Highway Robbery

Recently, I went to Walmart for a few items (really less than 10 items) and I used to enjoy shopping at Walmart because they always boasted decent prices on everything.  I was shocked to find that the cost of some of the items I was there to get actually went up, not much but everything was increasing in price around the store. 


I guess if the prices hadn't jumped somewhat drastically on some items then I wouldn't have noticed since I haven't been really shopping at Walmart of late.  I've been spending my food money at places like Aldi's and Dollar Tree.  Yes, Dollar Tree, where everything is a dollar.  I can find lots of things in their freezer section for meals for just me.  Sometimes I can get several meals from a variety of items mixed and matched from Dollar Tree.  Aldi's has good prices too and their fresh fruits and veggies are pretty good.  Sometimes I don't like the lack of variety at places like Aldi's and Dollar Tree but then again, looking at the prices of places like Walmart and the grocery stores out there, I shouldn't complain.


While on my trip to Walmart, I stopped at Subway, which is actually right inside the entrance to Walmart and I stopped there before heading to the back of the store to pick up half a gallon of milk (used to be $2.50 and is now $2.60).  Subs used to be priced at a decent cost for eating out and now - for the sub I like, it is $7.50 for just a foot long sandwich.  And the girl was new and very chincy with the veggies she was putting on my sub.  I had to tell her to put more stuff on it because the meat was so little and I wanted to feel like I had a hefty sandwich for the price.  If you want to add a drink and chips to that it's another $2.50.  That's $10 before tax for a complete meal.  When did that happen?  The cost of eating out is outrageous.  It's absolutely highway robbery.


 I recently went up to $2 on my bookworms and I'm sure some of you are saying that it's highway robbery for me to do so, but let me explain why.  I've been working with Elaine C. from AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries) and she's trying to work a deal with some local shops for my bookworms and books and other things I make and she wanted me to add labels to the bookworms.  Not an easy task in and of itself but I did it.  I purchased a double sided sticky tape dispenser from Walmart, some double sided sticky tape; I ordered some blank sew-on labels from Starlight labels; I ordered some pocket stamps from Vistaprint which are just the right size for the labels.  This is working out well for the bookworms and the labels once stamped will be sewn onto other larger items, once I figure out where to set up my sewing machine - lol.  I have afghans, a crocheted vest, scarves, and shawls to put labels in so this will be another task.  Labor.  It can be so expensive, especially when you are doing all the work yourself.  Anyway, I apologize for being one of those highway robbers since I had to go up in price on my bookworms.  I had no choice.  The cost of everything around me went up, including the yarn I pick up at Walmart (this is when I first noticed that the prices were going up - I had purchased a skein or two for my daughter to finish a project she was working on and was kind of shocked to see that the cost of the yarn had changed, even if it was only 11 cents a skein - still - that was 22 cents extra on 2 skeins).  If bookworms are purchased in bulk of at least 20, I will go back down to my $1.50 each price. 


Anyway, the economy is shifting, prices are going up on everything, and the small business person will be the one left behind if they don't follow suit.  We are all victims of highway robbery - :)