comptrmech's Blog

When it comes down to the price wars at the grocery stores, there are alot of thought on this. For some it comes down to money, brands may not make the difference, so buying in bulk from the wholesale clubs or the price cutters is a viable option. I know you can get some decent name brands from the Walmart and the wholesale clubs but from them you sacrafice in some cases customer service or depth of selection. From the local grocery stores, you get a wider selection, both in choices & sizes so paying a bit more is okay. Its part of being a wise shopper. I don't have the need to buy a case of green beans for me just to save 13 cents a can to have 2/3 of the case to sit in my pantry till I need to get rid of them at the next food pantry drive or the scouts come by.(and I do realize that donating is a worthy cause) yet I still have a need to partonize them for some items. Another way these stores can dodge the price war is by different selections. When I used to work for one of the "big box home centers" there was a constant price matching with the other home center across the road. The chain's pricing guarantee back then was to match exact plus 10 percent but they got wise and offered a different model or brand. (all you had to do was to change the model or brand a little bit and you no longer had to match) Private label stepped in. Check who makes what for whom. Years ago Duracell used to make the akaline batteries for ACE and that was much cheaper than buying name brand. You would be surpised at the amount of private label manufacturing the name brand companies do and that savings get passed on. Everything from gasoline, electronics, groceries, housewares, white goods, just about everything we consume is available private label and in alot of instances quality does not sacrafice.

What I have noticed of late about your web polls, is the lack of addition options. Often I found myself not finding any satisfactory choices... Like todays. The real gift I am finding hard to get is a .......Job... been seeking a job for almost 4+ months. No much desire for middle aged / middle managers. Todays youth has the edge. Oh well, still I keep the faith, I will find the perfect job. Happy Holidays you guys.

Stephen