I feel like a sell-out....

[NightTrain]

Just got home from buying a pair of jeans and some sneakers. And boy, do I feel like a sell-out!

I used to get my clothes at a regional department store chain called Bradlee's, but those folks went out of business a few years ago. So I switched to another regional chain called Ames, but now they're out of business too. My next choice was the Super K-Mart store a couple of miles down the street, but now that store also has shut down as well.

For a shopper on a tight budget, that left only one choice--the store at which I vowed years ago that I would never, ever shop. Unfortunately, they're now the only game in town beyind the upscale Yuppie clothing stores at the *&!@%^#$ mall. That's right, folks. Tonight, for the first time ever, I spent money at Wal-Mart. And it pisses me off to no end!

I'm angry first and foremost at myself, because I feel like I've financially supported sweatshop labor. And I'm angry at the big chains for driving the smaller places out of business so that a person with perpetually tight finances has nowhere else affordable to shop for clothes.

So what the hell do I do? Walk around in worn-out jeans and sneakers with holes in them, or buy my clothes at Wal-Mart? God, I hate the new millennium....

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Ouch.

Welcome to the new world order.

Normally, I'd condemn people for shopping at WalMart, but given the circumstances that you, and so many others suffer under, I know that many are now, because of city's being too damn stupid to say "NO!!!!" to WalMart, forced to buy from WalMart, or spend a LOT of money, or go a LONG way away for shopping.

So no fault to you - what option did you have? I'd say buying on-line, but given that clothing is the kind of thing you really have to try on, I can't fault you for that, either. I'd never buy jeans online.

[AndyTiedye]

2. Goodwill (or any other thrift that isn't Salvation Army)

I buy white cotton stuff at Goodwill and tiedye it.
For stuff I can't get there, I'll usually hit Sears when there's a sale.
Their painters pants tiedye really well and last a long time, btw.

[newyawker99]

10. Congrats AndyTiedye!! 400 posts

:toast:

[1monster]

3. Hey, I went shopping today too!

I got one pair of jeans, two pairs of cotton twill pants, and one pair of dress pants to augment my son's back to school wardrobe. And I got a really nice top for myself.

And it only cost me $12.48.

I shopped at Goodwill.

I never used to shop there except for when I was doing costuming for the theatre. But, in the process of shopping for costumes, I noticed that Goodwill sometimes had some really nice stuff. And since my son seems to rip the knees out of his pants and jeans at the rate of one or two a week, I figured, "Why not?"

That said, as far as Walmart and other large chain retail stores go, they are all large corporations and are really not that much different from each other. They all have some serious faults, but most of them do contribute back to the community. I know that a small percentage of everything I buy on my Target Visa goes to the school of my choice in this county. I believe that Walmart does some sort of community action contribution too.

I don't love Walmart, but I do buy most of my groceries there. The alternative is to pay more at the large food chains like Publix, Winn Dixie, and Albertson. I shop at those stores sometimes too, and sometimes save money over Walmart at them too.

Let's face it, there are very few "mom 'n' pop" or community stores left in this country. You do what you have to do and buy where you have to buy and change for the better what you can change for the better.

[Sperk]

4. You gotta check out the sales at the malls! The prices are

unbelievable. That's one good thing Smirky has done, he ruined the economy so the stores are marking their stuff waaaay down. I was in JC Penney's and saw some really cute blouses on clearance. The original price was 29.99 and they had been marked down twice to 7.90! And when I paid it, there must have been an additional markdown because I paid on 10 dollars and some cents (don't remember exactly). Two 30 dollar blouses for 10 bucks! Buy your summer stuff for next year now!

[inthecorneroverhere]

9. Yeah! Love those half-price 'plus' another 33% off

Especially love it when it's 75% off! Pssst! Don't tell anybody, buy at the end of the season, sometimes name-brand stuff goes for 75% off!

[northzax]

17. yeah, sure

but then it's terribly passe, so who cares?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. You might check the upscale department store sale racks...

I often get good deals on clothes toward the end of the season. I almost never buy anything from them at full retail.

[LynneSin]

16. And don't forget the coupons in the paper

We have Macy's, Lord & Taylors and Strawbridges here in Delaware, plus I love Bloomingdales. Usually about 2-3 times a month they local paper will have the discount coupons for sale items. That 50 cents you spend for your local paper could save you 10-20% off of already deeply discounted stuff.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I admit to shopping at Wal-Mart on occasion, myself

They seem to have the best prices and, you're right, they have driven the other stores out of the community. The latest, where I live, was also an Ames. I have not bought clothes there; I usually go to sales at Penneys or catalog shop. My local Wal-Mart isn't much in the way of groceries, but toiletries (toothpaste, etc.) and cat food are the lowest prices around. Don't blame yourself.:shrug:

[SOteric]

7. Maybe time to look at purchasing clothing online...hmmmmm?

Lots of great places, let your fingers do the Googling.

[inthecorneroverhere]

8. thrift stores, yard sales, and dept store sales!

Either shop the thrift stores (Goodwill), shop yard sales, or go for the big discounts at the Yuppie dept. stores. Big discounts happen during February and a little bit around September and October whebn they get rid of the summer stuff. I've gotten great stuff for peanuts at everything from yard sales to dept. store sales and by looking around at different Goodwills and thrift stores.

I can't stand Mall-wart clothes!

[Kat45]

11. By the stores you mention, sounds like you're in New England?

(or the Northeast) I used to get jeans at Bradlee's too. No Target near you?

[NightTrain]

13. Since you asked...

...I live in East Hartford, Connecticut.

[skippysmom]

14. from a former CT resident...

if you want to brave the Buckland Hills area, there is a Target there. Up on the hill, near Lowe's I believe.

[Rhiannon12866]

21. Welcome to DU, skippysmom!

Who is skippy?:-)

[amazona]

12. well, I do the thrift stores

Goodwill and Salvation Army...sometimes the garage sales but I have less luck there. I am a petite size, and it's pretty easy to find jeans, etc. at the Goodwill. Larger sizes tell me that it is more difficult for them. We have consignment stores too but the prices have gotten too high -- well above WalMart prices and, in some cases, I suspect well above what the clothes in question cost when they were new.

It's gotten crazy out there.

[LynneSin]

15. Options: Marshalls, TJMaxx, Sears, JCPenneys or Outlet Stores (LLBean's)

They get Department Store clothes and sell them at a reduced price - mainly stuff that has been on the racks of Bloomies, Macy's, Strawbridges, etc. I got great name brand jeans for dirt cheap.

Also consider Sears or JCPenney's which are lower-end department stores with very reasonable prices.

Finally, it's sweet living near the outlet stores. Most of my pants & jeans come from LLBean Outlet stores. About 4 times a year they'll have their $9.95 pants sale and their jeans always seem to be less than $20. About half my work wardrobe comes from the local LLBean outlet store in Wilmington DE and the prices and quality are much better than anything you can find at a WalMart.

Finally, do NOT discount those expensive department stores. I'm a shop-aholic and I know how to get great discounts from Macy's & Bloomies and all the other higher end stores. Daily Newspaper's will usually have the coupons in them for sale rack items (10-20% sale items) and then I head back to their sales racks. I've gotten $200 sweaters for less than $20 by shopping out of season and using the coupons in the paper for the department store.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Outlets are great...

Ross is pretty good too, if you can find one where the clientele haven't knocked half the clothes off the racks and trampled them.

[LynneSin]

19. Yeah, Ross could be great if they weren't so messy inside

Personally, I think cause they overstuff their racks and people get frustrated trying to put the clothes back. They probably lose more clothing to being trampled & torned than to shoplifting

[sam sarrha]

20. Thrift Stores, you recycle and help a charity... and save the expensive

stuff for impressing someone else...!!! like new T's for a dollar or 2 max, the Levis are sometimes like new, always broken in for $4 to $8...max, warm coats like new... I'm 6' 6" so i have to check out when they put out new stuff, and check back a few times, but always find nice good quality clothes. Ive been out of a good job for 2 years, jobs last 90 days.I worked at Boeing here till they put themselves out of business. here in el Paso they have such 'Sweat Shop mentality' that it is hard enough to get a job without speaking Mexican, harder to keep one if your supervisor finds out you are educated. The MEAN income here is $14,000 a year. population almost a million.