Trapped in the WalMart Timewarp

I know, Walmart sucks this and that, but I like cheap prices on my groceries, and other necessities. There aren't many other department stores around anymore with the disappearance of K-mart and Woolworth's. Sears and the Bay are for the elite bank accounts. So we have Walmart and the Dollar stores. There's only one Superstore in this neck of the woods, in the next town 14kms away. Every town has them in Canada now. We have a giant brand new one. I don't like it much, but it sure doesn't keep me from going. The one ridiculous flaw they made in the design of the new building as it became part of a shopping complex was that while they have a really nice underground parking garage, which is great to pack your bags into your vehicle without the pissing rain beating down on you. I'm parked in my usual spot here, and when I came back to it another Westy was pulled up beside me...aww...Karma made a friend. Only you have to go outside to get into the store. So you still end up out in the pissing rain, both coming and going. They have handy escalators from the parking garage up to the store level, and friendly staff to greet you, but you still have to go outside before you can get into the actual store. Dumb.

Again, it doesn't keep me from going all the time. I head out there usually to pick up a few staple groceries. They sell milk for $3.97/gallon. They don't have the selection all the time of a regular grocery store, but it sure is handy to do it all in one store now, if I need something that a grocery store doesn't sell. I was able to buy fresh croissants, knee socks, thumbtacks and oil for the van all at the same store...


The problem arises when you get lost in the Wal-mart time warp. I go in with the intention of picking up one or two things, and come out with 19 other things, and nearly $100 spent. What the hell? I'm shopping like I have a job...things may be cheap at Wal-mart but cheap prices can also trap you as you rationalize why you should get something right now because it's cheap, and not because you NEED it.


I need to find other less expensive rainy day outings...