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Walmart is certainly not ALWAYS cheaper and it seems their prices have gone up...kinda like they try to get you fooled into not checking any more. Well, definitely run the numbers every once in awhile or you'll end up paying more.
I agree. I buy my pet foods online from Walmart and because I spend over $50. I get free shipping which is nice, but this time I noticed their cat and dog food was more expensive than Amazon and my local store.
I try to buy the heavy stuff online so it get's delivered to my door instead of me having to drag it home.
I mostly keep it in my head - but NOTHING will induce me to shop at Walmart, unless it's something that absolutely cannot be found elsewhere. Which, luckily, hasn't happened in years.
Why does every shopping thread turn into a Walmart bashing rant? Anyway, to answer OP's very clear question, I used to only buy things at the cheapest price I could get them. However, I got burned on many occasions when I did that, because many of these things were terrible quality, which led to me making many returns. Now I buy things cheapest if I know the cheapest price on the item won't affect the quality of the item I am purchasing. If the item quality deteriorates markedly with a decrease in price, I compare brands and spend more. I also compare places in which to purchase these items.
I'm a voracious online shopper and buy many items on eBay. I have discovered that Amazon is hardly ever price competitive relative to other websites, unlike their prices years ago. I shop at Walmart for hygiene items. I get my groceries at a single grocery store here because it's less expensive and I don't care for Walmart's groceries. I don't usually buy generic groceries, but the store brand quality here is excellent. I always buy used books because they are just as good as new ones and far cheaper. I often buy books sold as used and discover they have never even been read! But I pay extra for used books that have not been marked in, because I find underlining and highlighting a distraction in reading. I get clothing at Kohl's when they are running genuine sales with coupons. I used to buy my dog food online with Chewy because they offered free shipping with purchases over $49, but they recently raised their prices a lot so I have gone back to buying the same brand at Tractor Supply. Amazon is TERRIBLY expensive with pet foods.
The pet food I buy from Amazon is the same price or cheaper than my local store..
I have Amazon prime so I get free shipping.
BUT I found out that you've got to check prices within the Amazon site itself. Prime items may have different sellers and they'll all be different prices. Some of the prices are outrageous.
Why does every shopping thread turn into a Walmart bashing rant? Anyway, to answer OP's very clear question, I used to only buy things at the cheapest price I could get them. .............
Or into a Walmart thread at all? Okay, so I guess not everyone know country music lyrics so they took the title as being about Wally World.
Let's talk about the guns at the auction. According to the catalog, they had some Kimbers which they expected to go for around $800-1200. Well, Kimbers new run about $800-1000 so from the aspect of buying just a gun, there was no point of going to the auction to do it. One could buy such cheaper elsewhere.......to say nothing about the 15% buyer fee that gets tacked on.
Further, as far as the auction goes, if one is buying something there, they are buying it more than just what it is at face value. Ie, such as buying it as a work of art or a collector's item.
So, from that aspect, it is also about knowing what an item is worth, having those facts in one's head, when it is being sold at different places.
I do watch the prices, but would not kill for a penny. If comes to food, I like to know what I eat, and where it came from. With most other goods I care for quality. But I compare similar products where the price might win.
I know prices of stuff i buy frequently, I check others online and do research on articles I am not familiar with. For me
Dollar store is definitely not a place where I would buy food, and Walmart not a store where I would look for quality goods. I am just too savvy to buy junk.
^^^
I am lucky that we have several choices and stores near us. Having said that, I know what I can get
for a good price at specific stores. Some examples would be Aldi's, Target, our local supermarket,
Whole Foods (I buy their Atlantic Cod from Norway and a few other items) and even Walmart.
At Walmart, there are some things that cost less in comparison to other stores. For instance,
I bought some Anchor Hocking containers (made in the US) which were much cheaper than any other
store that carried them. Anchor Hocking 1 gal Glass Heritage Jar - Walmart.com
...and just some additional information - Walmart does offer $4.00 prescriptions (the drug list should be
on their website).
The pet food I buy from Amazon is the same price or cheaper than my local store..
I have Amazon prime so I get free shipping.
BUT I found out that you've got to check prices within the Amazon site itself. Prime items may have different sellers and they'll all be different prices. Some of the prices are outrageous.
$99 does not = free. It never has, and it never will.
No, but I also get movies and books which is why I signed up for it in the first place. Free shipping is just an added benefit. $99.00 a year is nothing.
Last edited by elliedeee; 07-24-2016 at 10:40 AM..
This all goes back to the balance of cost, ethics, quality, availability.
I have to chuckle at people who try to play the ethics card with music or film. Having seen the inner workings, I can assure you that those industries are the most UNethical, manipulative, and downright despicable of any you can find. Playing "ethics" at the tail end is in some cases colluding. It was only recently that claiming copyright to "Happy Birthday" was determined to be fraudulent. I could go into a rant on other abuses, but I'll spare you.
Cost -
My general style of shopping for food has been simple. Go to the store with the least expensive food first, then what can't be purchased there gets purchased at a store with higher pricing. For years in Florida, I could buy the exact same brand and size of mushrooms at a dollar store for $1, at Publix for $2, and at Whole Paycheck for $3.
Ethics -
I will shop Publix and go for King Arthur flour and some of the Newman's Own products even knowing the prices are higher. Publix and King Arthur are employee owned, and in my mind that is the style of business that has the greatest chance of keeping the country from turning into slave labor. It is my responsibility to support what I believe in.
Quality -
It depends on the product and use I will put it to. Someone who buys a high priced scotch to make a whiskey sour is just wasting money. Someone who buys ground beef to make steak tartar is foolish. I am much more concerned with the various additives, fillers, and extenders being used in many foods these days, so I buy as close to the basic ingredients as possible. Real quality is rarely prepackaged.
Availability -
This is just a skill that gets built over time and often requires visiting a number of stores just to walk the aisles to see what is available. I know that if I want mushy peas, I have to go to Publix. If I want fresh fried chicken, I have to go to a different store. If I want particular books I need to go online, etc.
$99 does not = free. It never has, and it never will.
Right, but it DOES entitle us to free shipping. It is quite a nice perk, on top of the videos and books that we signed on for.
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