doing away with the big chain stores...

[Denim Deb]

We have both a TSC and a feed/hardware store near where I have the horses. The only stuff I'll buy in the TSC is the stuff I can't get at the feed store. I like the service I get at the feed store. They'll put the feed in my truck for me. Plus, their prices are cheaper. I do buy a lot of my clothes, though, in TSC.

 

[lilac392000]

i hate my walmart...everytime i do my groceries i spend more for less that at publix. Which is really weird. I had compared prices and meat was higher at my walmart than the other store. Even my cat food was higher too. Christmas lights were 11 something there, same type was 7 at home depot across the street. I would have thought that because there is a dollar stor, an aldi, and a big lots within 2-3 miles prices would be competitive. Not the case.
IDK, i am keepeing my eye on you wally

 

[Amber]

I have not purchased in mass at WM in 6 months. The majority of my groceries are bought from oklahoma food coop (oklahomafood.coop), the farmer's markets, a local market and minimally at our town's small grocery. I also buy raw goat milk and butter from a farm a couple of miles from me. I do pay more, way more for some things, but who really wants to drink $2 milk anyway? Also I buy way less stuff, so think I am saving and maybe we will lose weight too! Now with our own chickens and rabbits we plan on stocking the freezer with our own meat.

I have two WM confessions though. Right before Halloween I panicked and went in to buy two costumes. (Junk!, but at least its all I bought) and Black Friday (peer pressure) but was pleasantly surprised when an employee tracked down an abandoned doorbuster trampoline then chased me down to tell me he found one. He then walked me across the store to the lady holding it already on a cart for me. She walked me to the register and then called TWO male workers to load it for me. I must say I was impressed with the employees that morning. This was about 5:30 am mind you. WM employees deserve so much more! But now other than returning a couple of impulse purchases from that same pre-dawn trip I will not be found anywhere near there any time soon.

 

[anniem]

I don't do much big chain shopping anymore, very very little for food. We are fortunate to have a lot of support for local products, many many CSAs to choose from, lots of meat and dairy raised in the area too.
I go thru Costco phases, I never go more than once a month and the majority is household supplies. There are a couple of things that are at least from within the state, too (jam, cheese).
I've never been a fan of WalMart, too overwhelming. I do like Target but don't go much anymore...I can always go in with a short list and easily find many more things I "need." The big stores also feel like a waste of time often...walk thru the huge parking lot, hike around the store (stopping at all the eye catching things on the way), and there's just so much going on...feels like such a chore.
We do use HomeDepot, but that might be next on my list of trying to go to smaller stores.
I get caught up in the abundance of the big stores, eyes glaze over lol, but the experience is much more enjoyable in the smaller stores.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

We are limited up here when it comes to local only.
So we do use WalMart and Target for certain things.
DH uses Walmart for his insulin, and I get our tea tree oil bottles there.
Target is used for certain baby items, cause they provide better selection.
Petzoo for Taste of the Wild for the cats, and various things outside of feed that we need for the goats and chickens.

Even the local builders supply does not carry everything, so Home Dept and Lowes are used to an extent.

But herbs and natural remedies are from a local herb shop.
Feed is homemade from local stuff, milk is from our farm and another farm we work for.

 

[discoversimplicity]

I haven't shopped at WalMart for over 2 years. I thought it would be difficult going to several different stores instead of one big one, but it was much easier than I thought The customer service I recieve at our local hardware store is exceptional, although I now shop yards sales for hardware stuff too. And I LOVE our Habitat for Humanity STORE it has all kinds of Lowe's or Home Depot stuff for a fraction of the cost. The big box store I have the most problems avoiding is Staples. All of the mom and pop office supply stores closed after Staples came to town I guess I could order online at Amazon or something...what does everyone else for alternative shopping for computer stuff?

 

[dragonlaurel]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/ for computer stuff. My hubby calls their catalog "geek porn". Don't worry- no naked people.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I haven't shopped at WalMart for over 2 years. I thought it would be difficult going to several different stores instead of one big one, but it was much easier than I thought The customer service I recieve at our local hardware store is exceptional, although I now shop yards sales for hardware stuff too. And I LOVE our Habitat for Humanity STORE it has all kinds of Lowe's or Home Depot stuff for a fraction of the cost. The big box store I have the most problems avoiding is Staples. All of the mom and pop office supply stores closed after Staples came to town I guess I could order online at Amazon or something...what does everyone else for alternative shopping for computer stuff?

For some reason when I was reading this, I was thinking about the habitat stores that support anti hunting laws.
But this Habitat store I wish we had up here.

 

[Marianne]

I still get my ongoing prescriptions from wally world, I call and they mail them out. There's a few items that we have to get there as the local grocery store doesn't carry them. But it's 35-40 miles one way, so many errands on that trip. One time we had 11 stops to make and hanging out at Wal-Mart just wasn't happening.
Petco for Feline Pine cat litter only. Lowe's mostly for building supplies in the past. TSC is really expensive, so's the Dillon's stores (Kroger). All 35 miles away.

Now I shop locally for as much as I can. Even at 11 miles or so from home, it's a gallon of gasoline round trip, so you don't go for one item. But we don't need much any more. And I hate to shop.

 

[Neko-chan]

I have been buying small jars for preserving from the little hardware store on Charles Street. The owner takes a shift or two during the day so we see him on occassion. However, jars are cheaper if we can find them second hand at the city mission, and some of his supplies are much cheaper at Coles, the chain supermarket. As I'm a fairly frugal person, I would tend to go get the cheaper alternatives.