Weighing in on Wal-Mart

Time is a precious commodity around here, and to spend more of it with Geddy and The Hat Trick, I have to streamline. Money, a "needful and precious thing," doesn't go very far right now either. With The Hat Trick's food and environmental allergies under control, we can go back to buying basic ingredients for our meals, so we cheated on our regular spendy market and hit Wal-Mart over the weekend.

The very idea gave me the skeevies. I loathe crowds and huge stores, and Wal-Mart's bullyish corporate tactics bother me. But there's also an ingrained thrift gene that very much appreciates a purple dance leotard for $8 and Transformers pajamas for $6.50 and a glow-in-the-dark Yoda shirt for $7. The Crystal Light lemonade mix-ins I buy as a treat are 1/3 cheaper per box and we can afford a few more splurges like chocolate chips and Pringles for Fun Fridays when they're so reasonably priced. The new, environmentally friendly Purex laundry liquid is a steal, as are organic grapes and hormone and antibiotic-free chicken breasts. Surprisingly, the produce looked fresher than I've seen in pricier stores lately (and tastes great!).

After reading this article highlighting the difference between optimal and very good nutrition, I realized what an idol I've been making of our diet and shopping habits. I also tried to educate myself on what Wal-Mart is all about, and I came to the conclusion that I've bought into a lot of negative hype without doing my own research.

I just can't afford to be a snob any longer.