don't buy your christmas ornaments at walmart!

[Zen]

My monthly income is my disability retirement, a little over $1000 a month.

I am working a seasonal job that will end after Christmas.

My employer should be ashamed of what they pay us but it keeps my bank account in the positive range.

I am currently working with a counselor at Goodwill Industries to find a job that will accommodate my disability.

I shop at wal mart for food because nickels add up. I'd rather not but I have to. That is a simple fact of life for me and too many others.

[smilingcat]

That's relatively easy to do here. But I recall a funny encounter overheard at a farmer market in Winter.

shopper "where are the strawberries?"
farmer "they are out of season"
shopper "but Safeway has them "
farmer "they don't grow at this time of year "
shopper "but Safeway ...."
farmer "they fly them in"
shopper "so why don't you have them? "

I really like feeling in touch with the season (wooooo, new age'y music in the background), the first cherries, peaches, winter squash ....

www.slowfoodusa.org

LOL!!! totally clueless.

Nope we eat seasonally. tis the season for cabbage, root vegetable, squash and the like. No corn, no strawberries... no peach... but you know what, when they are in season, you really appreciate the wonderful flavor and the wonderful smell. Year round and I think it loses the excitement of first crop of the season.

oh we also avoid malls and big box store with exception of COSTCO. I go there to supply my cookie business. Sometimes its cheaper than wholesale place.

smilingcat

[Trek420]

I knew that! oops!

I knew you knew that Mr. Silver was making a funny joke

[jobob]

I am currently working with a counselor at Goodwill Industries to find a job that will accommodate my disability.

You're disabled? I didn't know that.

I hope you can still ride a bike.

[crazycanuck]

Do you guys have an Oxfam shop near you???

All of the items are fair trade..

Have a look.

C

[teigyr]

Zen, that's an interesting perspective. I suppose it's easy to say we'd never go there (and I don't for many reasons) but I guess we have the option for other recourse. I can shop where I want, within reason of course, and stand firm on principles just because I want to. Probably your situation is more common than we'd like to think. There are a lot of markets up here that have "good" and "fresh" and "PC" types of food. Those markets are far more expensive than the ones that sell canned stuff near its shelf-life. I can see why that is but I guess it's still messed up all the same.

I guess this all makes me realize that I am lucky to have the choice.

[Triskeliongirl]

I don't know where you live, but when I was a grad student living in boston on $3900 a year, I would ride my bike to haymarket square and fill my pannier bags with fresh produce at dirt cheap prices. Are there farmers markets or similar options near where you live?

My monthly income is my disability retirement, a little over $1000 a month.

I am working a seasonal job that will end after Christmas.

My employer should be ashamed of what they pay us but it keeps my bank account in the positive range.

I am currently working with a counselor at Goodwill Industries to find a job that will accommodate my disability.

I shop at wal mart for food because nickels add up. I'd rather not but I have to. That is a simple fact of life for me and too many others.

[mimitabby]

unfortunately, the farmer's markets are VERY expensive here, they are all organic. Prices are not to be believed.
But if you want to buy produce that is inexpensive there are markets run by Asian people, and the veggies ARE asian, with lots of cross over, of course.
There the prices are better.

So, unless you have lots of $$$ you are buying from the supermarkets which ship stuff in from wherever it is ripe unfortunately.

[SheFly]

So, my take on this is that it's not REALLY about Wal-Mart, necessarily. This seems to be more about human rights in China, and how Chinese manufacturers of goods that we consume in the US treat their employees. I just bought DH a book for Christmas titled "A Year Without Made in China" - he's on an anti-made in China kick right now, but that is much harder than you think. Check your light bulbs, for instance - almost all of the manufacturers (including GE and Sylvania) have Made in China on the label.

So, I'm not saying I'm for or against Wal-Mart (I do shop there when I am in the North country - it's the best selection and the best prices). What I am questioning is whether this is really about Wal-Mart or about human rights?

SheFly

[bmccasland]

I bought locally grown strawberries at my Farmer's Market last tuesday. Yummm. Not imported, unless across Lake Pontchartrain is considered "imported" I can also get satsumas - almost seedless tangerines this time of year. I'm fighting cold and flu season with fresh vitamin C.

Not buying "made in China" is getting increasingly difficult. There was an article in today's business section, how the upper middle class in China even avoiding buying the Made in China things - their bias is that european made is better quality. Strange twist on reality.

[SadieKate]

A history of abuse, illegal hiring practices, etc. --
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/wwa/fact.html
http://www.walmartclass.com/public_home.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150846,00.html

Before I knew better I shopped at Walmart a few times. It cost more -- because the products were shoddy and had to be immediately replaced or were just plain old, for instance dog biscuits that produced weevils in just a few days.

With careful shopping, it seems that their prices can be met and their quality beat. And, the cost to a community . . . . oy.
http://walmartwatch.com/img/blog/rol...x_payments.pdf

[surgtech1956]

Sorry I shop at Wal-Mart, I would prefer not to. In my area, the small mom & pop shops are gone, we have the chains, Meijers, Wal-Mart, Target, Sams, Menards, Home Depot, and the list goes on. The unemployment rate in Michigan is almost 8% - our economy is really bad. I work in the health care industry. It would take way too long to tell you what my hospital has done to its employees. It is common practice to not get lunches and breaks, once I worked 14 1/2 hours with only a bathroom break. One last thing, the toys from China with lead - I can't believe people are surprised - you get what you pay for. I'm off my soapbox. Thanks for letting me put my 2 cents in.

[mimitabby]

we're happy to hear from you, Nancy.

Shefly, it's not just walmart. but Walmart is a pretty big nasty blight upon our country. all those people buying all that shoddy stuff which is being sold by employees earning low wages.
And the poor folks like Nancy who have no choice but to shop there.

[Trek420]

we're happy to hear from you, Nancy.

Shefly, it's not just walmart. but Walmart is a pretty big nasty blight upon our country. all those people buying all that shoddy stuff which is being sold by employees earning low wages.
And the poor folks like Nancy who have no choice but to shop there.

Makes me appreciate where I live. Sure there are chains but also a thriving downtown and small business. Even local book shops!

The city I live in does a lot to keep the downtown thriving including free parking, farmer markets, zuchini festival even a small (by Bay Area standards) Pride day.

Often I'll shop downtown first before hitting the malls.

Also there are good deals online. Right now SierraTradingpost keeps having sales daily. 20% off select brands each day (moving comfort today! and I think Woolrich) + if your order's over 70 sumthin you can get more off using the catalog code 2223.

Just sayin' there are ways to get low cost and shop ethical independent companies.

[Tuckervill]

People who live on the coasts don't understand how much they have available to them, that is not available in flyover country.

I visited Corvallis, OR this summer. It's about the same size as my town. It has 3 bike shops. We have none. That's just one example.

For the first time this year I saw a vendor at the farmer's market (very, very small market, and they're all selling mostly tomatoes and cucumbers) who advertised organic produce. Their price was double. The nearest whole foods place is 30 miles from me in another city.

If you have the kind of town that Trek describes, DO cherish it, because you are lucky. I bought my house here 3 blocks from downtown, just hoping that gas prices and other economic factors will drive that kind of environment, but so far, not.

Karen

Karen