Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? 2by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 24 Apr 2008 11:59 AM Earlier today, I started talking about the two reasons that I believe that Wal-Mart may not be frugal. There are definitely deals to be had, if you are a smart shopper, but you can also easily spend more money than you thought you might. My first point talked about how those low prices may not be low everywhere and how the store does not price match against itself. Now I'll talk about my second point, that the majority of items outside of the "hot" or in demand" category may be had less expensively elsewhere. Wal-Mart can get away with prices that are more than you can find at other stores because of the great deals it does on in demand items, as well as the perception of its shoppers. If you see an amazing deal on something you really wanted, then you assume that the prices throughout the rest of the store are equally as stellar. Currently, Wal-Mart is selling allergy medications for very reasonable prices. I would definitely pick those up at the Wal-Mart store, but while I am there, might I do other shopping as well? Let's take a look at other purchases. A smaller box of Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal is priced ay $2.64. This isn't a bad deal by any means, but it isn't the cheapest price. My local Giant food store sells the same size box for $2.24 normal retail. And when it is on sale, I can get that same box for only $2 (or even less all the way up to free with double and triple coupons, something Wal-Mart doesn't do.) If you are going to shop at Wal-Mart for deals, I would suggest that you do the following: Compare prices before you shop, including online Take advantage of the Wal-Mart or Sam's brand, which seems to be of good quality and less expensive than name brand, although the Target brand is equally as good If you see an item for less after your purchase, check with customer service to see if you can be refunded the difference. Not all Wal-Marts will do this. Only buy what is on your list when you shop. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? Solving the Discount Store Problem Reasons We Spend Today: Buying Power Don't Forget Your Coupon Codes Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments jonesx6 (1606) 24 Apr 2008 04:29 PMBeings that my hubby is in the union we tend to stay away from Wal-Mart. In fact, it is affectionately known as the "W" store around here. My oldest doesn't even like going into the store. One day he actually sat out in the van refusing to go in. I have to respect his opinion. Laura  Mary Ann Romans (26886) 25 Apr 2008 03:11 AMIs Wal-Mart non union? I just heard that there have been allegations of the company restricting opportunities for women. MegfromAllAboutAppearances (330) 26 Apr 2008 09:44 AMI read somewhere that on the bare-bones starter version of a given thing (like the simplest microwave) that Walmart is usually cheaper, but the prices jump from there. They advertise the lowest priced version, then count on you upgrading once you get to the shelf. Yet another reason I avoid Wally World. I might be using toilet paper not even labelled for residential use, but when our microwave gave a light show we replaced it with a huge model with all the bells and whistles. Of course, most of the time I just hit "quick minute" over and over, but the automatic reheat and cook buttons really do work, and it heats way more consistently that other microwaves we've tried. Community Tags frugal, save money, thrifty, Wal-Mart Discuss this article
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