Sunday, July 15, 2012

Target vs. Walmart


I have a confession to make: I LOVE TARGET.

Okay, there I said it.  Target is probably my most favorite store ever.  When Owen was little, he didn't know what it was called but whenever we passed a Target he would yell out "pop porn".  Nope, I didn't spell it wrong, that was how he said it when he was just learning to talk, he recognized the symbol of that store and knew he got popcorn whenever we went inside.

Most of my friends do their shopping at Walmart.  I still love them anyways.

Here's the thing, I am super affected by the atmosphere of places.  (Vegas killed me, but I seriously think that was a spiritual warfare thing going on, separate from the gloomy pyramid hotel we stayed in).  Walmart feels like a dark cavern to me.  I don't know why that is.  In comparison, Target feels nice and airy and bright.  Walmart wears depressing navy blue, Target cheery red.

I can never find anyone in Walmart to help me even though it seems like I see people in navy blue all the time.  In target, I always have good luck.  I like their clothes better, their dishes, the set up, pretty much everything.  Except for the fact that they don't sell spray paint, that makes me sad.  And also you used to be able to get a pop and a popcorn for $1, then it went up to $1.50, and now they no longer sell combos, how truly sad.

The only problem that I have is the nearest super target is about 25 minutes, and the nearest Walmart about 15.   I have found myself shopping at Walmart way more than I care to.  The other big thing about the Walmart by me, and this drives me crazy, is that the produce they seem to get is terrible.  Disgusting, half rotting, or a super poor selection.  Does anyone else have this problem at their walmart?  They are going to sell it cheap so it must be a cheaper quality?  We are big veggie eaters, and I know that if I want to have nice veggies I will have to go somewhere else.

I know several people who shop locally, organic, and all that stuff.  Unfortunately, it's a bottom line for us.  We have 5 kids and a limited income.  I can't afford to shop at the local store for the majority of our stuff.  I can't afford to get all organic, all the time, or spend $5 on grapes at our local grocery when I know that Walmart has them for $1.69.  Even if they are lesser quality.  Oh the joys of making decisions like that.  My kids ate 20 peaches last week because they were finally cheap enough to buy fresh and not in a can

The good news is for a Target loving girl like myself is that they are trying super hard to be just as competitive as Walmart for prices, and often times are cheaper because they have sales and Walmart doesn't have many of those.  Still, in the end, I shop at Walmart if I know that I am going to be spending big moola on a major grocery run.

Ah, the first world problems we face.  Who do you prefer?

5 comments:

  1. No contest, Target.

    But, before we moved here the only stores in the town we lived in was three groceries and a super Walmart - we were regulars. Now that I have choices, I try not to go - except for the super cheap stuff like dog food and diapers. If it were up to my husband, we'd probably only shop there. :)

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  2. We only have Walmart, so I have to go south of the border to hit Target - and what isn't there to love!? Walmart purchases a large amount of GMO produce which is enough to keep me from purchasing any food items there. Summer brings along the farmers markets here... which is organic, fresh and affordable. :)

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  3. Do you have CSAs? That's where you buy a 'share' for a season or two, and you get fresh, local produce from a farm each week.
    There's a website where you can find the ones near you...I'll track it down.

    As for GMO and all that...on a budget, may want to concentrate on cutting out processed food first (if you haven't already). Readymade stuff is convenient but tends to be expensive and not nutritious.

    I dont shop at either WalMart or Target. We tend to figure out where we can buy stuff in bulk and order it local or online. (toilet paper & paper towels we order from a place that serves office complexes, etc.) That way we only shop every 3-6 months for the nonperishable stuff. Weekly grocery trip goes a lot more quickly when all you're buying is fresh stuff. Cuts way down on impulse buys too. Friends have raved about online groceries like the Alice website.

    At least you are thinking about what you buy....thats more than most folks do.

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  4. Go to http://www.localharvest.org/csa to find inexpensive local farms who sell produce and other stuff direct.

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  5. Checking right now for my area....

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