So, I’ve been using the time off I’ve had since my contract ended last week to clean the house, get rid of some of the crap I am holding onto for no reason, look for another job, and work on getting my place looking less like a college dorm and more like an actual grownup space…well, as much as I can in a studio apartment.
Saturday I headed over to a Target on the other side of Bardstown, which was in a shopping center with a Wal-Mart and Lowes, mainly to look at there bedding but to also see the commute time since I have just applied there. I ended up heading over to Wal-Mart after Target because I have been in there before, and although I hate all Wal-Marts this is one of the better ones (of the super stores, the Neighborhood Markets are a different story). Even in the middle of the day on a weekend, they weren’t too crazy. I went there soley because I know that they have Cabot cheese.
Cabot cheese is delicious. It’s one of my favorite cheeses in the world, and it’s the one thing I’ve missed not living in Florida. You could find them everywhere in Florida! And on sale. In Kentucky, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart and Costco are the only two places that sell them. And it is ridiculously over priced at Whole Foods. The main reason I went for this cheese, is because even though right now in my vegetarian diet I’m not being strict about rennetless cheeses (mainly in restaurants, but sometimes in a money pinch I’ll buy whatever), I made a pact with myself to always buy when I could, and Cabot does not contain any animal rennet in it, thus making it the best cheese in existence. I walked around a little more while I was there and found the Morningstar Farms turkey burgers. When I ate meat, I prefered a turkey burger over regular and have been dying to try it, but none of the Whole Food/Krogers/Fresh Markets had them. This Wal-Mart not only had them, they had some of their other new products, and quite a bit of vegetarian selection.
Thus my predicament, Wal-Mart continuously has products that I regularly get, at discounted prices and products that no one else has. This isn’t the first time they have been the only place to have a certain product. They also carry the brand of tzatziki I like the best (with the best ingredients, and no added crap), they carry Sabra hummus for at least a dollar less than any other store, and a great bag of mixed frozen fruits that I use in my smoothies .
I really try not to shop at Wal-Mart, because I don’t like the atmosphere of the store, nor do I like (most of) the people who shop there, or the hassle of being in that crowded of a place. Wal-Mart is known to not be the best (ethically) place in existance, and it’s hard for me to be ok with supporting them through my money, but it still doesn’t change the fact that they carry these things that not only are leading to helping me with a better lifestyle, but also with my limited budget helping me not have to spend as much. It’s a hard moral dilemma, and there are always other sides. Even though I may not want to support them, my money does go towards the salaries of everyone who works there, and they deserve to have a job that gives them money just as much as I do. People with limited budgets deserve to have a place like Wal-Mart where they can buy more for their money when they have limited means.
Will I be shopping there more regularly now? For now, yes. But I intend only to purchase the things I know that I can’t buy at other places. One thing is for sure, Wal-Mart does listen to the customers and provide the products that they want, and that’s something.
A Charismatic Life 
Thank you for buying Cabot cheese! We love that it’s on your list of ‘must haves’. I don’t know where you are in KY – Food City, Meijer, Krogers and Food Lions carry Cabot, as well. Our store finder at http://www.cabotcheese.coop/store-finder/ will help!
Of course we love Walmart, Whole Foods and Costco too!