Since this blog originally started out as an ongoing rant against rampant consumerism, mostly fueled by my personal angst at how much of our income I spent at Wally World, I decided to do a quick check to see where we're at five months into my "boycott."
As faithful readers know, I DO still darken the door of the Store of Doom. There are just certain times where sheer proximity and lack of time makes it too cost prohibitive to go elsewhere....either on my checkbook, or my sanity. However, I HAVE made a dent in how much of The Reenactor's hard-earned money is now going to Bentonville, Ark.
Since I'm a Quicken-a-holic, I can easily throw these numbers out:
From Jan. 1 to May 22, 2006 we spent $3016.10 at W.M.
From Jan. 1 to May 22, 2007 we spent $630.90 at W.M.
20 percent of our original purchases!! TWENTY PERCENT, campers!!!!
As of today last year I had spent $2490.16 on groceries....almost entirely at W.M.
As of today this year I have spent $2805.87 on groceries....almost entirely all at either the locally-owned grocery store, or at Kroger.
Similarly, on "non-grocery" items, as I have them tagged in Quicken (things like paper towels, laundry detergent, etc.) I spent $656.19 as of 5/22/06; and $517.46 this year.
Sooo...I AM spending an average of 12 to 13 percent more on groceries, but 21 percent less on the non-grocery stuff.
I will add a caveat to the increased grocery prices....in addition to shopping the non-wally world way, we have also increased our purchases of organic products, namely organic milk, which is about three times more expensive than regular (but it is wayyyy yummier!) I have been spending a lot of those extra grocery dollars on food choices I was not making last year, and I account a lot of that difference in that way.
For those of you who still doubt that it is financially feasible to shop at stores other than W.M. (and I was one of those last year!) I would offer that it is definitely financially viable to find alternate sources for groceries and household products.
I find that once I got out of the habit of going there, and got my bearings as to where to get the best deals on different kinds of products, I really didn't miss shopping there at all. It no longer seems the obvious choice that it was this time last year.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
there must've been numbers in the air today, for i also did i quick tally of my average purchases. although i am a seasoned wally world boycotter, i was becoming concerned that i was spending too much at a different store- namely, the one where i work. it's soooo easy (and lazy) to pick out a bagel and juice and hop into the check-out line EVERY day. and lunch? back to the aisles! turns out i'm spending an average of 15% of my monthly income at work, and this is only according to my bank's history of debit transactions.
solution? bring more lunch from home. but also- it bothers me that i spend my paycheck at the place where i make my paycheck, especially after learning the inside scoop on this particular natural grocer's business habits. for example: it is mandatory that 90% of our produce comes from our company warehouse.... in california. um, we're in colorado. not a huge deal when you consider that a lot of produce comes from CA, but, as the growing season progresses, produce sources are becoming more varied. the first corn comes from georgia and florida, but gets shipped to our shelves via california, thus tacking on thousands of unnecessary miles in refrigerated travel. hmm. it's tempting to buy the produce from my store because, a) i'm there, and b) i get a discount, but i know too much about it's origins and travel history to be able to legitimize getting californian lettuce that's at the very least three days old when i can pluck it from the ground myself at the farm for free. granted, this is not always an option, and chilean avocados sometimes look too yummy to pass up, but the awareness is there and grates against my beliefs.
i guess the whole point in my comment here is that spending a lot of money with one corporation, regardless of whether it's based in arkansas or boulder, CO, is something everyone should think about.
i'm getting closer and closer to going entirely local, regardless of the inconvenience or cost. back to seasons, down with the man!
ps- always awesome to have a forum where you can write "down with the man!"- did you ever think if would be your blog?
Your savings are shocking! If I had to buy everything at WM I would be spending more on gas than on groceries etc. The closest WM to me is about 12 miles away so thankfully we have a locally owned market (although it is a chain) just down the hill from our house. As far as locally grown produce goes, that's tough here because a lot of sellers just go down to the wholesale markets in the strip and buy off the trucks and trains. Then they go out and set up a booth to fool you into thinking you are buying from the farm. So... with a little research, I probably can find farm fresh food but how much in gas would it take to get there? HUMMMMM?? Our market down the hill does have a small section of organic food but it is pretty limited. Plus, we do have a Whole Foods here but again, it is about 15 miles away. In addition, if you want to take the time, you can cut coupons and get about the same price as WM in some cases. I don't like to mess with them but I do. Bottom line, if I had a good place and good soil for a garden, that's the answer!!
Perhaps Auntie G could enter into a trade agreement with an enterprising and approachable produce-happy niece? After all, much of the USPS is powered by foot!
Gizmo...when Shley first turned me on to the whole idea of the 100-mile diet I thought it would never work here. But I really have found LOTS of locally grown stuff, from actual local farmers, and even though I have to do a bit more stops as I go around town on other errands, I am trying to buy from them as much as possible. I think if you were to ask around in Pitt you would start finding LOTS of sources for people who are growing their stuff right there and selling it. I've noticed also that a couple of the regular vendors at the farmers market here sell produce that I KNOW they didn't grow here. I make it a point to not buy from them, but from the folks who can actually tell you where their farm is, and how they grew the stuff.
Our locally-owned grocery store had virtually NO organic foods a year ago, and now they have a decent selection, although the Kroger has a much better selection of things like cereal, flour, juices, etc. I think it is one of those "if you offer it they will buy it" mentalities that is taking hold.
Post a Comment