07-25-2013, 09:22 PM
$tevie wrote:
The thing that nobody here seems to be considering is that for some people "ethical" decisions are simply not affordable. While I am shocked at how Walmart expects me to subsidize their employees with food stamps and health assistance, I don't see how a lower income family of, say, four could afford Safeway or Giant these days. Food prices are through the roof and like it or not, you can save some serious money grocery shopping at Walmart. Which I don't, but then again I'm not trying to raise a family.
While this may not be true in all areas, there ARE co-ops where you can save a ton of money, eat healthy, keep money in your community, all the while avoiding WM. I go here: http://www.utahcoop.org/ and I get 2-3 bags of organic fruit & vegetables for $30-$40, enough for me and my wife for a week; for a family of 4, it would run about $45-$55 or so. We do not eat meat but they sell affordable product from local farms and the meat is as clean as it gets (nowadays, at least).
I know this is not unique to where I live (there are similar places in San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Boise, and Las Vegas) so seek them out. Co-Ops are run by local folk that employ local people and buy from local farmers; all things you want, right?
There are always options to WM and if enough people realized this and shopped locally, we would all be better off.