doing away with the big chain stores...

[EggsForIHOP]

Who has basically stopped using the big chains? How is that going? Do you find yourself spending the same amount of money? Or less? Or breaking even? Somebody let me know how that's going for ya...I'm just curious...it may not work...but it's worth a try...already found similar dog food to what we use for cheaper somewhere else - still a chain, but not Wally world, so I feel a little better and the whole cheaper thing ROCKS!

My problem is I go in with a list of NEEDS and leave with a cart full of WANTS - no ones problem but my own really, so the only way to stop it is to stop going - so this is day one...so far so good! The only thing I am worried about is that by going to other smaller places I will end up spending more money...has anyone else made this change and is it working for you?

 

[SKR8PN]

It is more expensive to shop the local 'mom and pop' stores, but I like KNOWING who is benefiting from my business. Plus they can and often do provide better service, and THAT is more important to me than price.

 

[FarmerChick]

truly money is an issue with me
I must find good prices to survive lol

so I do shop both stores chains do have great deals but when I can I do give my business to local small business

So I truly do what I can when I can that is the best I can do at this point

and SKR is right about good customer service, etc

so it does depend on the items I am shopping for on what type of store I will shop

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

we try to buy local whenever we can. honestly we live so far out that the more we can buy in our town (and one over) we save the gas to drive to the bigger places.

our feed store is run by a guy in town and we try to avoid TSC when we can... and we know that taking our truck to the local guys actually trickles down to the workers and not the shareholders.

mostly i hate the walmart so bad, for lots of reasons, that i dont even walk in. and almost anything you can buy there you can buy at the grocery store - and use your savings card...which around here means cheaper gas.

so consider the other savings and see if you are ahead???

ps i'm not starting the walmart hate/not hating conversation again... y'all go there if you like it. me, i keep driving by and giving them the finger.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey FC! good to see ya! look our posts crossed in the ether!

hot 'nuf for ya?
;-)

 

[FarmerChick]

hot enuf

wow Ohio u ain't just whistling dixie there it is over 110 with heat index most days now WHEW we are melting big time here

glad u are donig well!!!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Ok, well, we DO still sometimes shop at Walmart - but the trips to hell are limited to 1 time a month.

TSC I shop at - but they get on my nerves something awful with those uninformed employees of theirs.

We do most of our buying at the small local grocery, where we earn fuel rewards and have had enough rewards that we've some times only had to pay 77 cents a gallon of gas - and once, 22 cents a gallon!!

I also do a lot of my feed buying at a couple small and local feed stores.

I do like our local Landmark - where I get a lot of my feed. Their prices are NOT cheaper, I usually end up paying $1-$3 more on my feed purchase, but I save $9 in gas by purchasing from them and not driving to the next bigger towns for feed.

Also, they do carry Purina feeds, and I told them I feed the Purina Duck Grower to my Call ducks. When I told them I didn't like having to drive 45 minutes to get the duck grower, they said they'd get it in for me! Now, they order in 2 bags each month - JUST FOR ME!

How great is that??? TSC wouldn't do that!

They have also opened bags of fees (like scratch, etc.) so that I can see what their mix looks like before I purchase. Again, TSC doesn't do that.

We have a new feed store opening soon, Split Rail Seed and Feed. They are another small and locally owned store. The main store is in Steubenville, Ohio, but they are supposed to be opening the new one in Cadiz - 9 miles from my home.

Not to betray Landmark, but they are 3.5 miles further out than where Split Rail is opening up. I will be checking them out, and if prices in feed are comparable, if their service is good, then I'm probably going to switch to them for feeds. Unless they can't get my duck grower.

 

[MorelCabin]

I've pretty much weaned myself from Walmart here. It took a while, but now I am lucky if I go there once every three months, bring enough cash to only get what is on my list, and I don't use credit or bank cards while there (more of a privacy concern than anything else...after all, they do track everything you buy on your bank card and keep it in thier records) I have a real problem with anyone tracking my purchases.
I like to buy my coffee there, it is cheaper than anywhere else...but to be honest, I think that is about the only thing I do buy there anymore, or at least it is the only item that keeps me going back:>)

I find I spend alot less by shopping in smaller stores, simply because I don't tend to go over budget like I used to at Walmart and go home with things i didn't want or need until I walked into the place! I have no idea how they do it...but there is something going on there

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I have no idea how they do it...but there is something going on there

It's a conspiracy - that's what it is! they have this laser beam that zaps you as you walk through their "anti theft devices" that they installed under the scam of preventing shop lifting. Once you are zapped, it changes your train of thought from "must stay in budget" to "spend everything!"

 

[Wifezilla]

There are a few things that only Walmart carries, but I don't go nearly as often as I used to. I do shop more at smaller chains like Vitamin Cottage and Big R. I would buy at the independent feed store, but they are 1/2 hour drive. Big R is 2 minutes away.

Now that summer is here I buy as much as I can at the farmer's markets until my stuff is ripe. My biggest problem is getting good dairy. Only Vitamin Cottage carries non-homogenized, low temp vat pasteurized milk and full-fat greek yogurt.