It's Time For Change

For the last several years our family has slowly been making changes to eat better, spend less money, make good choices for the environment all while trying to support local business. I thought I would write a post about our experience but soon realized it would take several. So... here is the first one that kinda gives you an idea of how it started as far as what we buy and where we buy it.

It started several years ago when I got sick of the "Giant from Bentonville". I will not list the store name but I am sure you know who I am talking about. Every time I went in those doors I got a a bad vibe. Everyone is rushing around, it's hard to find help and when you do they are not much help. I never had a trip where I did not have to listen to someone yelling at their kids or fighting with their spouse. It was awful. I got to where I avoided shopping there. However it was still my husbands choice place to shop because we could get everything in one trip. One day my husband and I were in there grabbing some socks for him and I over heard a lady tell her husband "well it doesn't matter it's cheap and if we get a few months from it it's worth it. UGH.... was all I could say. Yes, it actually came out of my mouth. My husband looked at me and said "what's wrong." I am sure he wished he had not asked. All the way to the check out I proceeded to tell him it all. Years of emotions about this store poured out. To my amazement he agreed with me. Our final agreed opinion is that this store encourages such a throw away mentality. You know, you need a blue T-shirt so you run by the super store and look... they have one for $3.99 perfect because all you have is $5.00. You take it home it shrinks, fades and gets holes in it before it is a month old, but not to worry it was only $3.99. You can always run down the street, after all they are on every corner, and get another one. They sell stuff so cheap that it is almost disposable, well actually it becomes that way. You buy it cheap, it last a few months, you throw it away and buy another one. Irons use to last years and guess what they were mainly made of metal, not plastic.

The majority of their products are imported junk! This takes jobs away from Americans and closes down factories and companies here. All while leaving us with garbage that clutters the house and fills our landfills.

Hungry, how about some fresh imported lettuce for only $.99 or bananas that cost us next to nothing, it would make you sad to see how these farmers live in Guyana, South America. My husband took a trip there and came back with horror stories. They live for a year on what most people spend in one trip to the store. Why, because they have to take what they get for their labor just to survive. Do you think these giants offer much? Like eating fish? They have a nice cabinet with some "fresh" frozen/thawed fish directly from a third world country and do the powers that be care if the country it comes from has substandard quality checks, it's cheap. Really how can local produce stands or garden stores compete against the Giant? They can't. Not without our help.

Well after rattling on to my husband he asked we what I was going to do about it? How was I going to make a difference? Good question. Without even thinking I said " I refuse to shop there!" You should have seen the look on my kids face. I know they thought I was crazy. I am sure they wondered if it was even possible. Well it is! I now buy my fabric at a local store, we have a garden store down the street to buy our plants and get excellent gardening help from and I can buy my produce at the local farmers market or even better I can go into my back yard and pick some for next to free. I have even been able to find better quality clothing by watching for sales or making it. I do shop second hand store but we also do sometimes like to pick up new things.

I realize for some of you reading this you are thinking there is no way around the superstore on your budget, but there is. I am a SAHM to three children and we make it on a very limited budget. It takes creativity but with a small amount of time you can make a difference.

I plan to do a weekly post laying out how to save money while getting better quality items. So, be sure to check back often! You and your purse will be glad you did.

Not sure if you agree with me? That's ok. Here are some quick facts:
1. An astonishing 46 percent of the children of ...... workers are uninsured or on medicaid
2. ...... alone accounted for over 13% of the US annual trade deficit of $162 billion.
3. Over 80% of .... suppliers are located in China because of their cheap labor cost.
4. The typical employee working full time at..... makes just $9.68 per hour, or $17,600 a year, well below the official poverty line for a family of four.
5. Only about 44% of there employees can afford to enroll in the medical plan they provide.

Want more info on how this superstore is destroying us, check your local library for The Bully Of Bentonville by Anthiny Bianco. You would be amazed by the number of books written on this subject/store.