Low Prices: Is Walmart Really the Best Choice?

Most people immediately think of Walmart when they think about buying something cheap. We've become use to saying "I'm going to Walmart" for our weekly shopping trips, regardless of what we may need that week. Although it may be SLIGHTLY easier to shop at Walmart, is it really the cheapest?

I've been doing quite a bit of comparison shopping lately, trying to mentally keep track of items I buy on a regular basis at different stores. Quality has been on my mind as well, as I'm comparing the difference between the item at Walmart that's 10 cents less than basically the same thing at my local store. I'm slowly realizing that NO, Walmart is NOT always the best price.

Cat food, for example, has now become cheaper at my local grocery chain where they use to be higher priced. Of course it's going to vary by brand, but for the brands I buy my local store is better. Other things like milk and cheese are also cheaper. Bread is not, but I absolutely refuse to buy that crap they sell at Walmart. Day old doesn't even begin to describe whatever it is they call bread. There's a perfect example where I'd rather pay a few more cents for a product that SO much better than the Walmart brand.

More often than not I'll find sales at my local store MUCH cheaper than the regular price at Walmart. Plus they display their sales a whole lot better, with clearly marked "As Advertised" signs. Honestly I don't even look at their advertisements that I get in the mail, but rather go shopping with my eye out for those big ol' signs.

In addition to basically taking advantage of the general public by slowly raising their prices (as if we wouldn't notice!), they are also destroying the mom and pop stores all across the nation. As mentioned before, many tend to automatically think that Walmart is cheaper and the best choice, not even giving a thought to the other little stores and chains. I don't know about you, but if I can support an employee owned store I will in a heart beat. Think about it - would you rather help pay for someone's brand new sports car, or help a family's electric bill get paid that month?

Now I know it may be absolutely impossible to completely cut Walmart out of your life. There are those times when it's just not possible to shop anywhere else. Plus our habits and mind sets are very hard to change. But here's a few steps of how you can stop putting so much money into cheap items and start saving money by supporting smaller businesses:

1. Keep price lists
If your memory isn't so great, keep a price list of the items you buy on a regular or semi-regular basis. Add prices from all the local stores including Walmart. You may need to update this list often as Walmart is always raising their prices a few cents at a time on a regular basis.

2. Buy on sale
If you have a local chain like I do in my area that displays their sales easily, shop with your eye out for signs. I tend to stock up on items I don't usually buy that much when they are on sale. Things like Pop-Tarts for example - we don't always keep those in stock (nor do we really need to), but when they go on sale I'll buy several boxes. Try planning your meals for the week based on what's on sale.

3. Shop online
Many times you'll find the same item for a lot less online if you take the time to look. Amazon.com is a good place to start for finding items cheaper than Walmart, but do check some of the "mom and pop" stores online too. You might be amazed to find some items MUCH cheaper when they are handmade. If you don't need the particular item immediately, this is a really good option.

Just by following these few simple tips we've not only cut back on our monthly shopping budge, but we've got better quality items as well. Plus of course, we're putting money back into our community and small businesses, which makes us feel really good.