Tuesday, January 10, 2012

On A String And a Budget

The Chicago Widney's are scaling it back. Way back, my friends. We do not live overly extravagant lifestyles to begin with. However, we have begun to really trim the fat, so to speak. If we were really trimming the fat, we would undergo liposuction...

For example. we have begun to shop at WalMart for groceries. In Chicago, this means a trip to the far south suburbs or Indiana. Last week, we went to Indiana as the new Supercenter there is closest and gas is $0.20/gallon cheaper there. Not only did we shop at WalMart, but we bought - hold my hand, I need the support for this revelation - generic!

I loaded up more generic WalMart brand items on that conveyer belt than I have ever loaded in my life combined. It was shocking. Most of all, it was humbling.

When we lived in Tulsa, we shopped at WalMart all the time because our Albertson's went out of business (coincidentally when WalMart moved in down the street). But we seldom bought generic. When we moved to Chicago and I stayed home, I had the time to shop at WalMart for basics (toiletries, paper goods, etc.), another store for produce, Costco for other stuff, and Trader Joe's.  As a working mom, it was Whole Foods, Dominick's or Target for what we needed 'cause that's what was close and handy.

Going back to WalMart has the possibility of saving us up to $300 off our grocery bill each month. Ummm....Generic doesn't seem quite so bad anymore!

2 comments:

Heather Kay said...

Good for you!

I do not know if you have an Aldi in your area, but, they are even cheaper than Wal-Mart & the dairy, frozen mean, and produce is far superior! Just bring a quarter (for a shopping cart) and your own shopping bags...it is a great store!!

Shan said...

Nicely done my friend.