Attention, Walmart shoppers: There’s a sale on today on…well, there’s bound to be a sale on something. That’s the beauty of shopping at Walmart. The store is known for its everyday low prices. And when you get a sale on top of that, it could result in a lot of savings.
But despite the perks of shopping at Walmart, you may actually want to spend your money elsewhere. Here are a few good reasons to steer clear of Walmart.
1. The wide selection leads to overspending on your part
One of the things that makes Walmart so amazing is that you can buy toilet paper, groceries, toys, clothing, and power tools all under the same roof. But is that really a good thing?
It is if you use Walmart for the convenience and manage to stick to a shopping list each time you go there. But if Walmart’s vast selection of inventory constantly leads you to make impulse buys, then shopping there may be busting your budget in a serious way.
If that’s the case, then you’re not doing yourself any favors by shopping at Walmart. You might save a little money on select products. But if you manage to shave $8 off of your weekly grocery bill only to then come home with an unplanned $12 item, you haven’t benefited yourself financially in any way. If anything, you’re worse off. So if shopping at Walmart opens the door to too much temptation, it’s time to stay away.
2. You’re not getting the best deals on groceries
Walmart’s prices tend to be pretty competitive across the board. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find better deals on groceries elsewhere.
For example, if you have an Aldi nearby, it pays to take a look and compare the prices to what Walmart has to offer. You may find that Aldi wins on price (though Walmart might win on selection, so there’s that to consider, too).
Also, if you have a larger family to feed, then it could pay to do more of your shopping at Costco. Even though you’ll have to pay a membership fee to join (the basic membership costs $60 now and will rise to $65 in September), you might more than recoup that fee in the form of savings on food and household essentials throughout the year.
3. You believe in supporting small businesses
You may have heard of the “Walmart Effect” in the context of local economic news. Or maybe not. But in a nutshell, it’s a term used to describe what typically happens when a big-box store like Walmart comes to town.
Often, once Walmart or a similar store opens, small businesses find themselves unable to compete with its prices. The result? Those local businesses are forced to close up shop.
If that’s not something you want, then you may want to keep away from Walmart and instead spend your money supporting local businesses in your community. And there can be benefits to doing so, even if you’re not necessarily getting the lowest price.
Walmart’s inventory is mass-produced, which is how the store is able to offer the prices it does. You might spend more at a small business, but bring home items that are higher in quality. So which would you rather do — buy a $15 sweater for your child that frays and unravels after they’ve worn it six times, or buy a $30 sweater that lasts your child for an entire year and remains in good enough condition to pass down to their younger sibling?
Also, you might enjoy better customer service when you shop at a local business. This isn’t to say you’ll get bad service at Walmart. But it’s also fair to say that Walmart isn’t desperate for customers, so the people you interact with there may not go out of their way for you. At a small business, you might feel far more valued. So if you can afford to forgo Walmart’s ultra-low prices, you may be better off shopping local and small.
Plenty of people rely on Walmart for their household needs. But if these signs apply to you, then it may be time to stop shopping there for good.
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