Jeramy won a $50 Target gift card and gave it to me. I was instructed to use it toward items that we would normally purchase at our usual shopping stores (ALDI, Sam's Club & Walmart). So, off I went. Everyone loves free money, right?!
Buying a few items was a no-brainer. I bought several hair care products and some much needed toddler spoons, toddler toothbrushes and toddler underwear. However, after a few minutes looking around, I found myself in quite a predicament. All the exact same items (except the spoons) could be found at my local Walmart for a significant difference in price. How could I buy Item X for $16 when I could get the exact same thing at Walmart for $11?
And because of this I now found it extremely difficult to use the remainder of the "free" money in Target. I see now the deception. People pay more for these items thinking they are getting a better quality product, when in fact, it is the same quality as at Walmart (or ALDI or Sam's). Why pay more if you're not getting more? For the same amount of money, I could have purchased more items at Walmart than at Target. I'm ruined. I can no longer pay more for anything if I know I can get it cheaper somewhere else. Ethically, I view it as a waste of money. Jeramy works too hard to bring home what he does and I work too hard to stretch what he brings home to spend more than is necessary. I don't think I'll ever buy anything at Target again.
Don't get me wrong, Target provides a nice, quiet, clean environment in which to shop. But I just can't buy anything there. I'll deal with lines and crowds to save $10. As Jeramy would say, "It's all about the bottom line."
2 comments:
I only buy a few things at Target - things that I have noted are cheaper and better quality than WMT. Things like the fruit that is on sale that week, Target brand shoes and socks, ladies jeans, and icing for birthday cakes. Mostly, I wait for the things to go on sale. But last week Josh all of a sudden needed tennis shoes - 2 sizes bigger than the ones he had (teenagers!). I shopped at WMT and Target and the prices were all $25 for the decent pair. Since Target shoes have lasted very long for us, I bought those.
Hi, your blog was the number one google result for "gracious heart".
I am a retail worker outside the US but for a large American owned chain. Next time you must shop at the more expensive store (another free gift card etc), remember that walmart has an awful history of unfairly treating their workers - especially women. So don't feel bad about spending that extra $5 or $6 - you are investing in better working conditions, opportunities and equality for your daughters' future. People not dollars are the real bottom line.
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