MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Jan 16, 2016 15:47:05 GMT -5
Wal-Mart food prices aren't that good really. Yes I can get a package of fresh Brussels sprouts for $2.50, you can get basic bread for $1, and the bananas are on par with grocery store prices but that's about as good as it gets. I'm better off scouting the Shop Rite sales or buying from the farmers market and Aldi. But for people who don't have that option, Wal-Mart works.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jan 16, 2016 23:30:44 GMT -5
Wal-Mart food prices aren't that good really. Yes I can get a package of fresh Brussels sprouts for $2.50, you can get basic bread for $1, and the bananas are on par with grocery store prices but that's about as good as it gets. I'm better off scouting the Shop Rite sales or buying from the farmers market and Aldi. But for people who don't have that option, Wal-Mart works. I guess it depends on the area and the grocery store. I spent $50 at Safeway one day to buy stuff for a double batch of dip. I would have been much much better off at Walmart. They have decent sales but if it's not on sale bend over. $5 for a small package of Kraft American singles, $4 for Tortilla chips and so on.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 17, 2016 7:04:53 GMT -5
Same soup 2,49 at publix. 1.78 at Walmart. I buy soup at publix when it's bogo. Prices are cheaper for staples at Walmart. Loaf of bread a buck. Loaf elsewhere? 1.49 or more. Baguettes for a buck. Elsewhere? Way more. If you have a big shop, it adds up. Why should I pay more for the same food?
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Jan 17, 2016 7:50:10 GMT -5
I shop at Winco and the prices seem better than Walmart, I just never was attracted to their food even when mom shopped there and I took her I didn't buy any. We did buy some this month and the cheese we always get had a decent price and the bacon was reasonable but the garlic was either 2 for 99 cents or a big bag for 2.99 or something I forget so if you want 3-4 garlic it was too expensive.
Growing up poor we didn't buy much food, corner store for bread and milk and walking to the grocery a mile a way for food like potatoes but we got a lot of free food. Dad would shoot a deer and we had fruit trees and a garden and rabbits that were made of meat not pet rabbits, sometimes dad would by a side of beef so we didn't buy grocery store meat much. Our snacks weren't packaged mom baked cookies for us or baked cake or pie. She made sweet roll dough that needed refrigerated 24 hours but she never hardly ever used it. Dad would find it and make us cinnamon rolls when mom wasn't looking, she would get mad because he found the dough. Dad made it hard for mom to cook sometimes. She would put a cake in the oven then he would open the oven to see it if was done so he would cut some off the edges if the middle wasn't done and hand them to us kids. When the cake was done it was almost entirely gone, I miss my dad, now I want cake and cinnamon rolls. Mom used to say if we picked enough blackberries she would make a pie, we liked picking blackberries. She was gone once and we filled all the pots in the house with blackberries for when she got home, she wasn't amused, we didn't get pie. She washed them and froze them so they all became toppings for ice cream, I think she canned a bunch too. Mom was depressed our entire childhood I wonder if it was our fault, or dad's fault or a combo of dad letting us kids do stuff like eating her cakes before they were cooked. She should have had better children.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 17, 2016 8:19:06 GMT -5
You sound like perfectly normal children. I think my grandma was depressed because they were so poor until she had enough if it and started selling real estate. I don't remember them poor but my mom and aunts do. She started making good money when I was 11 or 12.
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Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Jan 17, 2016 9:07:39 GMT -5
I understand the situation quite well. The stores were under performing or not making ENOUGH money to satisfy the corporate headquarters. They are not a charity where they employ people for the heck of it. While not in the article, WMT pharmacies are struggling with Obamacare payout on prescriptions at near and below cost for WMT, destroying profit margins.
So, you want the poor and seniors to pay more for their medicine, so one of the wealthiest companies on earth can make more money? No, I expect our government programs to pay a "living profit" for medicine provided by all retailers. Retailers should not be subsidizing underwater government programs and be run out of business, or be forced to close locations thereby causing further hardship on the poor trying to find a location to serve them. This also applies for the few independent locally owned pharmacies we have left here. It is putting them out of business.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2016 9:23:01 GMT -5
Our government doesn't pay anything for scripts on exchange. I have a Highmark insurance plan through the exchange... An independent insurance company. Every article I've read on the issue says the difference is more people are insured and actually have prescription benefits now... Unlike before when those of us without we're carrying the whole cash price load for those with insurance.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2016 17:19:02 GMT -5
Every article I've read on the issue says the difference is more people are insured and actually have prescription benefits now... Unlike before when those of us without were carrying the whole cash price load for those with insurance. I hadn't thought of this, although it always seemed wrong to me that the uninsured, which would include many people struggling economically, were the only ones stuck paying the sticker price for healthcare. So now, with more people insured and paying negotiated prices, revenue is down. Sounds like happy news for the little guy.
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seriousthistime
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Post by seriousthistime on Jan 17, 2016 18:16:57 GMT -5
I don't know whether you ever resolved this, minnesotapaintlady, but for what it's worth, I've had a ton of problems with Walmart gift cards. I rarely go to Walmart, but I do go to Sam's Club, and the gift cards can be used at either place. I can't tell you how many times I've had the gift card not scan properly at the register, and had to have the customer service folks issue me a new one. I buy the cards as part of a fundraiser (the organization gets a % of the face value), and at least half the time the card does not work, or it doesn't work long enough for me to get the value down to $0. At the register, it scans as having no value. Knowing perfectly well that there was money on it, I go to customer service and they go into the system and see what amount should be on the card. They have actually issued me a new gift card for the odd $X.XX remaining on the card, and then I take that directly to the cash register and it scans that there's no money available on it. Through the same fundraising organization I've bought gift cards for fifteen or twenty retailers, and I have never had any other failures, so I think the Walmart gift cards are more inclined to fail. I has made me stop buying them. Gift cards usually have an 800 number printed on the back so you can check the balance. That will tell you if the card has any value, and it is not susceptible to something wonky with the employee, scanner, or card. Of course, if the gift card wasn't activated by the cashier when your brother bought it, not much you can do to fix that. ,
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jan 18, 2016 1:55:11 GMT -5
Same soup 2,49 at publix. 1.78 at Walmart. I buy soup at publix when it's bogo. Prices are cheaper for staples at Walmart. Loaf of bread a buck. Loaf elsewhere? 1.49 or more. Baguettes for a buck. Elsewhere? Way more. If you have a big shop, it adds up. Why should I pay more for the same food? Well, you can get bread for a buck at the Dollar Store too, but it's not very good bread.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 18, 2016 6:30:49 GMT -5
Bread is bread
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milee
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Post by milee on Jan 18, 2016 8:09:48 GMT -5
Our government doesn't pay anything for scripts on exchange. Sort of.
More than 50% of the prescriptions filled are covered by a government program - Medicare, Medicaid and/or Tricare. Depending on the area, that percent can approach 75%. Plus, many of the private insurance companies base their scrip reimbursement on Medicare reimbursement rates.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 8:48:17 GMT -5
I'm picky when it comes to bread-I won't eat the nasty, squishy white stuff. DH and I go through maybe a loaf a week and we buy a dense, textured brand with whole wheat, a lot of seeds and no high-fructose corn syrup. If we want something more substantial, I prefer to bake my own. The ingredient lists on the "artisan bread" in grocery store bakeries in unpronounceable.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 8:55:24 GMT -5
True milee. And some states expanded medi. However the issue isn't that Obama lowered rates, it's that more people are insured and paying the discounted price.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Jan 18, 2016 13:13:24 GMT -5
I'm picky when it comes to bread-I won't eat the nasty, squishy white stuff. DH and I go through maybe a loaf a week and we buy a dense, textured brand with whole wheat, a lot of seeds and no high-fructose corn syrup. If we want something more substantial, I prefer to bake my own. The ingredient lists on the "artisan bread" in grocery store bakeries in unpronounceable. Again, these are things that someone needing to shop at Wal-Mart for food don't have the luxury to consider. I've baked bread before - it cost me more than the "good" bread loaf I bought a few months ago for $3.99.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 13:24:10 GMT -5
I'm picky when it comes to bread-I won't eat the nasty, squishy white stuff. DH and I go through maybe a loaf a week and we buy a dense, textured brand with whole wheat, a lot of seeds and no high-fructose corn syrup. If we want something more substantial, I prefer to bake my own. The ingredient lists on the "artisan bread" in grocery store bakeries in unpronounceable. Again, these are things that someone needing to shop at Wal-Mart for food don't have the luxury to consider. I've baked bread before - it cost me more than the "good" bread loaf I bought a few months ago for $3.99. Are you adding a lot of other stuff to your bread? I'll bake occasionally and I worked it out to $1.75/ for two loaves mostly flour and yeast cost getting the individual packets, but I don't do it very often because we will devour a loaf in one evening. eta: changed to two loaves for $1.75, not one.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Jan 18, 2016 13:33:17 GMT -5
Again, these are things that someone needing to shop at Wal-Mart for food don't have the luxury to consider. I've baked bread before - it cost me more than the "good" bread loaf I bought a few months ago for $3.99. Are you adding a lot of other stuff to your bread? I'll bake occasionally and I worked it out to $1.75/ for two loaves mostly flour and yeast cost getting the individual packets, but I don't do it very often because we will devour a loaf in one evening. eta: changed to two loaves for $1.75, not one. I got a bread machine as a gift and got some mixes. The mixes were more than $10 for a 3-pack. I've never completely made my own bread, but that's mostly because it's one of those things I've never really had the desire to make. Or the patience. I think I made true pizza dough once or twice in life because I hated having to wait for it to rise. Plus a container of yeast is like $7-8 and I'm not gonna use it that often.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 13:40:17 GMT -5
Are you adding a lot of other stuff to your bread? I'll bake occasionally and I worked it out to $1.75/ for two loaves mostly flour and yeast cost getting the individual packets, but I don't do it very often because we will devour a loaf in one evening. eta: changed to two loaves for $1.75, not one. I got a bread machine as a gift and got some mixes. The mixes were more than $10 for a 3-pack. I've never completely made my own bread, but that's mostly because it's one of those things I've never really had the desire to make. Or the patience. I think I made true pizza dough once or twice in life because I hated having to wait for it to rise. Plus a container of yeast is like $7-8 and I'm not gonna use it that often. Ok, that explains it. Otherwise, plain white bread is pretty much just flour and a little bit of sugar and salt. The yeast packs are 50 cents each here and I can get two loaves from one. Great, now I'm craving fresh baked bread.
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Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Jan 18, 2016 14:27:41 GMT -5
I don't know whether you ever resolved this, minnesotapaintlady , but for what it's worth, I've had a ton of problems with Walmart gift cards. I rarely go to Walmart, but I do go to Sam's Club, and the gift cards can be used at either place. I can't tell you how many times I've had the gift card not scan properly at the register, and had to have the customer service folks issue me a new one. I buy the cards as part of a fundraiser (the organization gets a % of the face value), and at least half the time the card does not work, or it doesn't work long enough for me to get the value down to $0. At the register, it scans as having no value. Knowing perfectly well that there was money on it, I go to customer service and they go into the system and see what amount should be on the card. They have actually issued me a new gift card for the odd $X.XX remaining on the card, and then I take that directly to the cash register and it scans that there's no money available on it. Through the same fundraising organization I've bought gift cards for fifteen or twenty retailers, and I have never had any other failures, so I think the Walmart gift cards are more inclined to fail. I has made me stop buying them. Gift cards usually have an 800 number printed on the back so you can check the balance. That will tell you if the card has any value, and it is not susceptible to something wonky with the employee, scanner, or card. Of course, if the gift card wasn't activated by the cashier when your brother bought it, not much you can do to fix that. , I would assume you are not the only person that has had that problem. Does anyone mention it to the organization? If it is an ongoing problem, time to pick another vendor to buy the gift card from. There is a reason they choose to stick with WMT. It is because that is where the customer prefers to shop at, and they, the organization selling them, get the biggest fundraising bang for their buck.
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seriousthistime
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Post by seriousthistime on Jan 18, 2016 15:50:37 GMT -5
I'm not sure that's the case, Value Buy. The organization will buy back any card that doesn't work. They sell gift cards to hundreds of organizations and I've never had a problem with any other gift card through them. And it's odd that even when Sam's customer service issues me a replacement Walmart card, the replacement card sometimes doesn't work and we have to try a new one. I suspect it's a weakness in the cards Walmart issues. That's why I stopped buying Walmart cards from any organization or retailer, including Walmart and Sam's.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 17:22:07 GMT -5
Are you adding a lot of other stuff to your bread? I'll bake occasionally and I worked it out to $1.75/ for two loaves mostly flour and yeast cost getting the individual packets, but I don't do it very often because we will devour a loaf in one evening. eta: changed to two loaves for $1.75, not one. Same here; no bread machine, no mixes- just flour, a pack of yeast, water and salt. My favorite recipe can rise for 2 to 4 hours. I just go do something else.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 9:16:27 GMT -5
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 25, 2016 9:50:45 GMT -5
Yup, well I went to publix. Nothing on sale except cereal. So I'll be heading to Walmart for the rest of my groceries.
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Jan 25, 2016 9:59:09 GMT -5
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Jan 25, 2016 10:11:17 GMT -5
Got 4 new tires at Walmart for $450 (after taxes); I LOVE THEM
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 10:28:12 GMT -5
Got 4 new tires at Walmart for $450 (after taxes); I LOVE THEM Make sure they tightened the lug nuts.
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TheHaitian
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Post by TheHaitian on Jan 25, 2016 10:43:38 GMT -5
Got 4 new tires at Walmart for $450 (after taxes); I LOVE THEM Make sure they tightened the lug nuts. I will
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 10:46:24 GMT -5
Thanks! I'll be printing that one. I actually don't mind kneading dough, but this one looks good. The long lead time isn't bad, either- I love the 12--18 hour window. Plenty of flexibility!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 10:46:51 GMT -5
Make sure they tightened the lug nuts. I will Seriously. It's Walmart. Walmart sucks.
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Jan 25, 2016 11:42:25 GMT -5
Thanks! I'll be printing that one. I actually don't mind kneading dough, but this one looks good. The long lead time isn't bad, either- I love the 12--18 hour window. Plenty of flexibility! I can not express how much I love this recipe. I also made one similar once that was no knead French Bread. Also great but I like this one better because I can slice up the extra and freeze it and then just reheat in the toaster oven with butter. The French bread does not reheat as well.
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