Jamie,, glad you piped back up with this topic. I just want you to know I certainly wasn't targeting your specific purchases as a dig at you personally in any way. It used to be alot easier to tell black/white in regards to Made in the USA etc. for products..but now it is pretty much a wider area of shades of grey. As Americans we want it all. Who could blame you for locating the lowest price on the item you wanted? Even though true WM haters would probably find another avenue to purchase their goods given the chance...a $200-300 difference in price on the SAME THING would certainly make even a few of them swallow hard and eat crow versus shelling out that much extra dough for no reason?

We bemoan the big box chains and then shop there since it is convenient, right? Suzie example of foreign products was a bit over the top,,,but pretty dang true. And you are right to a degree that a HS education isn't going to be enough any more to getting that great job. Not with technology moving the way it has. I can relate to that. Living outside Detroit..so many folks (my Dad included..retired) made hugh sums of money with very little education working the line at factories. Now, on the surface that sounds GREAT..right? You try spending 12-14 hours a day in a factory..110 degrees during the summer..and the NOISE. Most, including my Dad are very near totally deaf due to years of enduring those machines LOUDLY droning away. It was not a cake-walk. But anyway..I am getting off-topic here. Good jobs are shrinking here in the USA. Look at any of the large auto suppliers list of travellers (most engineers). Most have names like Vigar Shinateaeaaeai etc. They are ALL of Indian descent. Because they educate themselves. Is the pool of talent that small here in the USA or are they just willing to work for less? You tell me. Mostly likely a bit of both.

I won't start in with the politics. I don't have any issues with Bubba and you wouldn't appreciate what I would say about GW. War monger? Yes. Young men dying every day in a foreign land makes me want to vomit almost daily. Oh,...I said I wasn't gonna talk about it...LOL

Ok...lets here some more Wal-mart stories. And this is yet another reason we live in the greatest countries on Earth. The ability to be able to freely agree to disagree. Duane

Wow Jamie - I am finding myself in total agreement with you. Personally, I do all my shopping in Lincoln. I do on occasion go into Walmart once a month at the most. With the exception of their generic brand items, I find that their grocery prices are usually higher than their competion in this city. However, if you take the competitor's ads, they will match prices. On the other hand, if I want a big ticket item, I will also take their ad to the local furniture/appliance/electronics store, and they will match the Walmart price. I did hear that Walmart is not doing as well this Christmas season as they have in the past. Maybe their popularity is wearing off.

Your statement about Tyson is what should be worrying us farmers. We should lobby our lawmakers to pass the COOL (Country of Origination Labeling). Of course, our lawmakers are dragging their feet on this issue as Tyson, Monfort, Excel, etc. are doing big time lobbying against this. As a farmer, I want to know that I am buying US grown farm products. On the other hand, as a beef producer, I also want to be able to export our beef to other countries. In order to be able to export, we probably need to import products from those same countries, right?

Speaking of foreign products, I am amazed how many people in my own corn producing state will not use the ethanol added fuel in their cars. It is a higher octane and it is either the same price or lower than the lower octane regular gas. Many people think that is bad for their vehicle. I have questioned several mechanics and they have not seen any evidence of this. Some of the older vehicles may have problems with vapor locking in the summer. I personally think my 2000 Explorer runs better on this fuel. Anyway, by using the ethanol added fuel, we are reducing our dependence on foreign produced fuel by 15%. I'm curious how many people that bemoan buying foreign made products use ethanol fuel in their vehicles.

I also agree with your opinion about jobs. For example, in Lincoln, Nebraska, our unemployment rate is very low. Construction in this area is booming. You can go to the University of Nebraska or the local community colleges where tuition is very reasonable and learn a trait. There are many scholarships, grants and student loans available. All you have to do is "ask".

I lost my job last year. I started "hitting the pavement". I worked at a temporary job for 6 months and hated it. I lucked out and found a part time Federal job that ended up full time and I have already been upgraded. But I had to put up with a lot of "crap" along the way. I work with a man who is a lower grade than I am. He is always whining about not having enough money. However, every day he goes out to lunch. His supervisor recommended that he be promoted. However, he didn't get promoted because he was too lazy (said he didn't have time) to complete the needed forms/resume etc. required for job upgrades.

Okay I'd better get back to work or I will be pounding the streets again.

Jamie, I wasn't trying to pick at you either. You've mentioned you shop there various times through the years. I try to AVOID it when at all possible. BUT there have been a few times that I've gotten stuff there. I just really don't like the whole vibe. The best thing they could do would be take that 1% of profit and completely cover healthcare for ALL their full and partial costs for part time and relieve the current system of at least their own job force.
I"ll ask for a more competative price elsewhere. I'll pay a bit more elsewhere, if I have to. Just getting harder and harder because they are becoming the only game around. I try to buy as much as I can at a decent price from anyone in my small rural town. Huge small business supporter here, as I am one too. Lots of small sideline options here, many honor carts, sheds etc. I make alot of our coats, mittens, scarves, hats, some clothing, slippers, moccasins, jewelery. I try to barter as much as I possibly can. Pond, aquarium lamdscape service in exchange for chiropractor, occasional massage. Milk for meadow usage. Goat farrier service for cash. on and on. My folks were survivalists and I've got such a store house of dried beans! Ha. but I've always tried to be able to be as self sufficient as possible "just in case". The living history camping all comes into play here. My family could suddenly get set back to 200 years and be pretty much okay for a LONG haul, that along with like minded friends and neighbors.
Feels like we are loosing the middle class alright. Perhaps it IS all in preparation for us to become the new world peasants. Hmmm, need to think on that one more...
Healthcare is our big issue. DH's ft doesn't offer it. I'm part time self employed and once my truck is paid off, I can afford it instead of earning income. Then, once the baby starts school, I'll be good to go full time and start college money accounts. Once I pay daycare for the kids I make like nothing at a "regular job". Right now my pt rate is about $30.00 per hour. Won't step out of the house for less, well can't. Price of gas is hurting me too. Think we need to go with catastrophic illness insurance instead. Checking into that right now. At least I own my home with a bit of land. I know many others struggling and just renting, jeez. Hmm pay that premium or buy groceries??? hmm?? meat, Wish DH would hunt!!! He's a chef to boot!
I pre paid for maternity etc for my middle daughter because we were $100.00 month over the required low income medical assistance requirement. I was still working full time then and read between the lines.. If I wasn't I'd be covered. WEll that was just morally, ethically WRONG to me to me so I kept working only to cover most of the costs and then slowly paid off the rest. just wanted a bit of help, anyway. So the kids are covered but we are not. We do have some life insurance. I'd like to be able to start college accounts for the kids but have no clue where to get that money from right now. retirement? yeah right, never happening that I can see..
But there are nights I lay awake worrying..what if..then again I have a roof over my head, running water, fresh eggs and milk, happy kids, some food in the fridge and a whole lot to be thankful for, really what more do i need? Could always eat the goats, chickens and peafowl if things got really bad. I can make a mean squirrel pot pie...So glad i don't live anywhere else..but anywhere else may be here tomorrow.
stepping off the box now...

Leanne, you ought to know me well enough by now that I got some pretty thick skin and no I don't feel like anyone is "picking" on me. I do like a good discussion though and it's ok to disagree with others opinon's. Regarding your health care situation you could look into what my cousin did (he farms for a living). He "hired" his wife as a part-time employee and then provided her with health insurance, she then added him and the kids onto her policy. It costs a lot but it's all tax deductable. If you can hire your husband on "part-time" it might work for you.

Regarding your wanting a college fund for your kids, that's a nice thought but were not doing it for our's. We will help them as much as possible but they will both start out at a junior college and then go onto a larger one from there unless they get a scholorship right off the bat. Neither my wife nor I had anyone pay for our college. My wife finished high school at 17, moved out from her folks shortly thereafter and put herself through nursing school in 4 years working pretty much full time at the hospital while going to school. I will say though she is really smart and when you don't have to study that sure cut's down on the time one has to spend on their school work. Me on the other hand took 13 years to complete my BS. I worked second and third shift's and was only able to take a couple of classes each semester but somehow I got it done. Before moving here where my wife qualifies for rural student loan pay-off we were in debt over 100k just in student loans.

I don't think we are losing the middle class. I think the middle class just has too many credit cards and wants to live an upper class lifestyle. They buy their kids everything and live pay-check to pay-check. We know people who make half of what we do and live in nicer homes, drive nicer vehicles, and have kids with twice what our's do.

We could move to a large city and my wife could almost double her income and I could go back to work anyday and land a job in the 50K range but we like farm life and believe the job of bringing up kids is ours not a day care's or a school system's. (not trying to turn this into a HS thread)

Duane, I won't get much into politics either but when the Kobar (sp?) tower's were bombed and many of our Marine's were killed the former president said, "we will hunt down the terrorists that did this and make them pay." Everyone applauded but nothing ever happened. When the USS Cole was bombed we got the same speach of, "we will hunt down those responsible and make them pay." Everyone applauded but nothing ever became of it. I got a couple more examples but will leave them out. Well we got a president now that decided to go hunting and some liberal's are PO'd about it.

Duane, regarding the factory work. My sister started out on an assembly line working in the conditions you describe however she continued to better her-self with education and now makes great money as a supervisor. The air craft companies in Wichita while recruiting line employee's looked for "farm" type kids that were used to working long day's outside without AC or heating. Heck these day's folks consider it some kind of abuse if thier kids school don't have air conditioning in every classroom. I'm still alive and did not have AC in any classroom's while growing up. Our society is just spoiled rotten.

Jewel, from my understanding in your part of the country Ford put's out a truck that runs completly on ethanol. We export so much corn and it's sold for so cheap I can't figure out why it's not being used to a larger degree.

Jamie

I know what ya mean Jamie about terrorists and talking the talk..and not walking the walk. Don't want to turn the Wal-mart thread into the I-Rak thread either...cus Spike will end that right quick to be sure.

And you talking about a/c in the classrooms. I have to laugh at that. How did things seem to turn so quickly? I was raised in the city..but we never locked our doors. Never had a break-in. Only after we installed a new steel door did we find someone who tried to pry it open. Must have thought new door..protecting something valuable! And I never had any problems aside from the occasional disagreement and fist fight. I got a black eye a couple times and gave a few back...and guess what? Nobody sued anybody!! It was kids working things out. Now a days I suppose you would get shot. I don't have kids, but I have nieces and nephews. Birthdays are ridiculous. I think 30-40 gifts on the last count. I must be getting old...but that sickens me. They don't even look to see what they got and start ripping open new packages. I remember getting 1 or 2 things and a cake..and being thrilled. And we didn't have a party every year. Where did that become a MUST. Again..I am rambling off-topic...but growing up we wandered the neighborhood finding kids for a pick-up ballgame at the park. Or riding our bikes around. Now everything is 'organized' and parents have to coach and turn everything into competitions instead of just plain fun.

Oh well. The wife just got home. Probably shopping at Wal-mart. Better go find out. LOL. See ya. Duane

Thanks for bringing it over here Jamie! I was feeling guilty for posting in the discussions forum (didn't stop me though!).

There are lots of grey areas these days...politics is something I just don't feel educated enough to discuss with folks. There's a high liklihood I could make myself look like a moron if I pipe up in a public forum, talking about something that goes right over my head - like politics. So I won't.
But sadly, economics, politics, and health care, bump into one another. And sometimes I feel terribly guilty complaining about people taking American jobs overseas, because those folks need jobs too, right? I like to think of myself as a more globally aware human being than what I sound like (and in college I was described by an instructor as a person who "had more humanity than most" and that made me feel good). So this puts me in a love/hate relationship with Wal Mart, with IBM, and with many of the other huge corperations who out-source:

It really annoyed me the other day when I called Lowe's to make a payment over the phone and the guy called himself "John Smith"; I was absolutely aware that I was talking to somebody in India - not only because of his accent, but because of the bad connection. And a couple months ago I had called to see about switching to Earthlink internet service and had the same situation. There was a bad connection, and since the guy had a very strong accent I asked if he was in Idia and he said, "No m'am, I am in Atlanta", so I asked,
"Oh really? What time is it in Atlanta right now?"....
he paused and said,
"I'm sorry I misunderstood you. Yes, I am in India and that is why we have a bad connection". I know these people are educated, and I think it's a shame that they are doing these minial jobs for minial pay. And there is some American getting fat and rich for starting these jobs overseas, but s/he's paying taxes on that income. So it's getting back here, right? Confusing.

For me, it's an oxymoron. Wal Mart is an oxymoron. And it's hard to discuss because of all of the grey areas and though there are jobs taken, there really are jobs given. My brain hurts thinking about it though.

But will it all come tumbling down someday? Will the factory workers rise up in China, India and Indonesia, just like they did in the US in the early part of the century? Will they demand more wages and better treatment? If they do, what will happen to Wal Mart? What will happen to the American economy?

More than anything I am disgusted with the junk that is sold at Wal Mart, and passed-off as "value". We got a DVD/VCR combo and the VCR part never worked. My first VCR was bought in 1985 (a Mitsubishi and it cost about $400 and lasted 17 years!)I bought a can opener at WM that broke after a year...heck the one I had before that, my mother had given me and it MUST have been 25-30 years old! Every rake we've purchased there has broken in the same season - so we've paid $10 each for 3 rakes. Had I spent the $40 on the rake I really wanted from a catalog, I'd still have it now! Whether or not that rake/VCR/can opener is made in the US is irrelavant in this context - the fact is that I wouldn't have 3 rakes in my burn hole had I spent that 40 bucks. The term "Value" is blurring that concept of quality for Americans. We are a country of tremendous waste and tossing VCR's, television sets and futons in the land fills aren't making things better for the planet. It's easier now to throw away an item that is "cheap" and replace it over and over again, than when items we had were actually considered "valuable" because they cost us more. Things like that also gave us a feeling of accopmplishment when we had to save up or plan for the purchase. In fact, that $400 VCR - I gave it to my sister because I couldn't bare the thought of tossing it in the trash - it wasn't easy to come by that money when I bought it - there was no Wal Mart in my neighborhood...Wal MArt had not taken control of the planet then.

SO before I get even more confused and stray further from the topic - I'd better stop.
It is a tough topic to discusus. Eventually it will be one of those topics that should never be discussed at a party, like Sex, Politics and Parenting. ;)

Tracy, I went to a Christmas part the other night and all I could think of was you saying not to talk about sex, politics, and parenting! I sat silently for a while and then discovered I was blessed enough to be sitting next to a guy who wanted to talk football. Not quite as interesting as sex, politics, and parenting but at least there was no argument!

Jamie

At least you found someone with like interests! We are invited to a very rich friends' party for New Years Eve and we just don't want to go because we never have anything to talk about. All these people have talk about stocks, jobs, and how overscheduled their genius children are! Not to mention they all get wasted and DH doesn't drink - I don't see any point in drinking since it's just extra calories that could be spared for chocolate. It's parties like that where I WISH someone would bring up sex or religion!

Gosh, I'm beginning to understand how different we really are. We have get togethers that last for days a few times a year and all the talk is politics, religion, racism, etc. Granted much has a Native American sway to it and many of our friends are from other countries. Political conversations take place around here all the time. I'm happy to say I've heard my kids talk about politics, not just repeating what they heard. Traci, you are welcome any time! Jamie, you'd might be shocked to know we are not sports fans in any way, sorry but there is zero interest in that here, well the only exception is that I really like to watch bull riding when it comes on. Does that count?
Did some Christmas chopping at K MART, wish there was a Target within an hour of here or I'd go there.

Leanne, I could talk Native American with ya' as I'm part Chickasaw as are my kids. My grandfather was on the origional tribal roles and the kids and I are registered. I stay somewhat involved in the Chickasaw Nation elections but not as much as I should. My grandmother was Cherokee but was never registered so it's tough to tell exactly how much "indian blood" we actually have in us. Can you imagaine any other race here in the US being required to carrry a card stating how much Hispanic or African American they actually are?

We are planning a trip to Oklahoma this year and visit the Trail of Tears.

Regarding talking at parties I'm one of those people that can talk to anybody about just about anything. I don't know a whole lot about one thing but seem to know a little about a lot. I watch Jeapardy every day and can usually get 3/4 of the questions/answers right! My favorite get togethers though still involve farmers as I like to talk shop.

Jamie

BTW- Tracy, if you don't want to be invited to the party next year go ahead and start a conversation on politics, religion, or sex and then disagree with what everyone say's!!

There was a Frontline special on PSB last night about Wal- mart, interesting, it talked alot about how much they have shifted to getting cheap goods from China and how they "force" companies to comply with thier pricing...an example was Rubbermaid (10 years ago they were doing really well), now- some say, since WM demanded things of them they could do-on pricing- they cut a bunch or products and now Rubbermaid is selling a bunch of stuff in thier plants(to some people in China...)....also told about an American TV maker suing them and some Chinese TV makers and winning- that had something to do with dumping cheap TVs in the US market
It is worth watching if it is on again, especially since I have been reading all this about what people think on this forum. We do not have a WM very near here-but my husband and I always say we will try to never go into one....especially when visiting small rural towns- we would be missing out on the local store experience.

At Walmart, we have found that milk, we save approx 50cents, 12=grain bread-between 80 cents to a dollar cheaper, instant coffee - $8.47 at the two large chain stores here and Walmart has the same instant decafinated coffee for $4.97. My husband being a diabetic, we buy his jam at Walmart and it's $2.77 to $4.77 at the other two large chain stores. (he will only eat strawberry jam and I'm out of berries) It costs All three stores the same ferry fare to have their Semi bring their goods up on the ferry each day. They usually pull into the parking lot at the same time as the three stores are situated on the same street. Saan's is having a hugh sale and the "girls" say that they are being "evaluated" On the news we heard that where there was a Walmart, Saans may close their store. That will be a hugh blow here as then we will have less choice where to shop.

Yes, Walmart has probably the lowest prices of anyone, but I think people should think about what Walmart is doing, in order to get such low prices.........as Poodleranch mentioned, there was a TV special on Walmart, and how they are making businesses go under (like Rubbermaid). They go to these companies and say "Here's what we want you to sell your stuff to us for". If the company doesn't comply, then Walmart does all it can to make the company go out of business. If the business does agree......Walmart forces it to move it's headquarters to China....where it can get cheap labor.
Personally, I'm trying to seperate myself from Walmart. It's hard, since it's the only store that's close, and has great prices. But I've learned to put certain other issues ahead of cheap prices. Are we really willing to support a company that has business practices that really don't care about anything else but making a profit? I think Sam Walton is turning in his grave. Remember when Walmart started out, and it was so concerned about "Made in America" and being good to the environment, and giving their employees holidays off to be with their families? It's nothing about that now.
I would rather pay more for something somewhere else, than support a company that has no scrupples.

I do the shopping for our family, and I don't find Walmart to be all that much less expensive, particularly for food. There is a Safeway across the street that has very similar prices, often cheaper, and far better quality, particularly with the meat. The wages that Walmart pays, and the lack of health insurance, drives down wages and makes it very difficult for all grocery workers. My good friend works at Walmart, he became quite ill with a nasty lung infection. Walmart had that paid for through workers comp, not their insurance.

We have a newer super center here in town, and 4 years later the company still rents the building where the old store was, and will not allow any other company to use the parking lot of the old shopping center for anything, so it just sits empty, and they pay the rent. Thats just to stuff competition.

I also have serious reservations about any company becoming this powerful, Walmart now sells more than Target, Kroger, Sears, Safeway, Penny's and what not, in otherwords the next 15 largest retailers combined. They have enormous political clout. Watch them run an entire city council out of a job, and they will sooner close a store than allow a union. Check out their corporate website and see how many shares the Waltons own now, and consider the difference in their wealth when the tax on dividends is lowered, and the capital gains tax changes. Its a whole lotta money for getting someone to change a digit or two in a tax law.

And then the gun you buy for $200 less. Walmart sells some things cheaper because they agree with the manufacturer to leave some things out. I got a Poulin Chain saw for $100 bucks less but the chain isn't the same, there are no tools, no automatic oiler, and so on. Only find that out when I got home and tried it out. I doubt they would do that to a gun, but what do I know?

I try to spend my money somewhere else.

It's the only game in town! Or the next town, or the next. Have to travel up to 60 miles to see a diversity.

I have a love/hate relationship with Walmart, for many of the reasons you all have listed already. One thing I've found real strange at our Walmart is the quality of their meat. It's awful; the cuts are bad. They look like maybe the butcher's blind or not sure how to use a meat saw, and the prices are really high. I get most of my beef from my SIL anyway, but I have to buy chicken and pork from a store. I always end up at one of the local "mom & pop" groceries for meat. Has anyone else found the meat at their Walmart to be a lesser quality than what you'd expect?

The first cut throat store,, remember was k-mart..impressed and then WMT just expanded the stradgy I don't buy the $200 savesing on a rifle,and the chainsaws are so many different models, thats silly (sorry) WNT does have a policy of compition but thats what we teach them to do. try and buy a cantilope from grocery or tomatoe that tastes like it did 20 years ago good luck :) please don't let me sound like i'm being disrespective of anyone, we all ahve opinions some just stinck worse than others . politics and religion arguments area waste of time to argure,,guess you could throw sex in there too it's all subjective
The bottom line is "wish i ahd bought some WMT stock when i first met them" Thought Sears would be forever lol

giventake, you don't have to "buy" me saying I saved $200 on my rifle but you can do your own research if you like. My gun is a Remington 700, 30-06, detachable magazine, stainless steel, and I think somewhere in the description it also says BDL. I got it for $617. Heck, go over to the Remington web site and you will see that WM is selling it below suggested retail. I shop around HARD when I'm making a big purchase and WM had the best price hands down. Nobody else was even close.

Peach Fuzz, WM used to have great (not as good as what I raise) meat but about 5 years ago possibly less their butchers decided to unionize. Well WM took exception to it and fired them all. They now have some central packing facility where all their meat comes from. Back when they had butchers in their stores I thought it was pretty good meat for store bought but your right it now sucks.

Jamie

Jamie,
YOu and my husband would get along real well! I read your posts and see them coming straight out of DH's mouth! Too funny!

Erin if your husband likes to fish one day we need to all head up to Tracy's (her lake is something to drool over) and we can all meet (I've allready invited myself up there so she's expecting me one day!). She also say's her husband and I are just alike so at least the men would all have a good time. With all the guys being alike it makes me wonder how similar you, Tracy, and my wife would be?

Jamie

Hello everyone! I'm definitely NOT a fan of Wal-Mart, although I can appreciate the reasons why people shop there.

Wal-Mart has extremely low prices, but I am absolutely NOT convinvced their products are of good quality. One of the few things I bought was a garden-hose-spray-nozzle for .99 which broke within a few days.
At a yard sale, I got 2 used garden-hose-spray-nozzles for $1 each, which have held up faithfully.

4 years ago, My mom bought a kids' mountain bike for her grandson. What a piece of crap that was. Crappy enough to make a kid not want to ride a bike. Yes, it was very inexpensive, but who cares, if its just junk?
I bought my mountain bike on local-ebay, 2nd hand, for a lot less than what it'd cost new.

Walmart clothes: decent, but Target is far better. I'm lucky to live in a metropolitan area, where thrift stores are chock-full of good clothes.

Nobody does a better job of being thrifty than me:
I'm enthusiastic about buying things 2nd hand, at thrift stores, auctions, on craigslist.org, in the local paper, etc. I get a lot of great things, used.

Where I live, anything I need can be found for a good price at smaller stores (...every store is smaller than Walmart). And if paying a little more means supporting a smaller and/or local store, I will do so. Smaller stores sometimes have great sales!
I believe in supporting small/smaller businesses, because I believe they are healthy for our economy, from which everyone benefits.

I wrote a letter to the mayor of Oregon City, thanking her for saying "no" to a Walmart store being built here. (She wrote me back!)

Another point: Don't buy anything just because it's dirt cheap.
Garbage service costs, and the landfills have enough junk already. How much useless crap could a household possibly need?

WalMart moved here and all the beautiful horses that had been in that field for all those years are gone...Instead there's a big old ugly parking lot with a big old ugly store...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I had always told myself that if that field of horses ever disappeared and a housing development went in, we'd have to move to the country...again. It took 15 years, but it's finally happened and it's a WalMart rather than a housing development!
We have shopped there a few times only. Bought canned fruit that had gone bad in the can. Quit buying canned fruit. Bought canned spaghetti sauce and my DH chewed on something that he thought might be glass. This happened twice. There were a couple of other incidents and we just quit shopping there. We're going back to canning our own fruit and making things from scratch. It's a better way of life for just the two of us now that the kids are grown and moved away. I sew most of my clothes and have chickens for eggs. The rest we either do without or buy elsewhere for more $.
It was an easy fix for us because I stay at home, but for others I know they need to save those dollars and I can understand why some people must shop there.
It's a hard situation at best.

Wal-mart corp., supporter of legal abortion(murder), supporter of gay marriages and gay rights,read your Bible.Have you ever wonderd why most wal-marts don't even fly and american flag in front of their stores (some do but most don't)...Ethanol in fuel is not too damaging to your cars and trucks, but in sma engines like lawn mowers and tillers etc. the ethnol will leave a powdery residue in the carburator jets which when set over a winter will stop up the carb. and lead to costly repairs to fix. Non ethnol fuel in small engines is a recomendation of lessons learned the hard way... I'm sorry if I have offended anyone But I am a firm believer in the word of God and do my best to live by the standards of the Bible.

Wow. You have all given me a lot to think about. We do shop at Walmart for some things. Yes...we do not buy meat there. It is too expensive. We buy loss leaders at other stores and into the freezer it goes. We only buy meat on sale...or hunt it ourselves. We do sometimes buy chicken feed from them. We have bought some groceries there, when they are on sale. Frozen fish, Milk and cream. You all have given some very good reasons not to shop there in future.