they sold were made locally or supported Americans working good paying jobs.



gypsysue said:


> The town nearest us is filled with local-owned stores and restaurants. They're hire family members and maybe a few friends. They charge 3 times as much for most things (example: Tube of ultra-bright toothpaste, $2.99, same tube, same size at Wal-mart, .97. Which woud you buy?). Our kids and those of our friends and neighbors had to move to the larger town 65 miles away to get jobs when they grew up because all those little local-owned stores and restaurants don't provide jobs.


Wally World has been sued many times for screwing their workers. Again, before the 'Super Megalo marts" came, people could have jobs to support
their families locally.

The problem? Mass Marts can buy extremely large bulk orders, lowering the price. That is why CoOps were formed.



gypsysue said:


> Do I shop at Wal-mart, 65 miles away? You darn tootin'! They came in and hired nearly 200 people, and around them sprang up other shops and restaurants (mostly fast-food) and provided even more jobs. Then banks built branches near them and there were more jobs, then other services opened offices around those, etc.


Is America better with mega stores? JUST LOOK AT THE STATE OF AMERICA.



gypsysue said:


> You go, Wal-mart. McDonalds and all the other "evils" too. Yes, the grass-roots and shop-America campaigns are good ideas. But there's a real world out there too.


Real World? ya, too many people buy CRAP from Wally World.


----------



## TrackerRat

Its obvious preppers are the new trend, they see profit and will suit the needs.


----------



## Turtle

I don't view Walmart as the Anti-Christ (because clearly, that is Oprah. ), but I do try to avoid shopping there as i do not like what it does to the local economy. That said, I do still shop there from time to time, as I am on a budget like everyone else.

You have to remember, Sam Walton (I believe that is his name?) started his first big store to help the people of his impoverished town. Buying in bulk let him offer better prices to the backwater town in which he lived. Of course, the road to Hell...


----------



## Necred

*http://www.365black.com/365black/index.jsp*

This is the main reason i quit mcdonalds few years ago.

Welcome to McDonald's 365Black - I'm lovin' it!


----------



## Turtle

Necred said:


> This is the main reason i quit mcdonalds few years ago.
> 
> Welcome to McDonald's 365Black - I'm lovin' it!


Wow. That is absolute crap. I hate to see that sort of thing in this day and age; where is the "365white" or "365asian", etcetera? It is wrong for a company to focus their efforts at promotion on any one ethnic or racial group. How about promoting on merit instead of skin color?

I am completely in favor of being proud of your ancestry; I am the commisioner for my clan society for my state and represent the clan at local Socttish festivals, highland games, and Celtic festivals. However, I would never expect a company for which I worked to focus their advancement efforts on me due to my ethinicity.

Not sure what this has to do with Walmart, but thanks for pointing it out!


----------



## Necred

"Not sure what this has to do with Walmart, but thanks for pointing it out! "

Nothing, a previous post mentioned Mcdonalds...But for folks that feel like you & I its info that should be public. I called them about it & the person got rude because i thought it was wrong. She basically said the Mcd considered the cause just & was planning on increasing funds to promote it.


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## ToGoKit

Well I thought maybe they were just stocking the aisle one time like this here. But some local folks said that they saw them restocking the whole aisle again. So they must take it as a important part of their business now.


----------



## efbjr

*Limited income lessons...*



Norse said:


> You can purchase most of what you just listed at places other than wally world and most come in generic brands that are very cheap, again, most people shop at wally world because it is 'Convenient".
> 
> Corporate greed is not the cause either. This country flourished when many corporate monopolies existed. The PROBLEM is Americans for the most part are more LAZY than THRIFTY.
> 
> I sympathize with those of limited income, but Americans in the "Golden Age" learned to do without or improvise, not being able to run to wally world for every little reason.
> 
> Of course, because SO MANY PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY ARE NO LONGER MADE IN THE USA.


Being on a limited income, we are forced to seek out the best prices. Our primary places to shop are PriceRite and Aldi's for groceries, Dollar Tree and WalMart for household items other than food.

As to Americans being lazy, you have to ask if this is just a result of Americans not being taught how to be thrifty? :dunno: If real economics were being taught down to the primary grades levels, do you think that people would have allowed themselves to suckered into the economic mess(es) that we now face...upside down mortgages, burdensome credit card interest payments, overpriced junk sold as the latest fad thing to have!

The powers that be that are screwing us over and over again. A financially illiterate population is pure bliss for them to manipulate. Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover" should be a required text in every school starting in the 6th grade. :2thumb:

Having your income become limited is a tremendous stimulus learning how to make do and improvise. :scratch You'll be surprised how little you really need as opposed to what you want. People are learning fast. WallyWorld is taking a beating from the dollar stores! :surrender:

Short of imposing restrictive tariffs on imported goods, can we find a middle ground that will allow us to buy reasonable amounts of imported low-price goods without letting the mega middlemen corporations squeeze both the producers and consumers out of every last cent for their own profit and still allow Americans to be employed? :dunno:


----------



## gypsysue

Norse said:


> Most people cannot stretch a budget simply because they do not apply themselves to saving money vs convenience.
> 
> You can purchase most of what you just listed at places other than wally world and most come in generic brands that are very cheap, again, most people shop at wally world because it is 'Convenient".
> 
> If no one was willing to buy Chinese garbage, thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs would have never left the USA, and those people would most likely benefit from that.
> 
> Corporate greed is not the cause either. This country flourished when many corporate monopolies existed. The PROBLEM is Americans for the most part are
> more LAZY than THRIFTY.
> 
> I sympathize with those of limited income, but Americans in the "Golden Age" learned to do without or improvise, not being able to run to wally world for every little reason.
> 
> Nope, as long as the taxpayer is FORCED to bail out corporate greed, nothing will change. However, when no one can PAY TAXES because of that end game, that is the only solution.
> 
> Of course, most Americans used to live in the Country and raise the majority of their own food, but now those same people who moved to the cities to get good paying jobs in factories no longer have jobs, and cannot AFFORD to return to the land.
> 
> Of course, because SO MANY PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY ARE NO LONGER MADE IN THE USA.
> 
> Again, if the majority of Americans simply refused to buy Chinese garbage for one year, IT WOULD DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE DYNAMICS of the American Economy.
> 
> Mom and pop stores did not cater to international importers and corporate shills. They served the community.
> Many of the products they sold were made locally or supported Americans working good paying jobs.
> 
> Wally World has been sued many times for screwing their workers. Again, before the 'Super Megalo marts" came, people could have jobs to support
> their families locally.
> 
> The problem? Mass Marts can buy extremely large bulk orders, lowering the price. That is why CoOps were formed.
> 
> Is America better with mega stores? JUST LOOK AT THE STATE OF AMERICA.
> 
> Real World? ya, too many people buy CRAP from Wally World.


:lolsmash: You have no clue! :lolsmash: What assumptions you make!

My husband and I are so good at stretching a budget that just a couple weeks ago we were PAID to travel 1,700 miles to southern California to teach OTHERS how to live on less!!! My husband also wrote an exellent magazine article on Comfort Vs Convenience that was published earlier this year! We live off-grid and provide more than 80% of our own food by what we grow, forage, hunt, and fish! We go weeks without leaving our property, so therefore seldom use gas or buy anything! Yes, there are people who don't have a clue about budgets or convenience, etc., but it's sure not OUR family! :lolsmash:

I could go line by line in your reply and dispute most of what you said, but I'll make an assumption of my own and say you think mom & pops never screwed their employees, never used bad business practices, never over-charged for their products or services, and so on!

Yup, of the dozens of small business owners I've known in my life, I've never met any as noble as you apparently have. You know, the ones that are dedicated to serving the community!

I guess all that small-town corruption we've always heard of is just a television myth, too! 

Besides...Wal-mart and McDonalds are just targets. The other stores and fast-food chains are doing pretty much the same thing.

One more thing... it wasn't just corporate greed sending our jobs overseas. Everyone wanted to earn top dollar AND buy things for bottom dollar. Don't assume all the factory workers wanting more and more pay had nothing to do with it. And don't blow that out of proportion and say I'm blaming the workers entirely. Maybe we're all part of the problem.


----------



## mosquitomountainman

Blaming WalMart for our economic ills is disingenuous. I grew up in and around small towns and you'll find greed and corruption in "mom and pop" stores everywhere. They had a nuclear power plant built near one small town where I lived. The business owners were ecstatic thinking of all the money they'd make off the construction workers. When the hiring started all their employees left to get jobs at the Nuc. plant. They were tired of working for minimum wage and no benefits. The "moms and pops" ended up putting in long hours because they couldn't find anyone to work for them. Most of those "moms and pops" were pretty well healed financially and could have paid their empolyees more than they did.

Buying "American" isn't so simple either. When I worked as a mechanic at a GM dealership they sent me to a school to learn how to work on a new motor GM put into production. It was designed in Germany and built in Brazil. 

I could put up dozens of other examples but don't have time to do so.

Our current economic mess has a lot of causes and one of the least of them is WalMart. You might look into credit practicies and government involvement in economics. These are good places to start. And it was human greed birthed the first two.


----------



## townparkradio

... let's tackle a post that set me off line by line, okay?

"Most people cannot stretch a budget simply because they do not apply themselves to saving money vs convenience."

Incorrect and bordering on irrelevant. Wal-Mart products stretch a budget. The mom and pop shop down the street's "convenient"... but it costs extra money and odds are Mom and Pop are forcing their kids to work the store for free, thus cleverly subverting minimum wage stores.

"You can purchase most of what you just listed at places other than wally world and most come in generic brands that are very cheap, again, most people shop at wally world because it is 'Convenient". "

Incorrect and leads me to believe you have never done your own shopping. We'll assume you're referring to foods? Store generic brand products, which includes Wal-Mart products, are made at, in many cases, the exact same factories as the brand name products of lower grade materials and minus some luxury ingredients, and they are sold at a flat rate to "generic" distributors to repackage and re-sell as their own. Grocery store generics, when they cost more than Wal-Mart products, are because of a higher markup; the core product cost the same. 

"If no one was willing to buy Chinese garbage, thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs would have never left the USA, and those people would most likely benefit from that."

Not the consumer's fault. Manufacturers outsource to places where labor is cheaper and then pass some, but not all, of the savings onto customers. Furthermore, to put it bluntly, most "Made in America" products which can be afforded by a low-income family are third-rate crap that falls apart quickly. Is the $50 made in America pair of jeans better than the $15 Wal-Mart jeans? Yes! However.. the $25 "made in america" jeans are absolute crap compared to the Wal-mart brand, and this is merely a single example. Domestically made budget products are garbage, period. Do I buy the $50 shirt? ...no. It'd be pointless and stupid when the $15 one lasts almost as long. Maybe if the $25 US brand weren't worth $3 I'd consider buying that instead. 

Maybe you're just peachy-keen born with a silver spoon up your redacted, but the rest of us have to pay for $4/gallon gas on the same kinds of wages we all got back when it was $1/gallon.

"Corporate greed is not the cause either. This country flourished when many corporate monopolies existed. The PROBLEM is Americans for the most part are
more LAZY than THRIFTY."

And the American workers also had 70 hour work weeks way back then, and had to buy everything form the company store. Oh and back in the days of those monopolies? It didn't matter if a product was crappily built or unsafe, you either bought Spacely's Sprockets and risked it exploding in your face due to lax quality control and no government oversight or you lived a life devoid of sprockets because there was nobody else to buy them from. The country most certainly was NOT flourishing; it led to the Great Depression. I suggest you at least cursorily peruse a history book before posting such nonsense.

"I sympathize with those of limited income, but Americans in the "Golden Age" learned to do without or improvise, not being able to run to wally world for every little reason."

What are you babbling about? The Wal-Mart nearest to me is a $40 trip. Where do you live where Wal-Mart is somehow magically more convenient than the mom and pop shops? In fact, those places have me by the testicles because if I want a loaf of bread it's either do without until I need enough things to justify a $40 Wal-Mart trip or I have to pay Mom and Pops' exorbitant prices... to a place that doesn't employ persons locally, just scams the wage system by paying family members under the table.


"Nope, as long as the taxpayer is FORCED to bail out corporate greed, nothing will change. However, when no one can PAY TAXES because of that end game, that is the only solution."

This statement is nearly off-topic. Wal-Mart's never needed a bailout. GM sure did, though.

"Of course, most Americans used to live in the Country and raise the majority of their own food, but now those same people who moved to the cities to get good paying jobs in factories no longer have jobs, and cannot AFFORD to return to the land."

Very true, but Wal-Mart is not preventing that. Population growth necessitates dense centers of commercial and industrial pools. History books show that to have always been the case, it's nothing new at all.

"Of course, because SO MANY PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY ARE NO LONGER MADE IN THE USA."

They are. You're just not looking hard enough. They tend to be garbage and not worth buying, but they exist. You'd be better off improvising, doing without, or going to Wal-Mart.

"Again, if the majority of Americans simply refused to buy Chinese garbage for one year, IT WOULD DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE DYNAMICS of the American Economy."

Yes, the technology and leisure gap between the wealthy and the poor would grow ever-wider. What's wrong with you, do you have some sort of problem with minimum-wage earners being able to afford halfway decent clothes and some leisure activities? Are poor folks supposed to work four jobs at once to be able to clothe their children? Aren't the non-wealthy permitted some leisure time?

"Mom and pop stores did not cater to international importers and corporate shills. They served the community."

Wrong. Mom and Pop stores got, and still get, product as cheaply as possible and mark it up as much as they can to maximize profits. When they succeed enough, they become a big store, and then they buy another location, and eventually they become the next Zayre's, Venture, Montgomery Ward's, or Sears that will supposedly be the death of America.

"Many of the products they sold were made locally or supported Americans working good paying jobs."

No. Family-owned stores tend not to hire local Americans. They tend to exploit their own family, and that's the end of it. Once they get big, like say.. Wal-Mart did, they might start hiring american workers.

"Wally World has been sued many times for screwing their workers. Again, before the 'Super Megalo marts" came, people could have jobs to support their families locally."

What are you babbling about? Chain and department stores have existed since longer than my grandparents have been alive. Sears has existed since "gunfighter" was still a viable occupation. What fantasy history of "before" are you referring to? 

"The problem? Mass Marts can buy extremely large bulk orders, lowering the price. That is why CoOps were formed."

Whom eventually buy each other out and become one united brand. Ever heard of Kroger? Of course you have, if you live in the US. They started as local grocery store markets co-operating to buy in bulk. Now they're a "supermegalo mart" as you ignorantly put it.

"Is America better with mega stores? JUST LOOK AT THE STATE OF AMERICA."

I have been, and apparently for longer than you. Yes, since the department stores have come to prominence the luxury gap between the wealthy and the poor has closed significantly. I'm not sure why you feel this is a bad thing. Do you just have something against poor people?

"Real World? ya, too many people buy CRAP from Wally World."

Wanna trade lives for a year and see where YOU end up shopping, Miss Highpants?


----------



## BillM

*We owned*

We owned a mom & pop country store for eleven years. We had credit customers and morphed into a conveniance store as times changed. We sold Gas, food, tanning, movies and just made it with a small profit.

I was never under the illusion that I could compeat with Walmart. I knew my customers were going to go there on Saterday to buy a weeks supply of grocerys. The thing that kept us afloat was that we sold conveniance. A normal famiely could not actually buy a weeks supply of milk or bread. They wound up stopping at my store to grab this or that five days a week. I got more for the item than Walmart but they did not have to drive thirty miles or wait in line. As for Walmart and their low prices, I stocked some items in my store that I bought from them after I marked up the price. This is called CAPITALISM.

:flower:


----------



## TechAdmin

Necred said:


> This is the main reason i quit mcdonalds few years ago.
> 
> Welcome to McDonald's 365Black - I'm lovin' it!


Why? I don't see the reason.


----------



## Turtle

townparkradio said:


> ... Do you just have something against poor people?


I would _never_ hold anything against poor people....

They don't bathe often enough!

AHAHAHAHA!!! I'm here all week, try the veal.


----------



## neldarez

If this turns out, I took it today at walmart with my phone.....the kid working there said that the meals on the bottom shelf were hard to keep in stock. I asked him why and he said because of the economy and because so many people thought the end of the world was coming! I'm serious.......


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## neldarez

Walmarts price of 10# bucket of quick oats is $11.72.........it beats buying the same amount of walmart brand quick oats in 2lb 10oz containers ( like quaker oats) Don't save much, but you also get a bucket! Sometimes I use my head for thinking........:congrat:


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## goshengirl

Wow! I would love to see that at our Walmart! 

Before when I was looking for wheat berries other folks had them at their Walmarts, but they didn't have them at mine. Then when I was out of town at a Walmart chatting with an employee, she told me that the company is trying to standardize all its stores, so that it doesn't matter which Walmart you walk into, you can always get the same stuff. She said she was surprised that my local Walmart didn't carry the wheat berries, but suggested that maybe they would be soon. Sure enough, my local Walmart now carries Wheat Montana wheat berries.

So... I'm hoping what she said means that hopefully my local Walmart will start carrying similar food storage stuff.


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## bray

Floridacracker, here in NW AZ, one store sells the preps ( about half an aisle's worth) while another just 45 miles away say's they can't even get them but would love to to.


----------



## 101airborne

floridacracker said:


> my question is has anybody in other ares seen this? each store is local and they do tend to use some local marketing, however if it becomes a area wide stocking, or maybe even a country wide event, then it may mean something... I can't remember where I saw the info, but it said wal-mart and several large grocery chains would hold the price on the staples, humm for how long and at what cost....


Wish they did that here.


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## gypsysue

Wow...neldarez, I wish our Wal-mart had those! Very nice!

I hope it's coming soon to the Wal-mart near us.


----------



## DJgang

gypsysue said:


> Wow...neldarez, I wish our Wal-mart had those! Very nice!
> 
> I hope it's coming soon to the Wal-mart near us.


I might actually go to walmart more often if they offered such....


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## Blenheim1704

*Not in Maine*

Standard fair here in Maine, nothing that indicates any forethought on Wally worlds part...darn it..:hmmm:


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## JayJay

Hi all, I don't shop Chinamart but was curious..went in and they had no supplies like mentioned here..
This town, county, community hasn't even heard the words prepping, storing, saving food, etc.
So sad for me.


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## Meerkat

We go to Dollar Stores for paper goods and Publix for most everything else.Winn Dixie brand products are not as good as publix brand,imo. 
Sporting goods,batteries,well filters we buy mostly at WalMart.


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## Ponce

They are getting ready for it to last weeks when in reality it will last for generations.......I should know.


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## goshengirl

Ponce said:


> in reality it will last for generations.......I should know.


That's one of the reasons I pay attention to your posts... your first-hand experience is invaluable.


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## dahur

I've been buying a Walmart 6 ga water storage container (BPA free) a couple times a month. They've always had 7 or 8 of them on the shelf. Last three weeks-none. I asked the worker and he said they've been selling them as fast as we put them on the shelf.
Yesterday I was there just as he was restocking them, so I bought 4 of the 6 ga, and 2 of the 7 ga. 
I noticed the 1 ga jugs of distilled water I buy are being bought up more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------


I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.


----------



## The_Blob

dahur said:


> I've been buying a Walmart 6 ga water storage container (BPA free) a couple times a month. They've always had 7 or 8 of them on the shelf. Last three weeks-none. I asked the worker and he said they've been selling them as fast as we put them on the shelf.
> Yesterday I was there just as he was restocking them, so I bought 4 of the 6 ga, and 2 of the 7 ga.
> I noticed the 1 ga jugs of distilled water I buy are being bought up more.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.


I'm paranoid about store-bought water, not just for BPA, but for the potential of intentional misuse by TPTB like added Lithium... :nuts: :dunno: I've gone as far as distilling (boiling) my own drinking water


----------



## DJgang

dahur said:


> I've been buying a Walmart 6 ga water storage container (BPA free) a couple times a month. They've always had 7 or 8 of them on the shelf. Last three weeks-none. I asked the worker and he said they've been selling them as fast as we put them on the shelf.
> Yesterday I was there just as he was restocking them, so I bought 4 of the 6 ga, and 2 of the 7 ga.
> I noticed the 1 ga jugs of distilled water I buy are being bought up more.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.


I bought one gallon jugs less than a month ago for my BOBs, two of them already leaked out. I'll stick with filling my own up before bugging. I got those Mylar bladders from emergency essentials and I'll use them. I still haven't got to where I can store drums of water yet, but working on it.


----------



## JayJay

DJgang said:


> I bought one gallon jugs less than a month ago for my BOBs, two of them already leaked out. I'll stick with filling my own up before bugging. I got those Mylar bladders from emergency essentials and I'll use them. I still haven't got to where I can store drums of water yet, but working on it.


I had 7 -5 gallon buckets not needed for food--they got cleaned and filled this weekend to go with the other water storage--gonna make a trip to Lexington Containers soon for 35 gallon drums @ $15 each which in the long run is better than $1 buckets from deli.
Lack of water scares me---we have a garage and plenty of room for stacking those drums.


----------



## dahur

DJgang said:


> I bought one gallon jugs less than a month ago for my BOBs, two of them already leaked out. I'll stick with filling my own up before bugging. I got those Mylar bladders from emergency essentials and I'll use them. I still haven't got to where I can store drums of water yet, but working on it.


That's what I'm doing with the 1 gal jugs. I fill up the 6 or 7 gallon water containers, add 3/4 of a tablespoon of household bleach, then store. I throw away all those 1 gal jugs.

I've only got 70 gallons of water stored so far, but it's a start.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.


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## Barfife

I really try not to shop at Chinamart, even if I have to spend a little more. Walmart could buy American but it choses not to, so I choose not to shop there!


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## HoppeEL4

Wow, no, none in our area have stocked this, so far. I would have to think it is local to Idaho, which is known for a larger population of preppers. We have to shop out of the East County region of Multnomah County (Oregon) and they just carry a lot of seasonal junk no one needs, and lots of school supplies, both always out too early and pushes out the stuff I came in for.

I believe that they do watch trends in the different areas they are in, and stock accordingly. I have gone to other area Walmarts, and in each store there is some differences, and truthfully, some of it is clearly geared towards the majority ethnicity in that area. So, having seen this, shows they do stock what they know they can sell in each area.


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## HoppeEL4

All this talk of water......

Honestly people, I am from the Northwest, and water is something I just do not think about "stocking" up on. We have a well, although, what will we do if we lose electricity. We can use a generator, but it requires gas, so it would have to be used sparingly, and our pump/well is shared with the neighbors. So my husband and I talked about it and said we'd stock up on bottled water for drinking, and if we could get some water barrels for other uses (such as the chickens, dishes and bathing).

As I sit here and type, it is somewhat recovering from several days of rain....summer so far has been very little here and we are not lacking for water.


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## DJgang

Yeah, we have water here as well, but I think about all the people who may come to our creek, come to our ponds getting our water...

I wish we had a well. What about a solar pump for your well? Then you are set!


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## CulexPipiens

Stocking up on water isn't something I think about... purifying it is. Either though filter or chemical or whatever. There are a few small lakes and a river all within a reasonable walking distance for me so I just need to make sure I can clean whatever we would get. Also the water table is fairly high. If it's a long term situation I could dig a well, by hand, in probably a week or less. I don't want to have to, but it would be doable if we had no other choice.


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## BridenSolutions

I agree on the purification as the main source. Yet, at a bare minimum you want to have at least a weeks worth of water on hand for everyone in your group. If it hits the fan in a manner where you cannot leave your home for a period of time, you don't want to be without water. You may have a plan for how to get more, but if your stuck without it for a few days, you are going to be moving very slow on your way to the local river when you are finally able.


----------



## gypsysue

Keep in mind that filtering and purifying are not the same thing.

Filtering removes particles/sediment/debris. The water may still be contaminated with bacteria, cysts, and viruses. Filters will usually take out cysts (such as giardia and cryptosporidian), some will take out bacteria, none will take out viruses.

Purifying the water means destroying the harmful, disease-causing things in the water and rendering it safe to drink. That is more important than filtering. Purified water with a bit of sediment is at least safe to drink. 


Some people buy idodine tablets to purify the water, but they are a poison, they taste bad, and they don't kill cysts. Bleach will work, but it makes the water taste like bleach. The best water purification tablet is chlorine dioxide.



Boiling will kill cycsts, bacteria, and viruses, and make the water safe to drink. Just bringing the water to a boil is enough, you don't have to keep boiling it.


----------



## mosquitomountainman

gypsysue said:


> Keep in mind that filtering and purifying are not the same thing.
> 
> Filtering removes particles/sediment/debris. The water may still be contaminated with bacteria, cysts, and viruses. Filters will usually take out cysts (such as giardia and cryptosporidian), some will take out bacteria, none will take out viruses.
> 
> Purifying the water means destroying the harmful, disease-causing things in the water and rendering it safe to drink. That is more important than filtering. Purified water with a bit of sediment is at least safe to drink.
> 
> Some people buy idodine tablets to purify the water, but they are a poison, they taste bad, and they don't kill cysts. Bleach will work, but it makes the water taste like bleach. The best water purification tablet is chlorine dioxide.
> 
> Boiling will kill cycsts, bacteria, and viruses, and make the water safe to drink. Just bringing the water to a boil is enough, you don't have to keep boiling it.


Very well said!!!!

If you buy a filter of any kind READ THE FINE PRINT. What GS said is correct ... NO filter stops viruses. Few "filters" even do a decent job on cysts and bacteria.


----------



## JayJay

dahur said:


> That's what I'm doing with the 1 gal jugs. I fill up the 6 or 7 gallon water containers, add 3/4 of a tablespoon of household bleach, then store. I throw away all those 1 gal jugs.
> 
> I've only got 70 gallons of water stored so far, but it's a start.
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.


Dahur...I decided to make use of the 3 trash cans with rollers(kind they sell at Lowes---used for moving) in the attic...brought them down about 9 months ago...and filled with water..45 gallons almost up to the top.
I was curious a few days ago and took off the lid---ran my hand in and the water was pristine...boy, was I shocked.
So, the water will be drinkable after running through the Berkey...that's about 120 gallons--at $14 for each trash can, that's not bad...just can't move the suckers now!!!


----------



## dahur

JayJay said:


> Dahur...I decided to make use of the 3 trash cans with rollers(kind they sell at Lowes---used for moving) in the attic...brought them down about 9 months ago...and filled with water..45 gallons almost up to the top.
> I was curious a few days ago and took off the lid---ran my hand in and the water was pristine...boy, was I shocked.
> So, the water will be drinkable after running through the Berkey...that's about 120 gallons--at $14 for each trash can, that's not bad...just can't move the suckers now!!!


Very cost effective. I think those, plus the smaller containers together, just in case you do have to move some water.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure.


----------



## HoppeEL4

The filtering and purifying is where I feel really lucky....

We live just miles from Bull Run....this is a man made resevoir in the mountains, where the Bull Run river is mainly reserved for the use of the entire Portland metro region. They have never had to purify or filter the water. EPA is trying to force them to, but it seems so ridiculous to spend all that money when it is already so clean. As well, we are close to the Columbia River Gorge, where there are numerous springs (no filtering or purifying needed).

I think also since we all have gotten used to unfiltered and unpurified water, we have a good tolerance for some amounts of minerals and bacteria, making immunity stronger. I have hiked up to Ramona Falls, which comes right off of some glaciers, and have refilled my water bottle off of it, drank it and never got sick. Now I know better to do this with lake, pond or slow moving water, as this is teeming with dangerous amounts of bacteria, and only boiling will make it good to use.


----------



## ToGoKit

I too have a well here, also a back up generator. but I also think that have yet another way to get the water out of the well is a must. I found a very simple system to bring water up out of the well even if I do not have fuel to run the gen set here. I wrote an article on it on my blog. Water and No Pump.
The problem with most alternate ways of getting water out of a well is the depth and what low power DC pumps can pull up in depth. Most can only handle about 35 feet or so with out a check valve system of some sort put in place. Many of the old fashion hand pumps are a bit spendy but are also a good way to go about it. Check out the article if you have a well and know how you can get water out in a pinch with a simple set up.

Our Wal Mart is still going strong with the Emergency Food display here and folks seem to be buying alot of it here.

http://www.preparednesssite.com/?p=134


----------



## Norse

townparkradio said:


> ... let's tackle a post that set me off line by line, okay?


Sure if you can handle me destroying your "Wally World" zombie initiative.

*"Most people cannot stretch a budget simply because they do not apply themselves to saving money vs convenience."
*



townparkradio said:


> Incorrect and bordering on irrelevant.


Says you. I can often find many products cheaper at non wally world stores.
Sorry, you=epic fail.



townparkradio said:


> Wal-Mart products stretch a budget.


Sure, for those who have no ability to plan ahead.



townparkradio said:


> The mom and pop shop down the street's "convenient"...


No they are not. Driving 100 miles to a remote country family owned butcher store is not convenient.

1. The meat is healthier, not raised on a Meglo commercial con agra farm.
2.The meat is safer.
3.The meat is of better quality.



townparkradio said:


> but it costs extra money and odds are Mom and Pop are forcing their kids to work the store for free,


********. Only a ****ing commie would suggest their is something "Un American" about ones children working in the family business.



townparkradio said:


> Incorrect and leads me to believe you have never done your own shopping.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sure thing wally world zombie.



townparkradio said:


> We'll assume you're referring to foods? S


Funny, I can buy local supermarket milk cheaper than wally world, and it sure tastes and smells fresher than that watered down shit at Wally world.

*"If no one was willing to buy Chinese garbage, thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs would have never left the USA, and those people would most likely benefit from that."*



townparkradio said:


> Not the consumer's fault. Manufacturers outsource to places where labor is cheaper and then pass some, but not all, of the savings onto customers. Furthermore, to put it bluntly, most "Made in America" products which can be afforded by a low-income family are third-rate crap that falls apart quickly.


LMFAO, you are insane. You are suggesting Chinese products are longer lasting than American made goods?

Evidently you do not use power tools.



townparkradio said:


> Is the $50 made in America pair of jeans better than the $15 Wal-Mart jeans? Yes! However.. the $25 "made in america" jeans are absolute crap compared to the Wal-mart brand, and this is merely a single example. Domestically made budget products are garbage, period. Do I buy the $50 shirt? ...no. It'd be pointless and stupid when the $15 one lasts almost as long. Maybe if the $25 US brand weren't worth $3 I'd consider buying that instead.


Again, you GET what you PAY for.



townparkradio said:


> Maybe you're just peachy-keen born with a silver spoon up your redacted,


You need to quit smoking dope, the above comment is simply a personal attack for the destruction of your addiction to wally world.



townparkradio said:


> but the rest of us have to pay for $4/gallon gas on the same kinds of wages we all got back when it was $1/gallon.


Then work a second job, I do.

*"Corporate greed is not the cause either. This country flourished when many corporate monopolies existed. The PROBLEM is Americans for the most part are
more LAZY than THRIFTY."*



townparkradio said:


> And the American workers also had 70 hour work weeks way back then, and had to buy everything form the company store.


Did you live in Russia or what? NO ONE is forced to buy from corporate stores retard.



townparkradio said:


> Oh and back in the days of those monopolies? It didn't matter if a product was crappily built or unsafe, you either bought Spacely's Sprockets and risked it exploding in your face due to lax quality control and no government oversight or you lived a life devoid of sprockets because there was nobody else to buy them from.


When the government broke up the phone conglomerates, everything became more expensive. I have a phone made in the 70's that has worked flawlessly for 40 years, is still crystal clear, and you could drop kick it and it will still work.

Ya it has a cord, SO WHAT?

The last piece of shit cordless China Mart phone? batteries every year, and if you drop it? GOOD LUCK.



townparkradio said:


> The country most certainly was NOT flourishing; it led to the Great Depression. I suggest you at least cursorily peruse a history book before posting such nonsense.


Evidently you are unaware the golden age did not occur between ww1 and ww2.

Did you even graduate high school? :congrat:

*"I sympathize with those of limited income, but Americans in the "Golden Age" learned to do without or improvise, not being able to run to wally world for every little reason."*



townparkradio said:


> What are you babbling about?


It was stated pretty clear, are you a illiterate? challenged in comprehension of simple written words?



townparkradio said:


> The Wal-Mart nearest to me is a $40 trip. Where do you live where Wal-Mart is somehow magically more convenient than the mom and pop shops? In fact, those places have me by the testicles because if I want a loaf of bread it's either do without until I need enough things to justify a $40 Wal-Mart trip or I have to pay Mom and Pops' exorbitant prices...


THEN BAKE YOUR OWN ****ING BREAD GENIUS.



townparkradio said:


> to a place that doesn't employ persons locally, just scams the wage system by paying family members under the table.


Ya, because wally world NEVER takes advantage of their employees.

*"Nope, as long as the taxpayer is FORCED to bail out corporate greed, nothing will change. However, when no one can PAY TAXES because of that end game, that is the only solution."*



townparkradio said:


> This statement is nearly off-topic. Wal-Mart's never needed a bailout. GM sure did, though.


Of course not, wally world have plenty of lemmings to support its garbage retail.


----------



## Norse

*"Of course, most Americans used to live in the Country and raise the majority of their own food, but now those same people who moved to the cities to get good paying jobs in factories no longer have jobs, and cannot AFFORD to return to the land."
*



townparkradio said:


> Very true, but Wal-Mart is not preventing that. Population growth necessitates dense centers of commercial and industrial pools. History books show that to have always been the case, it's nothing new at all.


You try to raise a family working a typical position at wally world VS a farmer of ANY ERA, except the dust bowl.

I'll take my chances out on 500 acres.

*"Of course, because SO MANY PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY ARE NO LONGER MADE IN THE USA."
*



townparkradio said:


> They are. You're just not looking hard enough. They tend to be garbage and not worth buying,


LMFAO



townparkradio said:


> but they exist. You'd be better off improvising, doing without, or going to Wal-Mart.


I have American made vise grips. They were made in the 60's. Rubbermaid purchased the Dewitt, Nebraska vise grip brand and moved the production to China.

They now cost the same, BUT ARE TOTAL PIECES OF CHINESE SHIT.

You were saying?:scratch

*"Again, if the majority of Americans simply refused to buy Chinese garbage for one year, IT WOULD DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE DYNAMICS of the American Economy."*



townparkradio said:


> Yes, the technology and leisure gap between the wealthy and the poor would grow ever-wider. What's wrong with you, do you have some sort of problem with minimum-wage earners being able to afford halfway decent clothes and some leisure activities?


Only a crack smoking idiot would suggest that the ability for Americans to enjoy leisure time has risen since the arrival of wally world and meglo marts.:nuts:

Where the hell you come up with that notion is pure retardation.



townparkradio said:


> Are poor folks supposed to work four jobs at once to be able to clothe their children? Aren't the non-wealthy permitted some leisure time?


Can you explain to me why 50 years ago a man could have 1 good middle class paying job, and easliy support a family of 7, and now, THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IN MOST CASES.

Many families have both parents working and barely get by.

Thanks to MEGALO MART WAGES.

*"Mom and pop stores did not cater to international importers and corporate shills. They served the community."
*



townparkradio said:


> Wrong. Mom and Pop stores got, and still get, product as cheaply as possible and mark it up as much as they can to maximize profits. When they succeed enough, they become a big store, and then they buy another location, and eventually they become the next Zayre's, Venture, Montgomery Ward's, or Sears that will supposedly be the death of America.


Ya, until their buying potential can secure international contracts to import tones of cheap shit with baby food with lead in it!:congrat:

Nice try.....YOU=EPIC FAIL.

*
"Many of the products they sold were made locally or supported Americans working good paying jobs.*"



townparkradio said:


> No. Family-owned stores tend not to hire local Americans.


Ok, you are officially STUPID.



townparkradio said:


> They tend to exploit their own family, and that's the end of it. Once they get big, like say.. Wal-Mart did, they might start hiring american workers.


Where you get this EXPLOIT of family is pathetic. You really need to come join us in REALITY LAND, not WALLY WORLD PIPE DREAM.

*"Wally World has been sued many times for screwing their workers. Again, before the 'Super Megalo marts" came, people could have jobs to support their families locally."*



townparkradio said:


> What are you babbling about? Chain and department stores have existed since longer than my grandparents have been alive. Sears has existed since "gunfighter" was still a viable occupation. What fantasy history of "before" are you referring to?


You keep referring to "Babble", but that is simply a statement morons make because they have no viable commentary.

Sears was never a "MEGLO MART". At one time, Sears supplied almost 100% American made goods, and those items tended to last for decades.

*"The problem? Mass Marts can buy extremely large bulk orders, lowering the price. That is why CoOps were formed."*



townparkradio said:


> Whom eventually buy each other out and become one united brand. Ever heard of Kroger? Of course you have, if you live in the US. They started as local grocery store markets co-operating to buy in bulk. Now they're a "supermegalo mart" as you ignorantly put it.


Ignorant? I am not the one pimping CORPORATE FOOD SOURCES FROM WALLY WORLD< YOU ARE. Ya, you keep stuffing your face with that corporation food, and when you grow a penis out of your forehead you will wonder if they were getting produce from China downstream from the Chinese chemical factory.

*"Is America better with mega stores? JUST LOOK AT THE STATE OF AMERICA."
*



townparkradio said:


> I have been, and apparently for longer than you. Yes, since the department stores have come to prominence the luxury gap between the wealthy and the poor has closed significantly.


Laughable and pathetic, currently the WEALTH GAP IN AMERICA is the highest it has ever been, the middle class is disheartening.

You need to lay off the Methamphetamine.



townparkradio said:


> I'm not sure why you feel this is a bad thing. Do you just have something against poor people?


Of course your above statement is so retarded it does not even deserve a response from any sane human.

*"Real World? ya, too many people buy CRAP from Wally World."*



townparkradio said:


> Wanna trade lives for a year and see where YOU end up shopping, Miss Highpants?


You know what? I was born and raised DIRT POOR. We didn't wear shoes in the summertime so we would have shoes with no holes in them during winter.

I did not EVER have clothes that were purchased for me until I went to work at 14 during the summer. I had hand me down clothes until then, and do you know why? BECAUSE THOSE CLOTHES were made in AMERICAN textiles mills, and they LASTED FOREVER.

Not some piece made in China that dissipates in the washing machine in a year.

Ya, that's it, keep shopping at wally world.


----------



## RevWC

Norse, 

I can buy a cup of grapefruit at Wal-Mart for $1.00 or I can go to Winn Dixie, and if I have my card with me, I can pay $1.50. Do the math (one small example of savings). It is not Wal-Mart that has destroyed America. I suggest you look deeper, like way deeper.


----------



## gypsysue

Norse, knock off the bad language. We don't do that on this forum. 

I disagree with you on many points, and I see places you misinterpreted what the other guy said. But I'm not going to bother to go at it with you. Just clean up your language. Please.

Thank you.


----------



## naturegirl

Genevieve said:


> No wheat berries,no FD or dehydrated #10 cans, no nothing for preparedness here. Makes me depressed when others say they get this and that at their Walmarts and I look at mine and just wonder....wth?
> Shoot ain't even got this stuff at the Sam's I go to!
> Wish they did. I'd be buying that stuff up left and right and be able to pay cash would be the cherry on top!


I don't mean this in a disrespectful way, but have you considered the bulk buying at your local health food store? I sell Wheat Berries for about 15% over cost when my customers by them in bulk (by the bag). They usually can also order you some dehydrated foods as well. Just another option. Walmart is not the authority on all things.

Naturegirl


----------



## gypsysue

That's a good idea, naturegirl. Our local Health Food store also gives 15% off if you order something by the case, even sale items. Most areas have Health Food stores, and it's worth asking about the wheat berrries.


----------



## HoppeEL4

I personally can agree that most of Walmarts things have a shorter life that those made here. I have read some articles that could explain it. Walmart has this huge buying power. With that they request that companies like Wrangler, make a cheaper made version, so Walmart can sell it at a price they figure people will buy it at. Now, I have proof of this, as My son, who works for a local feed store, is a Wrangler fan, and was running through his Walmart Wranglers really fast. He started buying them at Coastal Farm and Ranch and they are heavier fabric, solid stitching and last about 3 times as long. This also has applied to the boots Walmart sells for work. He and my husband both need work boots and now buy them at Coastal, pay a heck of a lot more, but get a huge amount more wear and tear out of them.

Walmart can basically get companies to make cheaper versions, American made or not, and this is what they are selling to the masses unaware. Sometimes it is all people can afford. My own brother works with a cement restoration comany and he does buy his boots at Walmart, they get ruined no matter what and if he pays $40 over $200, they will last as long with the cement...so you just have to make your decisions of purchasing on why you need something and how long you need it to last and what that product will be subjected to.

The cordless phones, lord we have gone through so many these days, all of them from all stores, all cheap. I agree, old tv's stereos and such were made to go on forever, new stuff is just junky.


----------



## gypsysue

HoppeEL4 said:


> The cordless phones, lord we have gone through so many these days, all of them from all stores, all cheap. I agree, old tv's stereos and such were made to go on forever, new stuff is just junky.


Interestingly, we bought the cheapest Wal-mart cordless phone 5 years ago and it's still working great. We had to buy a new battery for the handset last year, but other than that, it's doing fine. Just lucky, I guess.

Whether you but at Wal-mart or not, you're going to find good and poor quality. I don't think Wal-mart has cornered the market on poor-qualty stuff!

Funny no one picks on Shopko, Target, and the other big stores. Does that mean Shopko, Target, and the others are selling only American-made stuff? Only good quality stuff?

Picking on stores: Wal-mart
Picking on restaurants: McDonalds

Even if we put Wal-mart out of business tomorrow it still wouldn't bring jobs back to America. One thing it would do is start a ripple affect of unemployment, especially in the many small towns where Wal-mart IS the employer. The loss of all those paychecks would pour over to the other businesses in town as people quit spending. More lay-offs. More houses foreclosed on.

The people who still have money would just go down the road to Target, Costco, Dollar Tree, etc.

Shut down McDonalds? There's still Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and dozens of others.


----------



## oldvet

gypsysue said:


> Interestingly, we bought the cheapest Wal-mart cordless phone 5 years ago and it's still working great. We had to buy a new battery for the handset last year, but other than that, it's doing fine. Just lucky, I guess.
> 
> Whether you but at Wal-mart or not, you're going to find good and poor quality. I don't think Wal-mart has cornered the market on poor-qualty stuff!
> 
> Funny no one picks on Shopko, Target, and the other big stores. Does that mean Shopko, Target, and the others are selling only American-made stuff? Only good quality stuff?
> 
> Picking on stores: Wal-mart
> Picking on restaurants: McDonalds
> 
> Even if we put Wal-mart out of business tomorrow it still wouldn't bring jobs back to America. One thing it would do is start a ripple affect of unemployment, especially in the many small towns where Wal-mart IS the employer. The loss of all those paychecks would pour over to the other businesses in town as people quit spending. More lay-offs. More houses foreclosed on.
> 
> The people who still have money would just go down the road to Target, Costco, Dollar Tree, etc.
> 
> Shut down McDonalds? There's still Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and dozens of others.


 Sue I believe that you are 100% correct, where you shop and what you buy is called freedom of choice or personal choice. I also agree that closing stores such as Wal-Mart, Target or any major chain store would more than likely devistate the local community. Well said Sue, well said indeed.


----------



## JayJay

RevWC said:


> Norse,
> 
> I can buy a cup of grapefruit at Wal-Mart for $1.00 or I can go to Winn Dixie, and if I have my card with me, I can pay $1.50. Do the math (one small example of savings). It is not Wal-Mart that has destroyed America. I suggest you look deeper, like way deeper.


Whoa--sorry for you, but this discrepancy must be territorial..
I stopped shopping Chinamart years ago..I found SavAlot, Aldi's, Dollar General, and Big Lots.
Now for one example why I stopped....while shopping for 3 spices at Chinamart, the shelfs were a mess, but I grabbed the spices and at the check out was told they were $10.50---and having just bought one at a Mom And Pop store for .99 cents, told the cashier to return them to the shelves..and headed to Piggly Wiggly.
Total for all 3 spices (no sales tax here for food) was $2.97...and that was a darn good savings. Like I said, I had just bought one spice @ .99 cents, so I knew I was being ripped off.
If this happens with these items, who am I to say it's not with other items..Chinamart is my LAST place to shop.
I go 30 miles to Bowling Green when my needs are numerous; like $300-$500 dollars worth.
I haven't left the house for weeks except for Sunday church.


----------



## JayJay

HoppeEL4 said:


> I personally can agree that most of Walmarts things have a shorter life that those made here. I have read some articles that could explain it. Walmart has this huge buying power. With that they request that companies like Wrangler, make a cheaper made version, so Walmart can sell it at a price they figure people will buy it at. Now, I have proof of this, as My son, who works for a local feed store, is a Wrangler fan, and was running through his Walmart Wranglers really fast. He started buying them at Coastal Farm and Ranch and they are heavier fabric, solid stitching and last about 3 times as long. This also has applied to the boots Walmart sells for work. He and my husband both need work boots and now buy them at Coastal, pay a heck of a lot more, but get a huge amount more wear and tear out of them.
> 
> Walmart can basically get companies to make cheaper versions, American made or not, and this is what they are selling to the masses unaware. Sometimes it is all people can afford. My own brother works with a cement restoration comany and he does buy his boots at Walmart, they get ruined no matter what and if he pays $40 over $200, they will last as long with the cement...so you just have to make your decisions of purchasing on why you need something and how long you need it to last and what that product will be subjected to.
> 
> The cordless phones, lord we have gone through so many these days, all of them from all stores, all cheap. I agree, old tv's stereos and such were made to go on forever, new stuff is just junky.


Understood there--when dh was a logger, and he was the sawyer, I bought cheap--because those jeans tore just as quickly expensive as cheap when that chain saw snagged that leg.


----------



## HoppeEL4

I find myself not liking Walmart simply because it seems to be not as good a deal as they always tout it to be. I don't really ever go to Target, my teen son calls it the "yuppy Walmart"....LOL

What I do know, and appreciate about Walmart is this. A clerk there was talking to my 29 year old daughter and I when we shopped there together one time. She said she had recovered from a drug problem, was homeless, but they hired her anyways, gave her a chance to get going. Even not having her own home address, they still let her get a job and be able to move forward. She said there were many others like her at that store alone, and did not understand why people bashed Walmart.

I think many people do because they are either simply put, snobs, or they are out of touch with life and do not realize the opportunity they give people to get going in life.

Anyone of us can appreciate a company that will help people get back on track, not many will, there are some employers who refuse to hire someone even if they have had too many traffic tickets, let alone a drug conviction, and homeless to boot. I know I CAN support that.

McDonalds, they have gotten sloppy lately, at least the ones nearby us. I do love their breakfasts though, mainly the Egg McMuffin....THEY have a bad tendency to hire illegal aliens, and do so seemingly untouched by ICE, and this ticks me off knowing there are so many teens out there who have not been able to find work. An issue for me, who they hire, that is really a big deal.


----------



## efbjr

Norse said:


> Sure if you can handle me destroying your "Wally World" zombie initiative.
> 
> *"Most people cannot stretch a budget simply because they do not apply themselves to saving money vs convenience."
> *
> 
> Says you. I can often find many products cheaper at non wally world stores.
> Sorry, you=epic fail.
> 
> Sure, for those who have no ability to plan ahead.
> 
> No they are not. Driving 100 miles to a remote country family owned butcher store is not convenient.
> 
> 1. The meat is healthier, not raised on a Meglo commercial con agra farm.
> 2.The meat is safer.
> 3.The meat is of better quality.
> 
> ********. Only a ****ing commie would suggest their is something "Un American" about ones children working in the family business.
> 
> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sure thing wally world zombie.
> 
> Funny, I can buy local supermarket milk cheaper than wally world, and it sure tastes and smells fresher than that watered down shit at Wally world.
> 
> *"If no one was willing to buy Chinese garbage, thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs would have never left the USA, and those people would most likely benefit from that."*
> 
> LMFAO, you are insane. You are suggesting Chinese products are longer lasting than American made goods?
> 
> Evidently you do not use power tools.
> 
> Again, you GET what you PAY for.
> 
> You need to quit smoking dope, the above comment is simply a personal attack for the destruction of your addiction to wally world.
> 
> Then work a second job, I do.
> 
> *"Corporate greed is not the cause either. This country flourished when many corporate monopolies existed. The PROBLEM is Americans for the most part are
> more LAZY than THRIFTY."*
> 
> Did you live in Russia or what? NO ONE is forced to buy from corporate stores retard.
> 
> When the government broke up the phone conglomerates, everything became more expensive. I have a phone made in the 70's that has worked flawlessly for 40 years, is still crystal clear, and you could drop kick it and it will still work.
> 
> Ya it has a cord, SO WHAT?
> 
> The last piece of shit cordless China Mart phone? batteries every year, and if you drop it? GOOD LUCK.
> 
> Evidently you are unaware the golden age did not occur between ww1 and ww2.
> 
> Did you even graduate high school? :congrat:
> 
> *"I sympathize with those of limited income, but Americans in the "Golden Age" learned to do without or improvise, not being able to run to wally world for every little reason."*
> 
> It was stated pretty clear, are you a illiterate? challenged in comprehension of simple written words?
> 
> THEN BAKE YOUR OWN ****ING BREAD GENIUS.
> 
> Ya, because wally world NEVER takes advantage of their employees.
> 
> *"Nope, as long as the taxpayer is FORCED to bail out corporate greed, nothing will change. However, when no one can PAY TAXES because of that end game, that is the only solution."*
> 
> Of course not, wally world have plenty of lemmings to support its garbage retail.


So...why don't you tell us how you really feel, Norse.


----------



## Tweto

So, when will all this be solved? Is wally world the antichrist or not?

That's all the time I have, need to go to walmart.


----------



## HoppeEL4

Walmarts ok, but not for groceries. If you pay attention the packaging is smaller sized and prices same as other stores. Although this has been happening across the board lately, companies doing this to keep profits up, Walmart is king of it. I find better deals at the more expensive grocery stores using coupons for loss leader stuff.

As for spices, lord, I will not buy those anywhere but winco in bulk, it is dirt cheap and fresh to boot. However, before Christmas I ordered from Frontier Naturals, Vietnamese Cinnamon, one pound of it!! Ever tasted this stuff? It is actually naturally sweet and had some warmth to it. It is phenomenol,. A bit spendy, but a very high quality. Then you can also find pre-bottled spices in the baking/spice aisle (at Winco), and get them for .99 cents, a good deal.

I have found these same bottled spices on sale at other places sometimes two for one dollar. I think the brand is "Spice Island" or something like that. I do not buy the name brand packaged spices, they are beyond outrageous if you compare them by the pound or ounce compared to bulk or the other brand. Quality is about the same as that "sub" brand too.


----------



## Viking

About a week ago I went to the guns and ammo department of Grants Pass Wal-Mart and was surprised to see a Bushmaster 5.56 black rifle, today I went in to see how well their ammo shelves were stocked. Wow! full to the brim and not only that they had Federal 5.56 in sealed military style ammo cans 420 rounds in stripper clips. Seems like our local Wal-Mart is catering to the local survivalist.


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## oldvet

Norse,
You know I have said some things on here (usually in a moment of anger) that has angered, upset, disgusted, and offended folks. Once it is pointed out to me and I realize that what I said was totally inapproiate, hurtful, or possibly demeaning, I will apologize. I now honestly attempt to calm down before I reply and think about what I am going to say. Will my reply be taken as offensive, demeaning, hurtfull, or even hateful, if I think so then I will not post it.

It was GypsySue that made me realize that I needed to come down off my high horse, change my thinking and stop putting people in certain catagories.

As I said I have apologized to Sue and to the rest of the forum and I learned a valuable lesson in humility and common decency.

I have said all of this (and it is all true) to make a point with you, and that point is that: If you want to disagree with someone and give that person your point of view, do it in a civil manner without the name calling. 

I finally realized that we are on here to share information, ideas, opinions, laughs, and hopefully enjoy this forum while doing the sharing.

I was hit square between the eyes with a dose of reality and common decency and now I believe it is your turn.

I believe you need to wise up, grow up, and learn how to talk to folks without insulting them, I did and so can you.


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## Viking

There seems to be some misdirected criticism going on here in consideration of what is at the heart of our economic problem, NAFTA and it's globalist ideals. I have a hard time putting down Wal-Mart when many of the people in my small logging and lumber town have to work there to put a roof over their heads and food on the table because mills have shut down or cut back drastically due to the fact that it's cheaper to import lumber because of regulations, restrictions and taxes. Over the years we've had governors and lawmakers that aided and abetted these things to happen, meanwhile saying that tourism would replace the revenue lost from the huge decline in logging, lumber and related manufacturing, not even taking into account a fisheries industry that's all but gone as well. Tourism is great but as jobs have declined all over the USA, food and energy costs are increasing daily then how can people justify visiting our state and spending money when they are trying to just survive. It's not just NAFTA but many wrong headed plans that have been put into action by the Powers That Be over the decades, probably the worst being the Federal Reserve Bank in 1913 which eliminated a Constitution money system that kept the money supply in balance. No more money was printed than there was gold to back it. And then there's the huge mortgage debacle of 2008, TARP 1&2, QE 1&2 (and possibly a hidden #3). I could probably go on and on because my wife and I have been deeply studying the economy for over ten years but I will not bore you any more other than to say, please don't be too hash in your judgement of Wal-Mart in consideration of the well being of so many of my friends and my half sister that are just barely getting by in large part due to huge numbers of industries that have left this once great Republic.


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## BillM

*If you want*

If you want to gain a real understanding of Capitalism , read the book ,"King Rat".

This is a novel about an American Cpl , POW held in the Japanese prison camp after the Amercian forces and the British and Chinese were defeated.

The Japanese were in charge because they had the guns and the Senior Officers were in charge of camp rules but the real goverening force that opperated in the camp was Capatialism, and one Americal Cpl. was the best capalialist in the camp.

He was the goverening power in the camp.

King Rat


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## HoppeEL4

Viking, it is to my understanding that as a prepper, you are in better company down there than I am up here. I grew up in the area, and my parents did too, and everyone knew the "survivalists" were in Southern Oregon and Northern California, as well as in Idaho. 

Up here...I am just not sure what the populations problem is and why they cannot think beyond the next Subaru and skiing for the weekend.


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## Viking

HoppeEL4 said:


> Viking, it is to my understanding that as a prepper, you are in better company down there than I am up here. I grew up in the area, and my parents did too, and everyone knew the "survivalists" were in Southern Oregon and Northern California, as well as in Idaho.
> 
> Up here...I am just not sure what the populations problem is and why they cannot think beyond the next Subaru and skiing for the weekend.


As the area grows, especially the Medford area, that type of thinking is leaking into the brains of many here as well. Some of that is the escapism attitude that people go to when they are not receiving truth of what's really going on in the world, so they turn to sports, fashion, reality TV (Like the Kardashians', what a waste.) and all other kinds of mindless pleasures. Don,t get me wrong I believe in some recreation, but as in all things moderation and not going off the deep end.


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## HoppeEL4

I remember back in the late 70's and early 80's, that was a big thing, the total survivalist. I really did not understand what it was. Then as I began to explore self-sufficiency more, I understood it and dawned on me that it was mainly about not being dependent on a temporary way of life (our typical modern lifestyle). It then made complete sense to me.

Although I am not as hard core as some of those people are, I do admire them, it cannot be easy to disconnect yourself from it all and actually work the land.

I just wish I would have started at this in my 20's....It would have been easier now, my body is not used to doing the little bit that I do (compared to many others), when you start younger, you are used to it by now. Although, one advantage I think you can have in your 40's is a more steady and mature mindset.


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## roym6015

It's 2012 and that means money for anybody selling something to prepare with,fear is money to them and they can stair up some fear with just a few displays.And the people will buy it up to save themselves.


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## HoppeEL4

Recently was in Walmart and saw those freeze dried preps they had. Really expensive I thought.


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## gypsysue

The Super 1 grocery stores here (they carry the Western Family Brand) are now selling Augason Farms Freeze Dried long-term storage in #10 cans and 6-gallon buckets. I was surprised to see a whole end cap of it, and stacks starting down the side of an aisle. Milk powder, butter powder, baking/bread mixes, blueberries, banana slices, chocolate 'drink' powder, oatmeal, etc. The banana slices were $8 a can, and the chocolate drink powder was $12 a can.

Our Wal-mart still doesn't have any food storage/prep items, at least not where I've been able to find it!


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## HoppeEL4

How many pounds in the number 10 cans of the dried bananas? I know we can get it for about $1.50 a pound at Winco (tons of bulk foods). I have to make my comparrisons on buying in #10 cans, or go local and buy bulk at Winco. No, they do not carry the powdered butter, but I have this feeling they could order it, and might be then can get it cheaper than some of the online sources could sell it for.


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## Davarm

HoppeEL4 said:


> How many pounds in the number 10 cans of the dried bananas? I know we can get it for about $1.50 a pound


It is much cheaper to dehydrate your own bananas, it can be done even on the cheapo dehydrators obtainable at Wally World. I know from experience that a 5 gallon bucket will hold about 180 pounds of bananas. That is 180 pounds purchase weight, not peeled weight.

Be warned, if you dont have a dehydrator and want a cheap one, dont get an Oster. The older ones will last forever but the new ones will not last long if heavily used.


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## lilmissy0740

Not sure if this is where to place it. Just came from Walmart, they have the huge cans of Libbys pumpkins on clearance for $1, doesnt expire until 4/2014 and evaporated milk for .50 exp 10/12. Pumpkin at the holidays started at almost $4 a can. So this is a great deal and makes an excellent smoothie.


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## Clarice

Got the huge 3 wick candles at Wally World this weekend for $5 ea. The fragrances were pine and pumpkin spice, guess they were trying to get rid of fall ones.


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## HoppeEL4

I have dehydrated my own bananas. I have the Ronco one, it works well, but there is only so much room in it. I mainly got it for jerky, but am likely to reinstate it as the all around machine it needs to be. I found that I can buy dehydrated potatoes, slices and shreds, bulk at Winco, for the same price per pound that it costs to get fresh potatoes. Minus the work, it is a savings.

I am going to try my hand at dehydrating some produce, and then sealing it in FoodSaver packs with the oxygen absorbers paks. Between the two, it hopefully will keep it good for a while.

Winco also sells powdered cheese sauce. This stuff is actually pretty good for a dehydrated product. It can be mixed with water, milk or even beer for a good sauce, or I have added it to cream soups (potato and broccoli) and it is a nice addition. It is not cheap, but what dehydrated dairly product is?


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## gypsysue

I dehydrate my own bananas too, as well as just about every other kind of fruit or vegetable. I was just commenting that a major grocery store chain in this part of the country is now carrying the freeze-dried long-term food-storage.

Someone asked how many pounds were in the can of bananas, and next time we go I'll look and see. But it might be a month or so. We rarely go to town. It's 65 miles away.


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## HoppeEL4

That was me. I wondered if it was really worth buying, or not. I envy you, being so far from the madness of our society.


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## gypsysue

HoppeEL4 said:


> That was me. I wondered if it was really worth buying, or not. I envy you, being so far from the madness of our society.


I suspect the dried banana chips from places like Dollar Tree work out cheaper. Even cheaper might be drying one's own, but be sure and store them properly. One nice thing about getting a can or two of the long-term storage ones is that it would be a real treat several years after a major SHTF situation to open them up and eat them. Bananas will be a long-gone thing for most of us.

Hoppe, envy us enough and I'll give you some good leads on property near us for good prices! We could always use more preppers in the area!  And I have all of you to remind me of the madness out there in our society, and that reminds me to be grateful I'm out here! It's not always an easy life.


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## HoppeEL4

I bet it is not easy being that far out. I live semi-rural/suburban, farmland that had some late 90's development boom till the city council gained new people and they put a stop to tearing out farmland and excessive deveolpment. So we are outside city limits, of a moderate sized town. At times it is still not far enough out, but my husband works all the way in downtown Portlands industrial area (river waterfront) and it is a heckuva commute for him already. So far his job is secure and his pay if ok, so he has to hang onto it.

When I am feeling like this, I need to get out of the area, over to the eastern side of the Cascades to the open high desert (rolling wheat fields as far as the eye can see) of Oregon, it is my real desire of where to live (towns with populations of 1,000).


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## kimbercdp45

we have it i work at a wallyworld think it is over priced


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## akgirl

Just my 2 cents, I own a store. I have tried to hire locals to work, I pay above minimum wage and can keep no one for more than a couple of weeks. They all come in telling me how desperate they are for work and soon as they are hired, they don't show up. So, now I work 10 hour days/7 days a week after going through numerous cashiers that have better things to do than to show up for work.

I carry a lot of generic brand products for resale to keep my prices low and my cigarettes are priced lower than Walmart. My business is going under due to lack of money in the community. The only good days we have now are what I call paydays, when everyone on welfare gets their monthly check. I'm watching everything I've worked for slip away, while the Feds/State bleed me dry.


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## mojo4

My daughter is a fruit fly so I bought a bunch of bananas and sliced em and put em in the dehydrator. They came out great and it was far cheaper than the store bought bags. And vacuum seal em and they will stay good for a long time. Toss em in oatmeal or pancake mix for good flavor too.


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## HoppeEL4

akgirl, I think the worst part of what is happening right now is our financial troubles, started by greedy lenders lending to people who could not afford the homes, caused this intial crash (or burst, whatever they want to euphenize it to be) are putting everyone but the big box stores out of business. These giants can afford to manage things completely different than a small store and so they too can maximize everything. With taxes hitting the smaller businesses harder (those big guys have the $$$ to pay someone to find loopholes and programs where they can write off taxes).

As well, big box stores can also get the absolute best wholesale from manufacturers because their volume is so huge, something that is a complete disadvantage to someone like yourself. It is not good, it makes being independent in owning your own business in this nation almost impossible.


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## kathyprepper

My Excalibur has to be one of my best values for the money. I dehydrate sevearl hundred pounds of apples when I can either glean them or get them from a local orchard as drops for a song. I love bananas that are dipped in a honey-water mix and then dried. I make a ton of fruit leather with applesauce as a base and then add other fruit for different flavor. I hope you're wrong about the bananas being unavailable. We have always had trade and I hope we always will. I suspect that sugar, coffee and oranges will be an occasional treat rather than an everyday indulgence. Spices and salt have always been traded. Having said that, salt is one thing I store hundreds of pounds of. There are a lot of things I like but know I can live without. I need salt. I make a lot of lacto-fermented vegetables and I would need it for salting down meat. A little goes a long way. I can make vinegar and we raise bees and produce maple syrup. I have maybe 1000 canning jars and more Tattlers than you can imagine. With the salt I can preserve about anything.


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## gypsysue

akgirl said:


> Just my 2 cents, I own a store. I have tried to hire locals to work, I pay above minimum wage and can keep no one for more than a couple of weeks. They all come in telling me how desperate they are for work and soon as they are hired, they don't show up. So, now I work 10 hour days/7 days a week after going through numerous cashiers that have better things to do than to show up for work.
> 
> I carry a lot of generic brand products for resale to keep my prices low and my cigarettes are priced lower than Walmart. My business is going under due to lack of money in the community. The only good days we have now are what I call paydays, when everyone on welfare gets their monthly check. I'm watching everything I've worked for slip away, while the Feds/State bleed me dry.


I wish we lived in closer proximity! I'd be the best cashier you ever had, and I'd show up for work on time! 

One of our sons owns a rain gutter installation business and he has the same problem, even though jobs are scarce and people holler all the time that they need a job. They either whine that the work is too hard (climbing a ladder holding one end of a lightweight aluminum gutter) or they just don't show up after the first day or two.

We keep a close eye on prices at all the stores in our area, and the local rural very small grocery store often has sale prices cheaper than Wal-mart. It pays to know your prices, but you also want to avoid half a dozen stops around town. That can end up costing more.


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## UncleJoe

gypsysue said:


> One of our sons owns a rain gutter installation business and he has the same problem, even though jobs are scarce and people holler all the time that they need a job. They either whine that the work is too hard (climbing a ladder holding one end of a lightweight aluminum gutter) or they just don't show up after the first day or two.


 Boy am I familiar with that!
Some years back I had one guy I paid $17.00 an hour. He came to me one day and said he HAD to have more money. He didn't give any thought to the fact that he usually only came in 3 days a week. :gaah:


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## Veldro

Frugal_Farmers said:


> I feel that the monsters, I mean executives, at Walmart watch trends closley.
> 
> They have watched market trends and want to cash in on their piece of the pie.
> 
> People are funny. When they see a big display like this they say "I gotta have it". "In fact, I'll take two and put it on my credit card".
> 
> On the plus side, if folks do buy them, perhaps they will begin looking at other preps.


Very true. Seems they will try to sell anything and everything they can, if it will make them a quick buck.


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## HoppeEL4

It's funny, when I was younger, and Walmart first came to our area, I was in awe a bit, and in a way, could not get enough of this place. Now I can go in to get some basics, and think "I'll go see if I can find some pajamas/shoes/shirts" and find myself walking away not wanting to buy their stuff. Same goes with their household items (lamps, furniture kits..etc) I just do not find the cheapness of it appealing.

My preference is to go to thrift stores, mainly The Salvation Army, because I know their profits go to the programs, not to line the pockets of CEO's (they don't have them anyways). I do buy what we must from Walmart, but lately am finding their prices are no longer the best and sometimes can be beat more locally (besides the issue of saving as money since the only one is about 20 miles from us).

I sometimes think they started out new in areas with cheap prices to lure people in and get them conditioned to think the price is the best and then prices slowly went up...just a theory. Sort of like giving away free drugs to people, so the dealers get new addicts to sell to.


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## Emerald

HoppeEL4 said:


> It's funny, when I was younger, and Walmart first came to our area, I was in awe a bit, and in a way, could not get enough of this place. Now I can go in to get some basics, and think "I'll go see if I can find some pajamas/shoes/shirts" and find myself walking away not wanting to buy their stuff. Same goes with their household items (lamps, furniture kits..etc) I just do not find the cheapness of it appealing.
> 
> My preference is to go to thrift stores, mainly The Salvation Army, because I know their profits go to the programs, not to line the pockets of CEO's (they don't have them anyways). I do buy what we must from Walmart, but lately am finding their prices are no longer the best and sometimes can be beat more locally (besides the issue of saving as money since the only one is about 20 miles from us).
> 
> I sometimes think they started out new in areas with cheap prices to lure people in and get them conditioned to think the price is the best and then prices slowly went up...just a theory. Sort of like giving away free drugs to people, so the dealers get new addicts to sell to.


While somethings are priced well and I too think that they started out low and got people in another good thing about them coming in was our local big box store(meijer) had to start lowering it's prices and much of their stuff is a bit better quality.
But wally worlds clothing is pretty much junk.. their brand jeans don't even last 6 months.
I do buy my socks and undies there but the name brand ones.
But their prices did not go up much due to the amount of competition here.
My mother volunteers at a thrift store and they do not sell any clothing with a spot or is dirty or has writing on it and so we tend have some really nice clothing that would have been discarded.. 
I have a very nice huge fluffy, land's end down jacket that had a couple spots of dried mud on it and they were going to just chuck it in the bin! My mom gave it to me and I ran it thru the wash and put it in the dryer with a couple tennis balls and it is like brand new again.. I even got some weather proofing spray and treated it.


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## HoppeEL4

gypsy, it is amazing how disposable our society is with clothes and household goods. I hate the prices of sheets, so I will look for them in thrift stores, as well as replacing all our fluffy, dustmite gathering comforters with quilts, hitting the thirft stores for those too.


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## gypsysue

Thrift stores are GREAT places to get sheets. At the thrift stores near us they're $1 a sheet, regardless of bed size, and most are in pretty good shape. 

I've even bought extras to use as garden covers for cold nights.


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## HoppeEL4

I am always out hunting for some good househld deals via thrift stores. I found an espresso maker for $15, a Krups brand, and would have retailed for about $60, and this one looks like it was not used once. Having this makes wanting to go for specialty coffee less tempting.

I have been seeing boxes of candles there and decided, when the weather was warmer and working outside was possible, to "re-make" candles from the ones I find, adding some oils and colors (cheap dollar store crayons, no we have no crayon users left in our household). However I need to find out if my local craft store still is selling the milds for candles, saw them about one year ago, but think they may have just re-arranged things.

I have been tempted to start making some soap. Have had this one book forever and thought maybe it was time to put it to use. Need to get the process down and then think about selling it. I was told by one neighbor that beef fat soap used to be common and was the best soap ever. I have heard that vegetable oil soap is also good (shortening). Might be a way to make some cash on the side, just a bit concerned about working with lye.


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## Jason

lilmissy0740 said:


> Not sure if this is where to place it. Just came from Walmart, they have the huge cans of Libbys pumpkins on clearance for $1, doesnt expire until 4/2014 and evaporated milk for .50 exp 10/12. Pumpkin at the holidays started at almost $4 a can. So this is a great deal and makes an excellent smoothie.


Which WalMart do you go to? The one off I70 in Belle Vernon is the one we usually shop at.


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## Ur5hittingMe

Jason said:


> Which WalMart do you go to? The one off I70 in Belle Vernon is the one we usually shop at.


Sorry Jason, just saw this post and she said she never saw it.. She said the sale , which I'm pretty certain is long past, was at greensburg. Sorry bout that, but if your ever short of pumpkin, I got it coming out my ears..

She usually only shops greens burg and mt pleasant, both are equal distance from us. Both never have the same sales either.


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## pixieduster

Never seen anything like that at any walmarts near me. Only thing I do see is canning supply. Lots of gardeners here though.


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## Kessler

I just do not understand all the Wal-Mart bashing. I wish my local Wal-Mart carried more in the "prepper/survival" line.
Since Wal-Mart is still growing and making a profit, maybe we need their execs to run the country!


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## oldvet

CharlindaBob said:


> I just do not understand all the Wal-Mart bashing. I wish my local Wal-Mart carried more in the "prepper/survival" line.
> Since Wal-Mart is still growing and making a profit, maybe we need their execs to run the country!


Teetotally agree with everything in your post.

Thanks for your service Marine, and from one Vietnam Vet to another.. *Welcome home Brother, Welcome home.*


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## Kessler

Thanks Dan and a Welcome Home to you too sir! You know, it took 28 years after I came home from Vietnam for me to hear "Welcome Home"! I was in a near by town and some guy in a black pickup pulled up next to me at a light, rolled down his window and said "Welcome Home". He had no doubt seen my USMC / Vietnam sticker on my rear window. People just don't understand how much that means to me, but I know you do.........Welcome Home brother!


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## Von Helman

did anyone else notice the pole is right in the middle of the isle? I mean couldn't they have better planning than to put a pole smack dab in the middle of the isle?


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## Davarm

Thanks for your service, CharlindaBob



CharlindaBob said:


> I just do not understand all the Wal-Mart bashing.


A lot of my bad blood with Walmart came about when my youngest daughter started working there.

I dont hold it against anyone if they choose to shop there(dont even criticize them), I have even been known to pass through their doors on rare occasions. In todays consumer society that seems to have the mindset of "throw it away and buy a new one", the Walmart executives have capitalized on that and have done quite well.

I dont often publicly bash them though unless some one point blank, directly asks me my openion. Sometimes the Asker gets kinda Irate when I give them the openion they asked for. I do seem to be in the minority.

As long as they are there and if they have something I cant get anywere else, I'll go there.


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## Von Helman

Davarm said:


> I dont often publicly bash them though unless some one point blank, directly asks me my openion. Sometimes the Asker gets kinda Irate when I give them the openion they asked for. I do seem to be in the minority.


100% understand what you mean or even worse when on a social media board like this when you just share your OWN personal opinion on a subject that is counter to others and then get hated for it or called a troll. I mean being called a troll for having your own different opinion... LOL

I know I have opinions that are not very popular and when the haters get all worked up over my opinions it only goes to reinforce them even more.


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## HoppeEL4

CharlindaBob, My husband served in Vietnam, Air Force communications base always being targeted. He has struggled over the years, and when he started working where he is now, there were a lot of Vietnamese who had escaped Vietnam, working with him. One his first Veterans Day there, several of them came over, asked where he was stationed at, then shook his hand and said "thank you". That was something special to him, knowing being over there was important to these people who wanted American GI help over there (although the outcome was not what both wanted). 

He was treated badly when he first came home, being targeted at the airport by protestors...his own fellow citizens. So having these people thank him, was a healing moment.


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## CVORNurse

Von Helman said:


> did anyone else notice the pole is right in the middle of the isle? I mean couldn't they have better planning than to put a pole smack dab in the middle of the isle?


probably happened when they widened the aisles a while back and cut back on how much stuff they carry. At least my WM did when they remodeled. They have lots and lots of unused aisle space now.


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## Davarm

Von Helman said:


> 100% understand what you mean or even worse when on a social media board like this when you just share your OWN personal opinion on a subject that is counter to others and then get hated for it or called a troll. I mean being called a troll for having your own different opinion... LOL
> 
> I know I have opinions that are not very popular and when the haters get all worked up over my opinions it only goes to reinforce them even more.


"I" have never been bashed or called a troll for my opinions "HERE". I am of the frame of mind that everyone has a right to their own opinions and I respect that.

Opinions are formed by ones own experiences and since we all obviously have been down different roads, it would be strange indeed if we all had the feelings about all things. Prepping? we all sought out this site for the pretty much the same reason. "Preparing" For The Unknown", so most of us share a common thought on that.

I have found that their is much to be learned even from those whose opinions differ dramatically from mine so I accept them in that light. Name calling and ridicule, not a good thing(even though I have recently been guilty of that myself).

I'm never too proud to learn something new.


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## Von Helman

Davarm said:


> Opinions are formed by ones own experiences and since we all obviously have been down different roads, it would be strange indeed if we all had the feelings about all things. .


You understand this, however not everyone is able to. When someone does have a different opinion or experience and speaks out on it I too feel they are entitled to their opinion regardless of how different it might be to my own but I wont call them a troll. A troll to me is someone who is purposely instigating trouble or baiting others into frivolous arguments or side issues, NOT someone who has a different opinion.

These Wal-Mart threads seem to be a good example of this where I am under the opinion that Wal-Mart is not a good company then I get referred to as a Wal-Mart basher even after I post links to articles or research to help explain why I have such an opinion. It does no good so I don't even try.


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## Davarm

Von Helman said:


> You understand this, however not everyone is able to. When someone does have a different opinion or experience and speaks out on it I too feel they are entitled to their opinion regardless of how different it might be to my own but I wont call them a troll. A troll to me is someone who is purposely instigating trouble or baiting others into frivolous arguments or side issues, NOT someone who has a different opinion.
> 
> These Wal-Mart threads seem to be a good example of this where I am under the opinion that Wal-Mart is not a good company then I get referred to as a Wal-Mart basher even after I post links to articles or research to help explain why I have such an opinion. It does no good so I don't even try.


A Walmart Basher, many people have called me a whole lot worse. I feel sure that just about everyone else here has been called something derogatory at one time or another, at least with you and this topic it may well be true.

If that is actually the way you feel about Walmart, carry that title as a "Badge Of Honor". Dont let it irritate you, it could lead to health issues and I'm sure thats not high on your list of goals for the future.

As far as posting links to support your views, probably a waste of time. If someone(anyone) is secure in/comfortable with their feelings and beliefs about any issue, usually all the documentation on the internet will do little to sway them. Its kinda like someone telling a newlywed husband that his "Shy, Timid Church Going Wife" is an exotic dancer.....Aint gonna believe it and will likely get very hostile in the process, even if it is true.

(The above comparison is for discussion only and is not intended to offend anyone, if it does please PM me and I will apologize for it.)

Dont let it bother you Von Helman, life is too short to carry that kind of baggage around with you.


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## Von Helman

Davarm said:


> Dont let it bother you Von Helman, life is too short to carry that kind of baggage around with you.


Oh I don't let it personally bother me I just get tired of dealing with people who are not open to allowing others a different view or opinion.

I really am considering taking another long hiatus from the internet and even my project thread here on this site simply because I have too many other more important things to do than to deal with these types of one sided people.

I come here to share information, ideas, and my project with others but not to get a bashing on how stupid I am or how something wont work or how hard headed I am for not listening to these same naysayers. Then I get called a troll for confronting them and I ask myself why even bother.

oh well sorry for the rant and for getting off the topic of the OP regarding China-Mart.


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## overboard

Wal mart has gotten to big, I almost got arrested for theft by an overzealous security guard that treated my whole family like we were a gang of thieves, I was very glad when the police showed up, I thought "sweet some common sence will finally reign! They started discussing what they would charge me with..... One of the worst experiences of my life, I tried to shop anywhere but walmart after that! It was not easy when almost all other places are expensive and for the most part out of biz by the behemoth wal mart!


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## Freyadog

Von Helman said:


> You understand this, however not everyone is able to. When someone does have a different opinion or experience and speaks out on it I too feel they are entitled to their opinion regardless of how different it might be to my own but I wont call them a troll. A troll to me is someone who is purposely instigating trouble or baiting others into frivolous arguments or side issues, NOT someone who has a different opinion.
> 
> These Wal-Mart threads seem to be a good example of this where I am under the opinion that Wal-Mart is not a good company then I get referred to as a Wal-Mart basher even after I post links to articles or research to help explain why I have such an opinion. It does no good so I don't even try.


guess we are walmart bashers. I do not do any of the marts of any kind. haven;t for years. If you watch sales you can usually find something comparable to what you are looking to buy at one of the marts. If not then we make do or do without.


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## Roslyn

Well, going back to the original comment.

I was in Wal-Mart tonight. They had a huge, at least 20 feet of shelf space, of "Smores" fixin's. Hershey's chocolate, a giant display of graham crackers and another of giant bags of marshmallows. 

I know summer is coming, and yes, we even have a smore every now and then, but it isn't a big stock up for summer item in my family. 

I kept shopping and on my way to check-out I noticed the cart next to me had several of each smore item. Hhhhmmmm. Then I kept walking up the aisles looking for a shorter line and again, the cart in front of me also had all three smore items. And THEN, when I was watching the clerk check me out I noted the cart at the next check out line had double of each smore item.

It's simple marketing. Stack it high and deep and people think it's on sale and they automatically have to have it, can't live without it!!

None of these items had a sale price on them, they were regular price, just stacked in a "You-must-buy-me" way. Stores know this, and they use it to their advantage. Not just Wal-Mart, but hey, that's how they got so big, by convincing people they actually NEED all that stuff!!!!

:flower:


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## HoppeEL4

Roslyn, this is so true....this is why we Americans are not in the best of shape, well, no we're in too good of shape...me included.

We see something that is displayed in a way we feel it looks like a good idea, and then one too many well displaed goodies sit in places they simply do not need to be.

I saw a woman with four kids, and one of them brought her a giant bag of giant marshmallows.....she looked surprised, said "wow thats cool" and then said, "but we don't need them". Kid glumly walked away, no argument and that was it. I was glad to see a kid not throw a hissy fit and accept no the first time, it will help in the future for weight control with wanting goodies and telling themselves no. Too many people don't and they have 7 year olds without ankles (I saw this recently), and likely sadly short lives with numerous health problems.


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## GeoMonkey

Hey,

Round, is a "shape"


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## talldog

Well, Walmarts in the Eugene/Springfield, OR area also carry those items, and I'm grateful as the prices are fair. One thing to consider is that in the North and South West, the number of Mormons is high and growing. They all believe in having a years supply for their families. The local Bishop's warehouse is an excellent source of bulk dried foods and preservation materials. They will sell to anyone but you need to call first, then go in and place an order for later pickup. They sold to me happily, and I'm a pagan. I think Walmart is catering to both Mormons and the rest of us preppers to make sales. It's good business for them.


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## bananagoatgruff

*walmart in Idaho*

Maybe trying to cash in on the high concentration of Mormons in the area. Mormons are mandated to have several years of food storage on hand. My guess is they will still be around after the rapture and they are gonna need it. Folks like me are just trying to scare up 3-6 months to offset this hyper inflation around the corner here...:scratch


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## TechAdmin

HoppeEL4 said:


> Roslyn, this is so true....this is why we Americans are not in the best of shape, well, no we're in too good of shape...me included.
> 
> We see something that is displayed in a way we feel it looks like a good idea, and then one too many well displaed goodies sit in places they simply do not need to be.
> 
> I saw a woman with four kids, and one of them brought her a giant bag of giant marshmallows.....she looked surprised, said "wow thats cool" and then said, "but we don't need them". Kid glumly walked away, no argument and that was it. I was glad to see a kid not throw a hissy fit and accept no the first time, it will help in the future for weight control with wanting goodies and telling themselves no. Too many people don't and they have 7 year olds without ankles (I saw this recently), and likely sadly short lives with numerous health problems.


My Daughter is mindful. She gets things, but they are healthy.

The only thing I splurge on is Gogurt. She loves that stuff, but I don't get an argument when she asks for other things and I say no.

Of course I buy giant marshmallows. It's campfire season and all.


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## Emerald

Don't get me started on kids and lazy parents or just plain stupid parents. Sure I've seen many that are good and only buy good stuff with a few "treats". 
But I just spent almost 6 hours at the ER last evening and saw some things that make me wanna choke "lazy" parent or maybe they were just stupid.. don't get me wrong.. kids often end up in the ER.. and one young mom and her daughter were super well behaved even tho it took three hours to get her little 4 year old daughter in to get a bead out of her ear(I did the same thing with a bean up the nose at about the same age) but then about an two hours of me waiting to get in(diverticulitis in my case.. painful) a mom and her 10 year old daughter come in with the DD having a very painful foot injury possible broken foot.. I didn't have too much trouble with this till the whole "posse" showed up... here comes dad, 7 year old sister, 5 year old brother and 1 1/2 year old brother.. REALLY PEOPLE????? REALLY! the room was crowded with people waiting to get in and here comes the wild man 1 1/2 year old climbing on stuff and being loud etc.. sure they are busy at that age but in the ER? if she had been a single mom I could see it but her hubby was there and sure after a few obnoxious minutes the mom finally said take them to the big main waiting room but he should have just left mom and oldest dd there to be seen and come back later... I was in and out before them(got there at 5:30 and got out at 10:45 ) and they were still there the kids all over in the back part of the ER.. What are these folks thinking?and you can't say anything because the ER let them in.. but sheesh.. think of the little ones.. it would have been easier to go home with the three youngest and load them back up at 11:00 or when ever they got done. OH the snacks they had for the kids were all poptarts and frootloops and all sugar.. OMGOODNESS people..
Another grandma brought her grandaughter in and the child was not only filthy and wearing clothes that were several sizes too big but had no shoes either.. :dunno:the gramma wasn't much better.. I can deal with clothing not fitting but at least wash a couple freaking layers of the dirt off folks.. and shoes..

Okay.. rant off.. I had to get that off my chest.. I felt bad for all the people that I left out there when I finally got in to be seen.. that family was a circus. maybe if I had not been in so much pain last night it wouldn't have bothered me so much.. but sheesh... people...:gaah: 
But the first few hours I was there, there were several ladies I knew from working at the school and we chatted and took my mind off the pain. OH i'll be fine too.. feel much better already.


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## JayJay

I have lots of stories like yours...Lord help us and the children is all I can say...and I'm on my way to ask.com.diverticulitis???
Glad you feel better.


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## Emerald

JayJay said:


> I have lots of stories like yours...Lord help us and the children is all I can say...and I'm on my way to ask.com.diverticulitis???
> Glad you feel better.


Here I was thinking it was something else(TMI) but found out it was that (which my stepfather had often so I knew what it was) I kind of thought it was just indigestion and felt kinda foolish.. going in for a tummy ache.. but the dr and the nurse both told me that if I had not come in it could get very deadly.. big infection and septis etc.. made me feel not so silly and stupid. But lucky for me it was very very mild case I got to go home.. 
So if you get over 45 and get a really painful "cramp" low in the guts that comes with vomiting and high fever.. don't dick around and get right in okay!!!?


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## neldarez

Emerald said:


> Here I was thinking it was something else(TMI) but found out it was that (which my stepfather had often so I knew what it was) I kind of thought it was just indigestion and felt kinda foolish.. going in for a tummy ache.. but the dr and the nurse both told me that if I had not come in it could get very deadly.. big infection and septis etc.. made me feel not so silly and stupid. But lucky for me it was very very mild case I got to go home..
> So if you get over 45 and get a really painful "cramp" low in the guts that comes with vomiting and high fever.. don't dick around and get right in okay!!!?


So glad you went in Emerald, please take care of yourself. I just shake my head with unbelief when I see parents and rotten kids anymore, the saddest part to me is that the parents feel guilty about having to work and so they try to make it up to their kids by letting them get away with murder, no manners, laziness and entitlement attitudes! OH MY GOSH...praise God if you have a job, make the kids do their share for being a part of a family! You don't owe them because you have to work, it is an honorable thing to work, heaven help the kids who are being raised right now!


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## HoppeEL4

Hope you're better now Emerald...

As for this kids issue, have any of you ever seen the one with the American nanny? She reminds me of Condoleza Rice for some reason....funny.

Anyways, some of those kids she comes in contact with...lord the parents are just so unbelievably permissive and indulgent. As kids where we grew up, and being last of six, there was little room for lack of manners and good behavior, and no budge in the family finances to indulge us. Living in the Pacific NW in those times, salmon was commonplace, so much so that our parents were given peoples extras during fishing season, and we would go fishing and save all our quotas of trout...freezer was full of fish thats for sure, and often we were given salmon salad sandwiches for lunch, not even tuna salad, and I have never really liked it, but can hardly stomach it now.

Always sack lunches, all homemade goodies, if we had them at all. Summer was berry picking season, everyone went out early in the day, picked till lunch and then contributed half of the days earnings for a summer trip somewhere. School clothes were minimal, no whole new wardrobe in the beginning of each school year.

If it was nice out, you had nothing else to do but go play in the woods, besides our mother would come into the living room while Saturday Morning cartoons were on and turn the TV off and say "everyone outside". So we did. We are more creative, inventive, self starters and can see potential in life, giving everything to your kids and having too many conveniences makes them lazy minded, they stop wanting to try and learn.


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## goshengirl

HoppeEL4 said:


> We are more creative, inventive, self starters and can see potential in life, giving everything to your kids and having too many conveniences makes them lazy minded, they stop wanting to try and learn.


EXACTLY! I think about this a lot. Society is sucking the creativity out of the younger and younger generations, making them vulnerable. They won't/can't be problem solvers.


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## stayingthegame

when my DD started with the, 'I got have it because everyone else has it syndrome', it was over school clothes and THE label. I gave her the two hundred we had for clothes and siad she could buy whatever she thought she wanted. she looked found a pair of pants and a shirt, we figured up the price.... came to just over 100. she looked at me and i told her it was fine but that with what was left she would only be able to get another shirt or pants. I told her she would not have anything left for shoes and would have to wash and wear the same thing almost everyday. she looked again at the price and after a moment said she did not think they were worth that much!! after that I would tell her what she had to spend and she decided how important something was.


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## bahramthered

I had this debate with my roomate for almost a year and a half. Walmart is not a good store or it is a great store.

I buy fresh produce and meats and make my own food.
He buys premade stuff. Like TV dinners. 

I spend more. A lot more. But I have to admit I get my ketchup dirt cheap, and I can't find my favorite barbeque sauce variant anywhere else. 

As far as clothes I have several/ a lot from Walmart. I think they're cheap as hell and tear up fast. But I work in a job with chemicals, paints, sharp objects, and just a million ways to destroy cloths. So for work life, sure walmart. Hiking or dressing up no way. Daily Ts I'll even take the ones Foot Looker sells on 5 for $20.

Electronics, Hit or miss. 8 years ago I bought a Combo Dvd/Vcr Player. Had to return it twice since they broke. Last one lasted 7 years before the DVR went out. Shockingly cheap DVR from there has been a champ since. Other than being slightly slow waking up after I turn it on it's been good (the remote format sucks though).


Now on to the preps walmart is offering: 

You guys need to look at this seriously from a retail side. This stuff is awesome. 

1>Huge shelf times, Someone buys it and notices that iut still has ten years till it expires. You think they might figure out that it lost 5 on the self? 

2>very durable product: Beyond total destruction what can you do a can good? Scratch the label? And people know this. They'll buy canned good with labels held on by scotch tape.

3>Stack able; Do I need to explain that one?

4> multiple markets; Storm scared people buy it. Preppers buy it, campers, and anyone worried about spoilage buys it. Some of it is a good deal, some people buy it as an insurance policy.


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## bananagoatgruff

*Opinions and thinkin*

If everybody is thinking the same thing, then somebody is not thinking.
General George S Patton:dunno:


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## HoppeEL4

stayingthegame, my youngest (almost 15), the last at home, loves to get her clothes at thrift stores. She knows she can come out having spent $40 and have two bags full of cute clothes. Shoes she and I have a harder time finding, wide foot, it stinks. My oldest daughter (now 29) fnally has come around to thrift stores...ugh..as a teen she was so hard to deal with, had to have what she saw her pampered friends with (and we were of reduced means).

Of course our boy, now 18 and on his own, would not have cared either way. He has to buy his Wranglers new from Coastal Farm and Ranch, they withstand him bucking hay all day at his job (although he keeps saying he needs some hay chaps but cannot find them). He also spends more on his boots for work, so they will last, but overall, he's such a guy he does not care about clothes really, other than durability.

My husband, I can find him t-shirts and his ever favorite cargo pants for work at thrift stores, he doesn't care. Shoes, like the girl and I, have to be bought only at certain stores, he has a 4E foot...spendy unfortunately.


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## bananagoatgruff

*You mean Republic!*

Democracy is merely utopic communism where everybody gets to vote and mob rule takes over. Oh yea thats pretty much what we got.



bahramthered said:


> I had this debate with my roomate for almost a year and a half. Walmart is not a good store or it is a great store.
> 
> I buy fresh produce and meats and make my own food.
> He buys premade stuff. Like TV dinners.
> 
> I spend more. A lot more. But I have to admit I get my ketchup dirt cheap, and I can't find my favorite barbeque sauce variant anywhere else.
> 
> As far as clothes I have several/ a lot from Walmart. I think they're cheap as hell and tear up fast. But I work in a job with chemicals, paints, sharp objects, and just a million ways to destroy cloths. So for work life, sure walmart. Hiking or dressing up no way. Daily Ts I'll even take the ones Foot Looker sells on 5 for $20.
> 
> Electronics, Hit or miss. 8 years ago I bought a Combo Dvd/Vcr Player. Had to return it twice since they broke. Last one lasted 7 years before the DVR went out. Shockingly cheap DVR from there has been a champ since. Other than being slightly slow waking up after I turn it on it's been good (the remote format sucks though).
> 
> Now on to the preps walmart is offering:
> 
> You guys need to look at this seriously from a retail side. This stuff is awesome.
> 
> 1>Huge shelf times, Someone buys it and notices that iut still has ten years till it expires. You think they might figure out that it lost 5 on the self?
> 
> 2>very durable product: Beyond total destruction what can you do a can good? Scratch the label? And people know this. They'll buy canned good with labels held on by scotch tape.
> 
> 3>Stack able; Do I need to explain that one?
> 
> 4> multiple markets; Storm scared people buy it. Preppers buy it, campers, and anyone worried about spoilage buys it. Some of it is a good deal, some people buy it as an insurance policy.


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## bahramthered

bananagoatgruff said:


> Democracy is merely utopic communism where everybody gets to vote and mob rule takes over. Oh yea thats pretty much what we got.


Here I thought that was the free market and like the most basic way people have to show their power.

Mob rule happens if you don't have framework of rules that people respect. Say like a constitution.


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## cocoa

*walmart*

I live in Florida and just seen the display yesterday. i was surprised to see it


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## Jack Aubrey

Of course they know. They also know that the Uberrich will weather the storm just fine. I have heard it said Sam Walton's heirs have a combined wealth that exceeds the total income of the American working class. While I have no way to confirm that, it would not surprise me.I think they just smell a chance to make a buck.


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## BillS

Jack Aubrey said:


> Of course they know. They also know that the Uberrich will weather the storm just fine. I have heard it said Sam Walton's heirs have a combined wealth that exceeds the total income of the American working class. While I have no way to confirm that, it would not surprise me.I think they just smell a chance to make a buck.


There's nothing wrong with making money. There's nothing wrong with being rich. Selling things cheaper than anyone else helps millions of people. Especially those who have a lower standard of living than most people. When the first Wal-Mart moves into your area it's like getting a raise.

I've read the nonsense about how Wal-Mart hurts downtowns. Well, so does Target. Downtown stores are much less efficient than Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart sells a lot of stuff cheaper than a small store can buy it at. Wal-Mart outcompetes everyone else and the consumer is the winner.


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## ram91648

"amen" ...........



bills said:


> there's nothing wrong with making money. There's nothing wrong with being rich. Selling things cheaper than anyone else helps millions of people. Especially those who have a lower standard of living than most people. When the first wal-mart moves into your area it's like getting a raise.
> 
> I've read the nonsense about how wal-mart hurts downtowns. Well, so does target. Downtown stores are much less efficient than wal-mart. Wal-mart sells a lot of stuff cheaper than a small store can buy it at. Wal-mart outcompetes everyone else and the consumer is the winner.


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## SierraM37

Dell did the same thing to the PC business. Lower production costs, offer more choice and make the supply chain your friend. Yes the Walton's may have more wealth than the income of the rest of us stiffs, but it's likely tied up in Walmart stock, so its not income until they sell it and pay taxes on long term cap gains. I don't begrudge them the wealth that their father built and handed to them. I just hope they don't become trust fund tragedies and do something productive with it. Wish I had that issue but I'm not unhappy because I don't.


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## Davarm

Jack Aubrey said:


> I have heard it said Sam Walton's heirs have a combined wealth that exceeds the total income of the American working class.


Of course, the working class give Walmart all their income.


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## Emerald

Davarm said:


> Of course, the working class give Walmart all their income.


NAW! I split it equally between walmart/meijers/government


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## Jack Aubrey

BillS said:


> There's nothing wrong with making money. There's nothing wrong with being rich. Selling things cheaper than anyone else helps millions of people. Especially those who have a lower standard of living than most people. When the first Wal-Mart moves into your area it's like getting a raise.
> 
> I've read the nonsense about how Wal-Mart hurts downtowns. Well, so does Target. Downtown stores are much less efficient than Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart sells a lot of stuff cheaper than a small store can buy it at. Wal-Mart outcompetes everyone else and the consumer is the winner.


Oh, I don't disagree. My point was not against Capitalism, being wealthy,or their business model. What I meant was, I don't believe it is motivated by a sense of philanthropy. JA


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## Woody

Emerald said:


> NAW! I split it equally between walmart/meijers/government


I want to know your system. The Govt. gets *WAY* more than anyone else in my world!!


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## bigpaul

we dont have Wal-mart in the UK, they operate here under the name of ASDA but its very much the lower end of the market, very taccy and not used much if at all by British preppers.


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## HoppeEL4

I think Walmarts ok. I also don't go there for every last thing. You have to know your prices and know whats a good deal and whats not. My husband and daughter, poor souls, have such wide feet the have to go to actual shoe stores and pay more for shoes with the width they need, something Walmart has never offered. 

I do not think Walmarts food prices are that good in comparrison to some stores we have here. I see people shopping in huge quantities there and think how foolish they are since a local west chain called "Winco" is far cheaper, they sell only food and have a Walmart like streamlined distribution system. Then there are my favorite salvaged good stores.

I think Walmart if a great example of capitalism and how any one of us can succeed should we put our heads to it. As an employer, I was told by one young lady clerk said she had been in rehab, trying to get her kids back from the state, and homeless (in a womens shelter) and Walmart gave her a chance. How can you hate a company for going out on a limb for people trying to get their lives back on track? What other employers would do this? Not many, in fact hardly any. I applaud them for giving people a chance to step up and be better in their lives. Our society is so down on people who have had troubles it's no wonder they stay troubled, at least Walmart is using their huge success to give a leg up in our society (and maybe others).


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## Padre

Well, the oracle of Delphi of our times, WALMART, is either seriously concerned about what's coming or just trying to make a buck off the climate of concern, one way or the other I went into walmart today and was PLESANTLY surprised to find that they had started carrying 420rd cans of FEDERAL ammo!

First food storage, now bulk ammo! I think I am in love. The WALLY WORLD price? 164.99 which is about 5 bucks cheaper than my gun store. I think I am still going to support the local guy but its good to know they have it if I need it!


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## Viking

Padre said:


> Well, the oracle of Delphi of our times, WALMART, is either seriously concerned about what's coming or just trying to make a buck off the climate of concern, one way or the other I went into walmart today and was PLESANTLY surprised to find that they had started carrying 420rd cans of FEDERAL ammo!
> 
> First food storage, now bulk ammo! I think I am in love. The WALLY WORLD price? 164.99 which is about 5 bucks cheaper than my gun store. I think I am still going to support the local guy but its good to know they have it if I need it!


Those cans of Federal ammo don't show up all that frequently at the Wal-Mart store in Grants Pass, Oregon and according to the sporting goods cashier that I know he says when any .223 ammo shows up people gobble it up in a hurry. The last time I talked with him they had one can of 420 rounds and a few white box Winchester ammo and he was hoping that the can wouldn't be sold so after he got off work he could buy it. Now on the other hand in the same town is a great little gun shop that seems to sell more firearms than anyone around and has a good stock of bulk ammo in many calibers. It's a bit more spendy but they always seem to have a large amount of different brands.


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## Clarice

Though I really don't like to shop either, I had rather shop WalMart than Target. Wal Mart's homebase is USA. Target's is France. Let's keep our money at home. Our government sends enough of our money overseas.


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## Viking

Padre, Does the Boston, Mass. store sell black rifles and Mini 14's? Seeing the black rifles in the local Wal-Mart stores kind of brought me to an emphasis of the question the title of this thread, "What Does Wal-Mart Know?" brought about.


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## LincTex

Viking said:


> Padre, Does the Boston, Mass. store sell black rifles and Mini 14's? Seeing the black rifles in the local Wal-Mart stores kind of brought me to an emphasis of the question the title of this thread, "What Does Wal-Mart Know?" brought about.


No, they sell them... because people buy them. LIKE CRAZY.

My local store keeps ordering Ruger 10/22's with stainless barrels and composite stocks, I think the tag says $219... but I have only once seen one in the case. The lady I see there most often says they stay in the case for about 3-4 hours before someone buys it. The Mini-14's stay there a lot longer, no shortage of those.

The SIG 556 and DPMS Panther AR-15's don't sell very fast... there are better deals to be had in town. Academy Sports always beats Wal-Mart prices on the black guns.


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## Padre

Viking said:


> Padre, Does the Boston, Mass. store sell black rifles and Mini 14's? Seeing the black rifles in the local Wal-Mart stores kind of brought me to an emphasis of the question the title of this thread, "What Does Wal-Mart Know?" brought about.


No, I have never seen a rifle for sale at a Walmart in Mass, I think they don't sell them because of the sentiment of some of our citizens and lawmakers.

--Only horrible evil dedicated gun dealers sell those horrible mean nasty things in MA. :gaah:

I am sure that part of it is supply and demand. People want black rifles and the such. I know I do, I just bought 2 :2thumb:


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## Padre

Viking said:


> It's a bit more spendy but they always seem to have a large amount of different brands.


My gun store is AWESOME and they try to keep the bulk stuff in stock. They buy it by the PALLET load and offer a GREAT price on it, as I said they are only $5 more than Wally World, which is really a testiment to their commitment to their customers, but sadly they are over an hour away. I would pay the extra $5 in a second, but the hour trip means I have to be going there to purchase a gun, or in the area, to make it worth my while.

Say hi to Karl for me if you stop in... www.FSGUNS.com


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## Moby76065

Frugal_Farmers said:


> I feel that the monsters, I mean executives, at Walmart watch trends closley.
> 
> They have watched market trends and want to cash in on their piece of the pie.
> People are funny. When they see a big display like this they say "I gotta have it". "In fact, I'll take two and put it on my credit card".
> On the plus side, if folks do buy them, perhaps they will begin looking at other preps.


I never understood why some pee on an American success story. I get everything I want there cheaper and of good quality. We all say folks need to prep so their not zombies. So if SHTF they can care for themselves. So when Walmart offers it....their evil?

I hope all my neighbors buy lots. So I don't have to worry about them.


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## ApocAndy

Walmart has Fisher registers. They record trends in purchacing habits and then send the information to computers in the back of the store which then makes the shipping order. So say you order something and have it shipped site to store. Well they may send 6 more of the item if those items sale in a short period of time then more will be sent. 

You also have to look at geographic location. Canning jars will be more prominant in areas that crops are grown. Tornado preparedness kits in tornado alley. And so on and so forth.


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## Meerkat

I'd prefer to can my own so I know where it came from,but WalMart will sell anything that makes them money.All the radio stations now are advertising dried food.I plan to buy some mtself,but not from WalM.


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## Padre

Moby76065 said:


> I never understood why some pee on an American success story. I get everything I want there cheaper and of good quality. We all say folks need to prep so their not zombies. So if SHTF they can care for themselves. So when Walmart offers it....their evil?
> 
> I hope all my neighbors buy lots. So I don't have to worry about them.


Walmart is a great company in its own way. I know some lefties don't like it but I have no issue with it. True capitalism is based on the capital going to the place that can supply you with the best quality at the cheapest price.

That's walmart.

My only issue with the company is that the bigger they are the more susceptible they are to being influenced by the powers at be. That being said, for important things, like key food stuffs, and guns, I like to depend on local shops, and personal relationships, because they will still be in place long after the economy is in ruins.


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## Davarm

Meerkat said:


> I'd prefer to can my own so I know where it came from,but WalMart will sell anything that makes them money.All the radio stations now are advertising dried food.I plan to buy some mtself,but not from WalM.


Welcome back Meerkat, I dont have anything else to say about Walmart, done said it all but though I would say Hi.


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## mojo4

I just picked up a case of 200 rounds for my 20 gauge...bird n bunny load for 45 bucks. Totally killed all other prices for the ammo anywhere else. Occasionally you find a screaming deal but most of the time its cheap chinese crap. If I need/want good quality I don't go there.


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## HoppeEL4

Padre, I can agree with this. When they get big, they become too chummy with elites that want something out of it, and will in turn give some kind of back door favortitism, never good.

As for food prices with Walmart, I do not believe they are as competative as they claim. If you go to your local grocery store, you will notice that packaging is completely different than what Walmart has. Walmart can ask for special packaging so they can price it themselves (they have a big enough volume they can demand lower production cost items or special packaging). This allows them to get it truly cheaper by the ounce and sell it to you for more. If you keep track of your prices, you will find their per ounce price listed in small print on shelf tags is higher than other stores typical sized products.

When it comes to non-food items, they can be cheaper and have more sales on them. Still pricing is mainly for Walmarts special sized packaging mainly.


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## JayJay

HoppeEL4 said:


> Padre, I can agree with this. When they get big, they become too chummy with elites that want something out of it, and will in turn give some kind of back door favortitism, never good.
> 
> As for food prices with Walmart, I do not believe they are as competative as they claim. If you go to your local grocery store, you will notice that packaging is completely different than what Walmart has. Walmart can ask for special packaging so they can price it themselves (they have a big enough volume they can demand lower production cost items or special packaging). This allows them to get it truly cheaper by the ounce and sell it to you for more. If you keep track of your prices, you will find their per ounce price listed in small print on shelf tags is higher than other stores typical sized products.
> 
> When it comes to non-food items, they can be cheaper and have more sales on them. Still pricing is mainly for Walmarts special sized packaging mainly.


I have found that also Hoppe..Aldi's canned good prices are always cheaper than chinamart--now, mind you, I stopped going a couple years ago, not a regular shopper there any longer, but I'd bet the same thing still and folks don't notice their prices are cheaper, but less product is there also.
I always refer to this event when chinamart pricing comes up:
I went for 3 spices while pickling last summer--I now buy bulk at GFS--, the shelfs were a mess, I didn't have time to really check codes, etc.
The checker gave me a total of 10.50 and I told her nicely to just place those little spices (.75 oz) back on the shelf.
Well, I had to go to Piggly Wiggly, just cursing myself for being so stupid, and knowing I'd pay equal that amt. or more for those 3 spices there.
NOT!!! Same 3 spices, 2.97..no tax on food in Ky.
saved 7.50 by going to PW, and shop there now when not going to Bowling Green for large orders.


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## cengasser

HoppeEL4 said:


> Padre, I can agree with this. When they get big, they become too chummy with elites that want something out of it, and will in turn give some kind of back door favortitism, never good.
> 
> As for food prices with Walmart, I do not believe they are as competative as they claim. If you go to your local grocery store, you will notice that packaging is completely different than what Walmart has. Walmart can ask for special packaging so they can price it themselves (they have a big enough volume they can demand lower production cost items or special packaging). This allows them to get it truly cheaper by the ounce and sell it to you for more. If you keep track of your prices, you will find their per ounce price listed in small print on shelf tags is higher than other stores typical sized products.
> 
> When it comes to non-food items, they can be cheaper and have more sales on them. Still pricing is mainly for Walmarts special sized packaging mainly.


Spot On! We are very careful about food in Wal-Mart, we have found as you said different/smaller packaging for the price price at other chains. We typically go to Wally World for very specific things. The things we know they have the best price on.


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## LincTex

DAK canned hams are $5 at wal-mart!!! The local H-E-B has them for $3.48 or something.

Same with Corned beef - $5 a can at wally, only $4 at H-E-B


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## Padre

HoppeEL4 said:


> As for food prices with Walmart, I do not believe they are as competative as they claim.


Most of the Walmart's around here don't do food (they do some things but they are not a full service grocery store), and I don't do the grocery shopping so I wouldn't know even if they did. I do most of my bulk prepping from another store that is known for serving urban areas and has killer prices or at a bulk wholesale warehouse. I am primarily talking about Walmart prices on things like clothes, electronics, medical supplies, camping equipment, and ammo. I always shop around, getting a lot of stuff through the internet, and Walmart is always competitively priced.


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## HoppeEL4

JayJay...spices...our local, favorite store, Winco, has all the spices you would ever need in bulk. For what you get in a jarred spice off the shelf for about $3.00 I can get for about .75 cents. It is so cheap to stock up on spices there, I LOVE that store.

They carry all sorts of dry goods in bulk. Pasta by the pound, all kinds of rices by the pound...baking goods bulk. I did find, though, that the things like flour and sugar are not cheaper by the pound, about the same, but then you have to deal with thin plastic bags they provide to get it home in, so buying flour and sugar by the bag in the baking aisle becomes better since the price is about the same.


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## Freyadog

Meerkat said:


> I'd prefer to can my own so I know where it came from,but WalMart will sell anything that makes them money.All the radio stations now are advertising dried food.I plan to buy some mtself,but not from WalM.


Yep same here. Putting up canned stuff and intend to buy more dry. Are you from Jax? Just wondering I was raised in Lake Forest. Many many years ago.


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## JayJay

HoppeEL4 said:


> JayJay...spices...our local, favorite store, Winco, has all the spices you would ever need in bulk. For what you get in a jarred spice off the shelf for about $3.00 I can get for about .75 cents. It is so cheap to stock up on spices there, I LOVE that store.
> 
> They carry all sorts of dry goods in bulk. Pasta by the pound, all kinds of rices by the pound...baking goods bulk. I did find, though, that the things like flour and sugar are not cheaper by the pound, about the same, but then you have to deal with thin plastic bags they provide to get it home in, so buying flour and sugar by the bag in the baking aisle becomes better since the price is about the same.


Never heard of winco; I use GFS..in Bowling Green..buy in bulk. I have a shoe organizer that fits on the back of a door?? I cable tied it to the end of one of my shelfing units in my storage food room--it's so perfect for the bulk spices..like this..
http://www.organizeit.com/clear-over-door-shoe-organizer.asp

I got mine at a little out of the way discount store for $3. these fit just right in the shoe organizer...

http://newlifeonahomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bulk-spices-001-496x1024.jpg


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## JayJay

LincTex said:


> DAK canned hams are $5 at wal-mart!!! The local H-E-B has them for $3.48 or something.
> 
> Same with Corned beef - $5 a can at wally, only $4 at H-E-B


Wow--I just read last week, CVS had two for $5!!
I didn't make it cause I have about 20+ and don't need anymore==got mine for 1.75 and $2 two or three years ago.


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## ContinualHarvest

Went to walmart today to purchase some .22lr to take out to the farm tomorrow. They were OUT of the big boxes of CCI, Remington and Federal. Called the one in the next town over and they were out too.


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## HoppeEL4

JayJay, Winco is a local, west coast chain, the whole Pacific Northwest, and what we call the "Inland Empire" (east of the Cascades up north here, over to Idaho...). They are strictly grocery, and do volume type, warehouse like shopping. Bare bones, no trendy decor, just warehouse racks with stock up to the ceiling and a large bulk food section. You can even order bulk in 5-50 pound bags, and in any quantity. One example would be coffee by the pound, local roaster called "Cascade Pride". The price lately has been $6.98 a pound. It is fresh and our favorite, Tanzanian Peaberry, is as good as any premium you'd get at a specialty place.

They even have "bulk" honey, by the pound..though I have this tendency to believe it is a blend with glucose or corn syrup...could be wrong, but it crystallizes awful easily (which could be glucose).


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## LincTex

Hahahaha!! Guess what? Wal-Mart now carries AR-15 accessories! 

They carry the full Blackhawk line of "tacticool" crap... including Quad rail forearms, bi pods, tactical lights and mounts, scope mounts, rail covers, etc. Also items from Barska, NcStar, etc.

None of it is high dollar or high quality, but they "plan-o-gram'd" a whole section of the sporting goods section in one of the local stores!


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## Davarm

LincTex said:


> Hahahaha!! Guess what? Wal-Mart now carries AR-15 accessories!
> 
> They carry the full Blackhawk line of "tacticool" crap... including Quad rail forearms, bi pods, tactical lights and mounts, scope mounts, rail covers, etc. Also items from Barska, NcStar, etc.
> 
> None of it is high dollar or high quality, but they "plan-o-gram'd" a whole section of the sporting goods section in one of the local stores!


You think that the gun control nuts will boycott Wally in protest?


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## Marcus

LincTex said:


> Hahahaha!! Guess what? Wal-Mart now carries AR-15 accessories!
> 
> They carry the full Blackhawk line of "tacticool" crap... including Quad rail forearms, bi pods, tactical lights and mounts, scope mounts, rail covers, etc. Also items from Barska, NcStar, etc.
> 
> None of it is high dollar or high quality, but they "plan-o-gram'd" a whole section of the sporting goods section in one of the local stores!


They did that here about 3 weeks ago too. Plus they're carrying a lot more of the black rifles compared to a couple of months back.


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## LincTex

Marcus said:


> They did that here about 3 weeks ago too.


 Yeah, I don't go in very often.



Marcus said:


> Plus they're carrying a lot more of the black rifles compared to a couple of months back.


The $997 Sig and the $697 DPMS Panther in the case haven't moved (unless they have been replaced). Everyone around here knows they can get better prices elsewhere.

The stainless/composite Ruger 10/22 is now $247. Local Academy Sports doesn't keep any 10/22's on the shelf, they don't last but a few hours.

They do have 10/22 knockdowns for a little over $300 though. Thinking really hard about that one.


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## tommixx

here in montana case lot sales are quite common it might be months before we get to the big city


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## LincTex

tommixx said:


> here in montana case lot sales are quite common it might be months before we get to the big city


When I lived in Kalispell there was one gun shop that specialized in bulk ammo sales! (at least back in those days they did)


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## mosquitomountainman

LincTex said:


> When I lived in Kalispell there was one gun shop that specialized in bulk ammo sales! (at least back in those days they did)


When was that and do you remember the name of the gun shop?


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## LincTex

mosquitomountainman said:


> When was that and do you remember the name of the gun shop?


That was the Early 90's..... Snappy Sport Senter. It has been too long. I wonder how their "policies" are nowadays??? I used to walk in and see cases of ammo stacked to the ceiling!

There was a place on Hwy 93 South, but I can't remember anymore. The only place google maps shows is American Gun Holdings and I don't remember if it is the place or not.


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## FatTire

Snappys is still there, dunno about their ammo, but they are generally expensive... Nice place tho


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## mosquitomountainman

LincTex said:


> That was the Early 90's..... Snappy Sport Senter. It has been too long. I wonder how their "policies" are nowadays??? I used to walk in and see cases of ammo stacked to the ceiling!
> 
> There was a place on Hwy 93 South, but I can't remember anymore. The only place google maps shows is American Gun Holdings and I don't remember if it is the place or not.


They're still there. I've seen cases in the past but they try to sell it by the box mostly. They make more that way.

Their location is the same. The store is bigger but I don't rmember exactly when they added on. I remember it when it was only the main floor and the east end was selling hardware. There's been a lot of changes since then. Their prices are okay for Kalispell.

Brass and Bullets is the best place there to buy reloading supplies. They have ammo and guns too. They're on the south end of town. AGH might be an early version of Brass and Bullets. :dunno:


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## LincTex

I dunno.... I remember a dude that had a beard (and was a "little brash" with ignorant "tire kickers", LOL) that open-carried a M1911 on his right hip in the store. That was 20 years ago.


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## gypsysue

He probably still openly carries it!

In addition to Snappy's and Brass & Bullets, there's an awesome gun shop in Ronan (between Kalispell and Missoula) about a block or two off the main drag that carries reloading supplies. You turn where the sporting goods store is as you go through town on the highway. You can only turn one direction.

Ammo at Wal-mart is almost a thing of the past. We keep missing it when they stock the .22 ammo. Not that we're low on supplies, but we'd like to let the grandkids do some target shooting.


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## cmgallman

I was just at Wally world a couple towns over last night and an older gentleman was asking about 22 ammo. The cashier said that they had gotten some in night before, but sold out 'couple hours ago'. Told the man that they usually don't last but a couple hours. Said that you have to be there when the truck arrives. That is the 3rd time that I've heard that at different Wallys. Must be a lot more preppers than I realized!


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## LincTex

cmgallman said:


> Said that you have to be there when the truck arrives. That is the 3rd time that I've heard that at different Wallys. Must be a lot more preppers than I realized!


Everyone wants to get as many gun supplies now before the bans begin.

On another note, Texas CHL instructors have been giving teachers free CHL classes!! *Teachers are signing up by the 1000's all over the state to get their CHL license!*

http://girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/2...ut-for-free-concealed-handgun-license-course/


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## faithmarie

While the Obama administration sets out to eviscerate the gun rights of American citizens in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, earlier this week it was announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded a company a contract worth over $45,000 dollars to provide the DHS with 200,000 more rounds of bullets.
What's up with that???


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## goshengirl

LincTex said:


> Everyone wants to get as many gun supplies now before the bans begin.
> 
> On another note, Texas CHL instructors have been giving teachers free CHL classes!! *Teachers are signing up by the 1000's all over the state to get their CHL license!*
> 
> http://girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/2...ut-for-free-concealed-handgun-license-course/


Yet _another _reason to move to Texas.


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## laststanding

Went to the sports counter at my Super WalMart and and told the clerk I wanted 500 rounds of 22 LR. After he stopped laughing, he gestured towards a display counter that looked like a Russian grocery store. A broken box of some bizzare caliber and some old tissue paper. He said they expected some resupply in a couple of weeks or so. He implied that I needed some sort of secret decoder ring to find out when.

And to think... I'm not even getting my free Obama stuff...

“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.”

Thomas Jefferson


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## helicopter5472

In Bangor, Me. our walmart also has a fairly good gun selection, but now ammo is scarce...


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## BillM

What does Walmart Know?

Walmart knows fashon. 

Check out "the people of Walmart"


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## Viking

I was in Wal-Mart a couple of days ago and was surprised to see that they had one Colt AR, now if there was anything more than just a few hunting caliber and shotgun ammo in the display case I think a whole lot of people would be happy.


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## LincTex

Viking said:


> now if there was anything more than just a few hunting caliber and shotgun ammo in the display case


Same here: .270 Win, .30-06 Spring, and 7mm-08 along with shotgun shells is all there is.


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## ksquared

Walmart in my area of southern Ohio the shelves are bare. Nothing but bird shot and odd ball rifle calibers. Some places have ammo. Mostly pawn shops and gun stores however strict limits on how many boxes you can buy per caliber per day


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## OHprepper

I was in wal mart the other day and was able to pick up a few boxes of 30-30. As soon as i left there i went to the local gun store and bought 3 boxes of .45 acp and 2 boxes of .380 for my lady. Good day.


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## pops

Cheaper than dirt & Sportsmans guide have ammo now.

Please do not buy it all so I may get some too.


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## OHprepper

No more ctd for me. They were one of the first to run their prices through the roof.


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## mojo4

Yep, CTD has insane prices. I am much happier dropping by Walmart and picking up whatever I can find rather than drop crazy money. But I am pretty much stocked up on what I need anyhow so I'm not in panic mode.


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## pops

Agreed with cheaper than dirt, thare are that no longer.

Try this link http://ammoseek.com/ for a search engine that just searches for ammo.


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