I've lived (YES, LIVED!) without shopping at WalMart for over 21 months. I'm a single mom to a 10 year old boy. I go to college full time and we live on school loans for the most part, which means I am forced to be smart about where we spend any money. By no means do we shop high-end: most of our clothes, furniture and even kitchen items come from second-hand shops, garage sales and friends.
So what in the world would possess a mom who needs to "save money, live better" decide to GIVE UP shopping at the very place where I could do just that? I will tell you it has nothing to do with my friends who work with the corporation. I have a handful of friends who are very dedicated to WalMart despite their lack of living wages, long (and often inconsistent) work hours, and un-family-friendly workplace vibe. I give them great kudos and much respect.
My decision to leave WalMart in my past has more to do with the company's business practices than anything. The way they treat their employees around the world has me cringing in my chair, including their "no union" policies. Return policies at WalMart might seem to be convenient, but in the long run once you spend money there, it belongs to WalMart. I also loathe planned obsolescence, which, if you are one of the 138 million Americans who shop there every week (the latest number I've seen anyways) you know what I'm talking about!
This blog will be more about HOW to live WalMart free, not really WHY to. I will, however, be sharing articles from time to time about the WHY. Here's a great one to start with, a FRONTLINE PBS special called Is Wal-Mart Good For America? You can read or watch online.
Until next time,
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